College of Business & Technology - Graduate Admissions Essentials

Grad student looking for his family in the crowd

College of Business & Technology - Graduate Admissions Essentials

Summary of the Admissions Process for prospective graduate students of Rockhurst University's College of Business and Technology:

  1. Complete and submit an application. (You may need to create an account if one hasn't been created.)
  2. Request transcripts from previous institutions.
  3. The college's graduate admissions team reviews the application.
  4. When a decision is made, the Dean of the College will notify the admitted applicant via email (this letter will also be available in the application portal); followed immediately by an email from the admissions team outlining next steps, including scheduling a meeting with the graduate advisor.
  5. During graduate advising, transcripts are reviewed to identify any recommended prerequisites, a student account is created (if not already in existence), a course plan outlined and students are registered for the first term of classes.

Rolling and Priority deadlines 

Prospective students are encouraged to apply by the priority deadlines, although we offer rolling admission for five 8-week terms. Rolling admission means applications are accepted up to two weeks before the start of term. 

Priority deadlines: 

  • Fall A – August 1 
  • Fall B – October 1 
  • Spring A – December 15 
  • Spring B – February 15 
  • Summer – May 1 

See Rockhurst’s Academic Calendar for upcoming start dates.  

Required materials for admission to all College of Business & Technology graduate programs:

1 - Complete application

2 - Current resume or curriculum vitae

3 - Official transcripts 

  • Transcripts are required for all degrees awarded.
  • Transcripts must be received from an official crediting body. Any transcripts received otherwise will be deemed “unofficial.”
  • Applicants are encouraged to provide all credit-bearing transcripts for evaluation.

4 - Optional supplemental material:

Priority admission is granted to applicants with an undergraduate degree and-

  • having earned a 3.0 GPA at the completion of degree

OR

  • 3 years of progressive work experience

Applicants earning less than a 3.0 GPA or having less than 3 years work experience are encouraged to submit at least one item from the examples below to support their case for admission.

  • Letter of Recommendation
  • GMAT, GRE, or LSAT scores
  • Relevant professional certifications
  • Personal statement

Although test scores are not required for admission, the College of Business and Technology graduate admissions committee reserves the right to request applicant test scores. Notification of such a request will be made directly to the applicant via email.

Conditional admission may be granted pending completion of undergraduate degrees. All applicants are welcome to contact the graduate business admissions team to discuss their unique admissions circumstances. 

Additional information for admission to:

to Dual Degree programs (MSDA/MBA; OTD or DPT / MBA or MA)

MSDA/MBA – same requirements as College of Business and Technology graduate degree programs 

OTD or DPT & MBA or MA Dual degrees

  • Applicants to the Rockhurst University Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Doctor of Physical Therapy (OTD & DPT) programs are invited to apply for the Helzberg School of Management Dual-Degree programs. 
  • Complete the MBA or MA online application. 
    • Official transcripts and standardized assessment scores are not needed for students who have been admitted to the OTD or DPT programs at Rockhurst University. 

as a Rockhurst undergraduate – Rockhurst students only 

Regarding taking grad courses as a Rockhurst undergraduate student:

Rockhurst undergraduate students have the opportunity to take graduate classes before completing their bachelors degree. During this time, students are charged their undergraduate rate for graduate courses. Undergraduate students may enroll in up to 9 credit hours of graduate coursework. 

  • BSBA students may enroll in graduate courses once they have completed 90 credits and 75% of their undergraduate major coursework. 
  • Non-BSBA undergraduate students seeking an MBA are advised to seek a Pre-MBA Minor during their undergraduate studies. This ensures the fulfillment of all MBA prerequisites. Pre-MBA minors may enroll in graduate courses once they have completed 90 credits and 75% of their Pre-MBA minor coursework. 

Rockhurst students in good academic standing may qualify for our accelerated Legacy MBA Program. This program is 30 credit hours and designed to help RU students complete the MBA in one year. Admissions guidance is outlined below.  

