B.A.B.A. Admission Requirements
Effective Autumn 2011, international applicants with an F-1 Student Visa
have the option to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores as an alternative to taking the WSA.
See below for more details.
Planning Ahead
It's important to plan the courses you will take prior to applying for admission to the Milgard School of Business. Transfer students can refer to this grid of approved Transfer Courses.
Admission to the Business School is competitive, and candidates are evaluated on the following criteria:
- Previous academic performance (cumulative and business GPA)
- Completion of all prerequisite courses
- Personal statement
- Results of the WSA (international students may submit Proof of English Proficiency in lieu of WSA scores)
- Likelihood of success in the degree program
- Demonstration of the relationship between academic opportunities and the candidate's professional career goals
Academic Performance and Prerequisites
Applicants must meet the following requirements in order to be eligible for admission:
- A cumulative GPA (grade-point average) of at least a 2.75 in all college coursework.
- A cumulative GPA of at least a 2.75 in business prerequisites: accounting, business law, calculus, economics, and statistics. Applicants must also complete 5 credits of English composition to meet eligibility requirements.
- Business prerequisites may not be taken P/F or S/NS. The minimum acceptable grade in a business prerequisite is 2.0.
Admission Requirements
UW Tacoma students applying to the Milgard School of Business must have completed at least four of the following courses at the time of application to the Business School. All prerequisite coursework -- the eight Business prerequisites below, plus 5 credits of English composition -- must be completed prior to beginning the program.
- TACCT 210: Financial Accounting I*
- TACCT 220: Financial Accounting II*
- TACCT 230: Managerial Accounting*
- TBGEN 200: Introduction to Statistics in Business or TMATH 110: Introductory Statistics with Applications
- TBGEN 218: Business Law
- TBECON 220: Introduction to Microeconomics (Previously named TFIN 220)
- TBECON 221: Introduction to Macroeconomics (Previously named TFIN 221)
- TMATH 122 or 124: Calculus**
- English Composition
Effective Autumn 2012, applicants must also complete 5 credits of English composition prior to beginning the program.
* Note: Applicants to the Accounting Option must earn a minimum 3.0 grade in all accounting prerequisites.
** Note: Applicants to the Finance Option must earn a minimum 2.5 grade in Calculus.
Transfer students may see equivalent transferable courses in the Transfer Courses Grid.
General University Requirements
In addition to the above courses, students must complete the general university requirements listed below prior to graduation. Some of the above courses count towards general university requirements.
- Foreign language: Two years in high school or 10 credits of one foreign language at the college level
- Mathematics: Fulfilled by calculus
- Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning [Q]: Fulfilled by statistics
- Writing: 15 credits, which must include English composition and advanced composition
- TBUS 310 (one of Milgard School of Business's "Core Courses") will count towards the writing requirement.
- Visual, Literary, and Performing Arts (Humanities) [V]: 10 credits, Effective Autumn 2009: College-level foreign language at the 100 level will not count towards VLPA.
- Individuals and Societies (Social Science) [I]: 20 credits and must include
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Business law
- One course in either psychology, sociology, or anthropology
- Natural World (Natural Science) [N]: 20 credits and must include
- Calculus
- Statistics
- Electives: to complete 90 transferable credits
Application Requirements
The following items should be submitted by the application deadline:
1. Business School Application
(Transfer students must also apply to UW Tacoma)
An application specifically applying to the Milgard School of Business is required from all applicants and is separate from the application to UW Tacoma.
2. Personal Statement
A written personal statement is required from all applicants and is used by the Milgard School Admissions Committee to assess applicants. When writing the statement, applicants should refer to the Business School Application for specific instructions.
3. Writing Skills Assessment (for domestic students) or Proof of English Proficiency (for international students)
All applicants to the Milgard School of Business are required to complete the Writing Skills Assessment (WSA) test. The WSA provides the Admissions Committee with quantitative measures in addition to grade-point averages upon which to base admissions decisions. The WSA is completed only once and scores from UW Seattle or UW Bothell can be transferred to UW Tacoma. Please indicate where the assessment was taken on the Business School Application.
International applicants with an F-1 Student Visa have the option to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores in instead of taking the WSA, at or above the minimum scores below:
- TOEFL (minimum 83 ibT, 558 paper-based, 220 computer-based)
- IELTS (minimum 6.5 overall)