Early Action - September 19, 2012
Round 1 - October 24, 2012
Round 2 - January 4, 2013
Round 3 - March 21, 2013

Additional details are available on the Daytime Apply page.

Given the competitive applicant pool, you are encouraged to apply as early in the admission cycle as possible.

International applicants should apply during Early Action, Round 1, or Round 2.

Re-applicants who applied the previous year are strongly encouraged to reapply for admission during Early Action or Round 1.

The Early Action option is ideal for applicants who have completed their MBA research and have decided that the Daytime MBA program is the best fit for them, but it is binding.

For details, visit the Apply page. 

We cannot evaluate your qualifications until we receive an application for admission from you. We look at a candidate's overall strengths and weaknesses and compare that profile against the larger applicant pool. Criteria considered include work experience, leadership (both personally and professionally), essays, recommendations, academic transcripts and test scores. Visit the Apply page for additional details.

The Fuqua School of Business is committed to breaking down barriers to business education. Applicants may qualify for a waiver or fee reduction if they meet certain criteria. Learn more about our Application Fee Reduction and Fee Waiver policies.

We cannot issue refunds for your application fee. If you are applying for an application fee waiver, do not submit your application if asked for credit card information.

We admit applicants with a range of test scores. There is no minimum requirement. However, if you feel that you have not scored your personal best, or that the results are not representative of your abilities, you may re-take the exam. If you submit multiple test scores, you must indicate on your application which score you would like for us to use.

GMAT/GRE scores are important in the evaluation process, but it is not the only indicator of achievement. Other important aspects are your academic performance, work experience, community involvement and leadership, recommendations and essays. To view available statistics on the current class, please visit the Class Profile.

We are seeking quality, not quantity of work experience. Depending on the career path you have chosen thus far, it may take more or less time for you to gain the experiences that will enable you to add value to the classroom. The learning that occurs in an MBA program is not limited to what is delivered by the faculty, but rather the discussion that the subject matter generates in the classroom. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, functions, and industries, and sharing their experiences is what promotes learning in the classroom. We encourage you to look carefully at the experiences that you have had thus far and to highlight in your application how you will augment the classroom and community.

We seek students with diverse perspectives that will add value to the classroom and the community. Non-traditional backgrounds push our boundaries in the classroom and allow students and faculty to think differently. If you are applying with a non-traditional background, use the application to clearly define your goals and the role of a Duke MBA in reaching them, as well as provide insight into your experiences and career progression as we may be less familiar with your industry.

Daytime MBA students begin their program in July or August, depending on whether they take pre-term courses (which may be required for some students).

We encourage applicants to apply for admission in the year in which they wish to matriculate. If circumstances prevent you from enrolling in that year, you may request a deferral by writing to the Associate Dean of Admissions outlining all details surrounding the request. Requests for deferral will only be considered after May 1, for students who have already submitted their tuition deposit. Deferrals are granted on a very limited basis.

Deferrals are granted only in the case of significant, unanticipated and unavoidable personal emergency. An admitted student may be deferred up to, but not beyond, the same term in the succeeding year. Admission may be deferred only once. All requests for deferral must include official supporting documentation confirming the nature of the request. Examples of reasons for deferral include military service obligations and medical emergencies for the student or an immediate family member.

If a deferral is granted, applicants are still required to pay a non-refundable deferral fee of $3,000. If a scholarship is awarded in the year the applicant applies, this award is not guaranteed for matriculation the following year. Scholarship awards will be re-evaluated during the admissions cycle prior to matriculation.

No, we do not accept transfer credits. However, exemption exams are available for most of the core courses. Exemption exams are offered at the beginning of each semester. A student may also be given an "administrative exemption" based on prior course work. Exemption from a course does not reduce the total number of credits needed to complete the degree. Students have the ability to substitute an elective in place of the required course.

Our program is heavily quantitative in nature. A college-level calculus course with a grade equivalent to a C or better is required to matriculate. In addition, we recommend the following preparatory courses: statistics, financial accounting, macro or micro economics, and corporate finance.

If you did not take a calculus course as an undergraduate student, you may take it at any accredited college or university. It must be a "for credit" course in which you earn a grade equivalent to a C or better. The requirement must be satisfied prior to matriculation in the summer.

All applications for joint degree programs are due by the Early Action, Round 1 or Round 2 deadlines. See the Apply page for deadline details.

The Duke MBA online application should be completed for all joint degree programs except for the JD/MBA program (see below). If the applicant is not yet an admitted or matriculated student in the joint degree program (the non-MBA program), the applicant must also complete the entire application process for that non-MBA program.

For JD/MBA program: The application for the JD/MBA program is hosted by the Law School Admission Council. Prospective students applying to both programs concurrently, as well as students who are already in one of the programs and are applying for the other program, should complete only the JD/MBA application, and not the independent MBA or LAW applications. Applicants must take and report their scores for both the LSAT and the GMAT.

For MBA/MF or MBA/MEM programs: To apply to these joint degree programs, you ONLY need to fill out the Daytime MBA application as both The Fuqua School of Business and The Nicholas School of the Environment utilize the same application form. Please fill out the portion of the application specifically devoted to the MBA/MF or MBA/MEM joint degree.

For all other joint degree programs, an applicant must submit separate applications to each program. Learn more about the joint degrees offered.

Regardless of your citizenship, all Early Action applicants residing in the U.S. (except on the West Coast) are required to travel to Durham to interview during the Open Interview Period. If you live on the West Coast or outside of the U.S., you may interview in Durham during the Open Interview Period, but it is not a requirement. Invitations to interview for Early Action will ONLY be extended to applicants living on the West Coast or internationally.

The Open Interview period takes place on Duke's campus in Durham from September 10 - October 16, 2012. After the Open Interview period, interviews are by invitation only. If you are invited to interview, you will have the option to interview in Durham or in a number of cities around the world. Visit the Interviews page for details.

Information about traveling to and staying in Durham for an interview will be included in the confirmation email you will receive regarding your interview. In addition, the Visit Fuqua page includes travel information to assist you with planning your trip.

Applicants may schedule an interview during our Open Interview period, which takes place in Durham from September 10 - October 16, 2012. We encourage you to schedule your interview as soon as possible, due to space limitations.

After October 16, 2012, interviews are by invitation only. If you receive an invitation to interview, you will receive a detailed email with specific scheduling instructions.

Visit the Interviews page for additional details and scheduling information.

You should take interview dates into consideration when selecting an application round. All applicants invited for an interview are required to schedule and complete their interview during that round.

Should unexpected circumstances prevent you from interviewing as scheduled, contact the Office of Admissions immediately at +1.919.660.7705 or admissions-info@fuqua.duke.edu. We will do our best to accommodate you, but if this is not possible, your application will be moved to the next admissions round.

Yes, we offer a variety of activities in Durham and in other select locations to enable you to learn more about the Fuqua culture. Learn more on the Campus Visits page.

No. Interviews and class visits are very limited. We would like to offer as many visitors as possible the opportunity to participate in these activities, so you may only sign up for one class visit and one interview.

Yes, if you are visiting the Durham campus. Within the online scheduling system, please indicate whether you plan to bring your partner. A representative of the Fuqua Partners organization will then contact your partner via email with information for the day of your visit.

Due to limited space, we kindly ask that partners refrain from attending a class visit. Partners are welcome to wait in the admissions lobby during your class visit and interview.

If you are unable to attend your scheduled interview and need to cancel or reschedule, please do so within our online scheduling system. Visit the Interviews page for more details.

For cancellations within 48 hours of your visit, please cancel your visit online and contact us at +1.919.660.7705 or admission-info@fuqua.duke.edu.

Every admitted applicant is considered for a merit scholarship.