  1. Begin your application at any time to start gathering documents: Sign in to the Rockhurst application portal.  
  2. Request your current undergraduate Rockhurst transcript from the Registrar. Our admissions team is happy to request these internally, but the process can be expidited by requesing them yourself.
  3. Complete your application at least two weeks before the semester you plan to begin taking graduate courses. 
  4. Your entry term will be for the semester after you complete your BA/BSBA. (i.e. if you graduate in Fall 2049, your grad entry term should be Spring 2049). 
  5. Once your application is reviewed, you will be admitted and receive an email from me outlining next steps. Here’s a preview of what those are: 
    • Complete an advising form (which will inform the advisor of your priorities re: pace and certificates of interest). 
    • Await contact from our team to schedule an advising appointment. Advising occurs once the schedule has been confirmed. Schedules are usually confirmed by midterm of the preceding semester.

*You do NOT enroll for graduate credits when you enroll for your final undergraduate courses. You will enroll for graduate courses and map a program schedule during your graduate advising appointment.

as an Alum 

Rockhurst University alumni are offered tuition at discounted rates:

Alumni discounts apply only to the level of study completed at Rockhurst:

  • Undergraduate alumni qualify for the undergraduate alumni rate.
  • Graduate alumni qualify for the graduate alumni rate.

see Graduate Tuition Discounts 

as an international student

Additional required admission materials 

  1. International transcripts evaluation. A course-by-course account of credit hours taken outside the US. The evaluation should present the US equivalent of credit hours, reflecting degrees earned and cumulative GPA based on a 4.0 scale. Evaluation services with whom we are familiar: 
    • ECE – Educational Credential Evaluators 
    • WES – World Education Services 
    • Spantran – SPANTRAN The Evaluation Company 
  2. Proof of English efficiency. This requirement is waived if you hold an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution in which English was the language of instruction. Applicants need one of the following scores for admission:
    • TOEFL - minimum score of 80 
    • IELTS - minimum score of 6.5 
    • Duolingo - minimum score of 110  
    • At least one full academic year of study in English. With evidence of strong academic performance (a B or better) in at least two college-level, credit-bearing courses in English, Composition, or Literature). 

Important notes for international students:

  • Must be admitted unconditionally to a degree program 
  • May not enter the country until 30 days before classes begin 
  • Must be a full-time student (9 credit hours per semester) 
  • Must enroll for in-person courses
  • May earn up to two credits for internships. This may span up to two semesters (1 credit per semester). 

The following materials are required in order for Rockhurst's Designated School Official to issue an I-20:

  1. A financial statement certifying the student’s ability to pay for educational expenses. 
    • For 2023-24 at Rockhurst, the amount is 58,500 USD. 
    • This often includes a bank statement of the student and/or family members, scholarship documentation, or a combination of documents. Statements not in the student's name should be accompanied by an affidavit, or letter stating the account holder’s intent of support for the student. 
    • The affidavit is valid for 6 months (student must begin classes within 6 months of Rockhurst’s receipt of the statement). 
  2. VISA 
    • If you are already in the U.S. on an F-1 Visa:
      • Copy of current Visa 
      • Copy of current I-20 
      • SEVIS record
        • This is requested from the original university to be transferred to Rockhurst University. (SEVIS coding will be provided upon admission) 
    • If you are coming to the U.S. for the first time: 
      1. A Rockhurst School Official will issue your I-20 to your student email.
      2. After your successful visa appointment, please send a receipt of the SEVIS fee to mark.hetzler@rockhurst.edu and schedule your advising appointment.  

C/OPT – Curricular or Occupational Practical Training 

Curricular or Occupational Practical Training programs permit international students entry to the U.S. for a determined amount of time for study and work. Please review the information on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Students and Exchange visitors page for details about these programs. 

Our MSDA program qualifies for a STEM extension (See the U.S. government’s website for details on OPT STEM Extension). 

 

International student resources: