International Applications
HBS welcomes students from around the globe. The admissions criteria applied in evaluating international applicants are the same as those for U.S. citizens. All application materials, including transcripts and recommendations, must be submitted online and in English.
Academic Requirements
An international applicant is required to hold a college or university degree equivalent to a four-year American baccalaureate degree. All post-secondary educational institutions you have attended and received a degree from, including technical and professional schools, should be listed on the application form. The complete, formal names of the institutions and the title of any diploma or degree earned must be used.
Transcripts
When self-reporting transcripts for the application, all course names must be translated into English before submission. If admitted to Harvard Business School, you will be required to provide an official paper transcript sent directly from each college or university attended to World Education Services (WES), a third-party verification agency. If available, your school should send a transcript in English along with the original language document. The School reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission if there is a discrepancy between the self-reported transcript and the official transcript.
TOEFL and IELTS
The HBS MBA Program is built upon an immersive learning experience that encourages public speaking, group discussions, and active class participation. To succeed, students must possess a highly developed proficiency in written and oral English.
Candidates who received their bachelor's degree from an English-speaking university are not required to take the TOEFL or IELTS (i.e., they are exempt).
Candidates who received their bachelor's degree from a non-English-speaking university are required to take either the Internet-based version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL IBT) and/or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Candidates who received a master's or Ph.D. degree from an English-speaking university are strongly encouraged to submit the TOEFL IBT and/or IELTS.
Scores from tests taken before January 1, 2008 will not be accepted.
The MBA Admissions Board discourages any candidate with a TOEFL score lower than 109 on the IBT from applying.
Those candidates required to take the TOEFL IBT or IELTS must have received at least their unofficial scores prior to submitting their application. Both overall and component test scores must be reported on the application form.
All applicants must request that ETS (for the TOEFL) and/or IELTS send official copies of their scores to HBS. The Harvard Business School ETS code number for the TOEFL IBT is 3444.
To obtain information about these tests, visit: www.toefl.org or www.ielts.org.
Academic Preparation
Some international students may be asked to attend, or want to consider, the on-campus summer PreMBA International Program to make a smooth and effective transition to MBA studies at Harvard Business School. PreMBA International is an intensive learning acculturation curriculum offering integrated modules that help international students enhance their presentation skills, develop critical competencies and strengthen their effectiveness in fast-paced, rigorous HBS case discussions with peers from around the world.
When to Apply
The Admissions Board strongly encourages international applicants to apply by the second round deadline to allow admitted candidates ample time to address visa issues