UMass Amherst Isenberg

Amherst, MA · Public · On-Campus (full-time residential) MBA, 36 credits, 1.5-2 years (3-semester in-residence program; accelerated/off-ramp options)

Average GPA: 3.45
Class size: 40
Program tuition: $58,598 (program total, out of state (2025-26 rates))

Deadlines

Early Action (Fall 2027 start): Nov. 1, 2026
Priority: Feb. 1, 2027
Regular: June 1, 2027
Final (domestic applicants and international students already in the U.S. on a visa): Aug. 1, 2027

Essays

Personal statement (1–2 pages)

A personal essay should be one to two pages in length, and include information about your past and current academic and professional history, your future goals and reasons for pursuing the MBA, and other pertinent details that will help us evaluate you as a candidate.

Graduate School short essay (600 words)

Please take the time to answer all parts of the following question. 600 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but do not feel obligated to do so. At UMass Amherst, no two students are alike. Our communities and groups often define us and shape our individual worlds. Community can refer to various aspects, including shared geography, religion, race/ethnicity, income, ideology, ability, sexuality, gender, and more. Please choose one of your communities or groups and describe its significance. Explain how your experience in this community or group would enable you to enrich the following: 1. Your department/program/our campus 2. Your field/discipline

Editor's notes

Aim for Nov. 1. It's the one date both official deadline lists agree on, and it's the only deadline that puts you first in line for merit scholarships. The fee comes back to you too.
This is a program for experienced people. Isenberg requires three years of work and reports an eight-year average, with an average age of 32. If you're at the three-year minimum, your personal statement has to make the case that you're ready now, not in five years.
Don't assume the test is optional. The waiver applies only to doctorate holders or applicants with a 3.2 GPA plus five years of experience. Everyone else is encouraged to submit a GMAT or GRE, and Isenberg will hold your file if you tell them a score is coming.
Plan on an interview. Isenberg says it's part of the process for all candidates, and it comes after the committee has read your file. Expect to talk through the same career story you told in your personal statement. Make sure the two versions match.