MBA Admissions

Our Admissions Commitment

The Faculty of Management and the MBA Program are committed to fostering an engaged and inclusive community. Our commitment begins with our admissions process, which is designed to ensure that each cohort of students consists of individuals with diverse educational and lived experiences. Regardless of pathway, you can be sure that your candidacy is assessed using the following criteria:  

  • Educational Background: While our pathways are designed to welcome individuals from all areas of study, we do assess your level of education, grade point average, professional development, and certificates.  Requirements are dependent on pathway.
  • Professional Experience: Our assessment of professional experience is unique to each of our pathways. Our full-time Corporate Residency and JD/MBA pathways have been designed for early career professionals with less than five years' experience whereas our part-time Career Advance pathway is designed for mid-career professionals with more than five years' professional experience. 
  • Community Involvement: Through your résumé we will assess the various ways you have contributed to your community and society in general.  
  • Personal Motivation: Every applicant's motivation to further their education through an MBA program is different. Using a variety of tools, we will assess your career goals, maturity, and readiness to take on this new challenge. 
  • Pathway Knowledge and Fit: Through the application process, we will ensure that you are entering the pathway that is the right fit to help you achieve your personal and professional goals.  

Please review the admission requirements and application process thoroughly as there are separate deadlines and requirements for each pathway.  

Application Process

Step 1: Check Your Eligibility

The Dalhousie MBA program offers multiple pathways to complete your degree. We recommend you submit a Dal MBA Fit Assessment to introduce yourself and ensure you are applying to the pathway that will best help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Fill out the information below and we will provide you with an early indication of which pathway is right for you.  

Please review our admissions page and pathway requirements in full before completing the Dal MBA Fit Assessment.  

Step 2: Connect with Us  

We recognize that the decision to complete your MBA is a big one! To help you determine whether the Dal MBA program is the right fit for you, we recommend you contact our recruitment team, attend a fair, or register for one of our Virtual Information Sessions.  

Step 3: Complete the Online Application  

Before completing Dalhousie’s Online Application, please ensure you meet the minimum admissions requirements for your desired pathway. The application fee is non-refundable and must be paid before your application is processed. Methods of payment are included on the online application.  

Corporate Residency Pathway

Round Deadline
Round 1 October 31, 2023
Round 2* December 8, 2023
Round 3 February 28, 2024
Round 4 April 26, 2024
*Round 2 is the final application round for international applicants

Career Advance Pathway

Round Deadline
September start June 1
January start October 31

Note for those interested in our Joint JD/MBA Pathway: You will need to submit a separate application and be accepted to both the Corporate Residency Pathway and the Schulich School of Law (Schulich School of Law Admission Info). 

Step 4: Submit Supporting Documents

A review of an applicant’s file will only begin once an online application is complete, the application fee is paid, and all supporting documents have been received.

Document Submission Options

All documents submitted electronically must be sent to mba@dal.ca as PDFs. This is the recommended form of submission, unless mailing paper documents is the only option.

Documents can also be sent by mail to the address below. Please note that processing times will be slower for mailed/paper documents.

Dalhousie MBA Office
Kenneth C Rowe Building
6100 University Avenue, Suite 3010
Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2

Checking your Applications Status (DalOnline)

Applicants may check the status of their submitted application documents by logging into the admissions portal on the Dalhousie website. When documents have been added to your file, your profile will be updated. Updates are made every 2–3 business days (3–5 business days during peak times), so please allow time for this to show on your profile.

Transcripts

Corporate Residency Pathway Career Advance Pathway

Applicants must hold a four-year bachelor’s degree recognized by Dalhousie University and have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of B (or 3.0) or better in the final two years (or 60 credits hours).

Applicants who apply under the Equitable Admissions Policy whose GPA is between 2.7 and 3.0 will also be considered.

Applicants should hold a four-year bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an institution recognized by Dalhousie University. Those who do not have a four-year degree but have a minimum 10 years of professional, relevant experience may qualify through the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Process.  

Important transcript details  

  • Transcripts in languages other than English or French must be accompanied by an English translation provided by the institution issuing the transcript.  
  • Transcript grading keys must be included with the transcript.  
  • Degree and graduation certificates must be included if the transcript does not indicate the type of degree and date granted. 
  • Transcripts submitted with applications become the property of Dalhousie University, are subject to verification, are not available for copying, and will not be returned to the applicant.  
  • Official transcripts are not required for any courses or degree you have completed at Dalhousie University. Our office will obtain these transcripts on your behalf.  

Submission options 

  • Electronic file-transfers from the issuing institution and from services such as Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, eScrip-Safe, or TranscriptNetwork.  
  • PDFs sent by email directly from the issuing institution. These emailed transcripts are sent to mba@dal.ca. 

Reference Letter

Note: Referees are to use the Faculty of Graduate Studies Form when sending the reference by email or mail. 

Corporate Residency Pathway Career Advance Pathway
Applicants who completed their undergraduate degree within the last 5 years must submit two academic references.    

Applicants who completed their undergraduate degree more than 5 years ago must submit two professional letters of reference (preferably from a recent supervisor or manager).  

Applicants who completed their undergraduate degree within the last five years must provide one academic and one professional reference. 

Submission Options

  • E-reference System: If you apply online, enter the university email addresses of your referees in the appropriate fields. This triggers our e-reference system to send a reference template to their inbox and eliminates the need for paper reference letters. Please note that the system is not triggered until after you have paid your application fee and can take 3–5 business days to be sent. To use the e-reference system, your referees must have a university, teaching hospital, or government email address. Other types of email addresses will not be accepted by the e-reference system (e.g., Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, or business addresses). 
  • E-mail: Reference letters may also be emailed by the referee to mba@dal.ca. The referee must use their work email. 