Merit scholarship recipients are selected by an Admissions Merit Scholarship Committee. The selection criteria include prior academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, community involvement, extracurricular activities, and professional accomplishments. These awards are for the two-year MBA program duration and range from partial to full tuition.

Fuqua's merit scholarships are awarded on a two-year basis to enable applicants to plan for the entire cost of a Fuqua education. There is no funding for new awards in the second year. Thus, students who enroll without scholarship funding the first year should not anticipate an award for the second year of the program.

Merit scholarship awards are made independent of determining a student's eligibility for student loans.

A variety of student loan programs are available to both domestic and international students. Students are eligible to apply for a combination of federal and alternative student loans to meet their cost of tuition, fees, books, and related living expenses as estimated in the cost of attendance. Visit the Financial Aid website for more details.

Contact lenders after you have received your award notice. Students who anticipate borrowing alternative student loans may consider contacting lenders earlier to make certain that they are creditworthy loan borrowers.

To apply for federal student loans each student should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To apply for Private/Alternative Loan you will select your lender of choice and complete the application with that lender.

Approximately one week after you submit your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), which will indicate the receipt and initial processing of your application. Our financial aid office receives an electronic copy of the SAR. The FAFSA data for admitted students is reviewed for accuracy and completeness. If additional information is needed, you will receive a written request from Fuqua. If no additional information is requested, you will receive a financial aid award notice. Our financial aid office begins review of financial aid applications in March and sends out award notices on a rolling basis.

The PTE, TOEFL or IELTS requirement is waived for international students who earned an undergraduate degree from a school whose primary language of instruction is English. In addition, the PTE, TOEFL or IELTS requirement is waived for international applicants holding a non-technical master's or a non-technical PhD degree from an institution where the official language of instruction was English.

Visit the Application Instructions section for details. If you have questions regarding this requirement, contact us directly at application-processing@fuqua.duke.edu.

Generally, we do accept international bachelor's degrees. Most of the degrees we see are for four-year programs. Three-year degrees are fairly common in U.K.-based systems. Level exams frequently are equal to the first year of college; therefore, a three-year degree from England, Scotland, Wales and Australia are usually equivalent to a four-year program. In India, the bachelor's of commerce degree is three years, and is usually considered the equivalent of a U.S. business degree.

Every admitted applicant is automatically reviewed for merit-based scholarships. There is no separate scholarship application. Scholarship notification typically occurs within a week following the admission notification. The awards are for the two-year duration of the MBA program and range from partial tuition to full tuition. Funding is limited and will not be sufficient to cover all tuition and living expenses. For details, visit the Financial Aid page for International Daytime Students.

We also offer a student loan for international students through Coastal Federal Credit Union. This loan offers a very competitive rate and does NOT require a co-singer from the U.S.

Re-applicants are individuals who applied in the previous year only. Individuals who applied prior to the preceding year are considered new applicants. Review the Re-Applicant section for detailed information.

Yes, re-applicants must submit a new online application. You may view your previous application by using your username and password from last year. However, you will need to create a new log-in and password to begin a new application, re-entering all of your information. Visit the Re-Applicant section for details.

Re-applicants are asked to answer the same essay questions as new applicants, plus one additional essay for re-applicants only. Review the Apply page for details.

Re-applicants should submit one letter of recommendation with their new application. Review the Re-Applicant section for details.

Re-applicants do not need to resend official GMAT/GRE and/or TOEFL/PTE/IELTS scores to Fuqua, unless the scores have expired.

We strongly recommend that you schedule another interview during our Open Interview period, if it is possible for you to travel to Durham. As a re-applicant, an interview is a great way to update the Admissions Committee on recent job promotions, personal achievements, and ways in which you are a stronger candidate this year.

If you re-apply in the Early Action Round you are required to interview in Durham during the Open Interview period unless you live on the West Coast or internationally. Invitations to interview for Early Action will ONLY be extended to applicants living on the West Coast or internationally. Review the Apply page for details.