Résumé

Corporate Residency Pathway Career Advance Pathway

Current résumé outlining less than 5 years of relevant professional experience post–undergraduate degree. 

Please follow the Guidelines for Résumés.  

Current résumé outlining a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience post–undergraduate degree. 

Please follow the Guidelines for Résumés.  

Letter of Intent

The letter of intent is a standard component of most graduate and professional school applications. 

The letter of intent offers applicants an opportunity to express their value proposition. It is an important component of an application and used by the selection committee in their final assessment. 

You letter of intent should be single-spaced, 1.5 pages maximum.

Consider the following in preparing your letter of intent

  • Start with a thought-provoking opening that will draw the reader into your letter of intent.
  • What personal characteristics, attributes, or values do you have that may enhance your chances for success?
  • What are your career aspirations?
  • Make this an honest portrayal of who you are.
  • Edit your document (especially for typos).
  • Limit your letter of intent to a maximum of 1.5 single-spaced pages.
  • Include your typewritten letter of intent with your application package.
  • Your name must be on the document.

The MBA Program is committed to increasing admissions and number of graduates from historically underrepresented groups: persons of Aboriginal/Indigenous ancestry, members of racialized groups, persons of African descent, Acadians, persons with dis/Abilities, and persons belonging to minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity (SOGI) groups. To help us support applicants to our program, we encourage applicants to self-identity in their Letter of Intent.

Undergraduate Quantitative Course List

Corporate Residency Pathway Career Advance Pathway

All applicants are required to complete the Undergraduate Quantitative Course List form.  

To complete the form, please list all quantitative-type courses (requiring the use of math concepts) you have taken in your undergraduate degree and the grade received for each.

Not required.

.  

Casper Assessment

Corporate Residency Pathway Career Advance Pathway

All applicants are required to complete a 90–110 minute online, open-response situational judgment tool that assesses applicants’ non-cognitive personal and professional competencies, including collaboration, communication, empathy, equity, ethics, motivation, problem solving, professionalism, resilience, and self-awareness.  

Completion of Casper is mandatory to maintain admission eligibility; no exceptions or waivers are allowed. 

Not required.

Casper is a standardized, multi-part online assessment that measures different competencies and attributes. This assessment complements the other tools we use for applicant review and evaluation in a wholistic review process. In implementing Casper, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.  

More information: Casper Information [PDF - 160 kB]

Casper Assessment Dates for 2023/2024 Application Cycle

Applicant Type

Admissions Deadline

Casper Assessment Date

Domestic Applicants Round 3
February 28, 2024
Assessment Date #3
January 25, 2024
5:00PM Eastern Time
Domestic Applicants Round 4
April 26, 2024

NEW!
Assessment Date #4
March 5 2024
5:00PM Eastern Time

Assessment Date #5
April 9, 2024
8:00PM Eastern Time

Language Requirements

English is the language of study at Dalhousie, therefore all applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate their capacity to pursue a graduate-level program in English before admission.  

For a complete list of English Language tests accepted by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, please visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies website. Note that the IELTS minimum score accepted for the CRMBA pathway is 7.5. Test Taker copies of English Language reports are not accepted; they must be official copies sent from the test centre. 

  • Minimum IELTS overall score of 7.5 
  • Minimum TOEFL score of 102   

Note: The language competency test may be waived if the applicant has completed a degree that meets both of the following requirements: 

  1. The degree is from a recognized university where the language of instruction is English.
  2. The university (or campus location) where the degree was obtained is in a country where English is an official language. Please contact mba@dal.ca if you are unsure whether you are required to provide this documentation. 

 

Financial Letter of Guarantee (International Applicants Only)

Corporate Residency Pathway Career Advance Pathway
International applicants are required to submit the supplemental form which includes a Financial Letter of Guarantee statement indicating an individual or organization who is accepting financial responsibility for tuition and living expenses or fully sponsoring a student during the full course of their studies.  Not required.

Please complete the Letter of Financial Guarantee document and submit it with proof of funds (e.g., bank statements, certificates of deposit) to mba@dal.ca  

If your proof of funds is in a language other than English, an English translation must also be provided. 


Step 5: Admissions Interview (Corporate Residency Pathway Only)

All applicants who meet the admission requirements will be contacted by the CRMBA office with a link to the admission interview. This virtual interview will be conducted through the Kira Talent Platform and will be assessed by our Admissions Committee.

More information:  Kira Talent Platform Interview Guide for Applicants [PDF -153 kB]

Equitable Admissions Policy   

The Faculty of Management is committed to increasing the admission and number of graduates from historically underrepresented groups: persons of Aboriginal/Indigenous ancestry, members of racialized groups, persons of African descent, persons with dis/Abilities, former youth-in-care and persons belonging to minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity (SOGI) groups.   

Corporate Residency Pathway

Applicants may choose to apply under the Equitable Admissions Policy. Under this policy, applicants are considered based on their individual qualifications for graduate study in the Master of Business Administration rather than in relation to other candidates. Additionally, applicants whose admissions GPA is between 2.7 and 3.0 but who meet all other admissions criteria may be considered through an Exceptional Admissions Request.   

To be considered for admission through the Equitable Admissions policy, applicants must have submitted a complete application including all supporting documents and the Equitable Admissions Request Form [PDF - 129 kB] by the admissions round deadline by which they wish to be considered.  

Career Advance Pathway

If a Career Advance Pathway applicant does not meet traditional application requirements, but has 10+ years of professional work experience, the applicant may choose to complete the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process. The PLA process starts with a résumé review; if substantial work experience and career progression are demonstrated, the applicant moves to a PLA interview where they will be asked to submit a number of documents to show proof of learning. If the PLA interview is successful, a recommendation for an offer of admission will be communicated to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Please reach out to mba@dal.ca for more information regarding the PLA process.