Graduate Admissions

Saunders College of Business has rolling admissions which means that you can apply at any time. Your financial aid and admissions scholarships are not processed until after you are accepted to the program. Completed applications submitted after these dates will be considered for the next appropriate academic start-term.

• August 1st, fall semester
• December 1st, spring semester
• April 1st, summer semester

Completing your application

You can submit an online application one year before your intended program starts. RIT students and alums can use their current RIT credentials to “login.” All others will be asked to create a new account. You can apply to up to three programs. Your first-choice program will determine the requirements required to submit before the application is moved forward for department review for admission. Feel free to contact a graduate representative at any time for further assistance.

We recommend that you start your application as soon as possible as you have one full year to complete your application. Only fully completed applications will be reviewed, however by starting your application, you will receive all the important notifications regarding the application process and we will be better able to assist you. A completed application includes the application fee which can be paid after you have submitted all other materials.

Priority status

Although you can apply at any time, we encourage you to complete your application for admission as early as possible as financial aid and scholarship options are determined based on the order in which completed applications are received. In all cases, your scholarship options will be included with your admissions decision.

Non-degree enrollment

Start today, apply later! This allows qualifying students to take up to two graduate business courses before starting a full application or taking the GMAT or GRE test. Please refer to our Non-degree Enrollment Request Form for details on these requirements, and for details on how to access the form.

Graduate courses for RIT undergraduates

Saunders is committed to supporting cross-disciplinary educational opportunities for all students at RIT. In order to maintain the rigor and culture of our Saunders graduate courses, there are specific eligibility requirements for students interested in requesting enrollment into one of our approved courses. Please work with your current academic advisor to complete the Graduate Course Enrollment Request Form. Students must work closely with their Primary Academic Advisors to ensure that they meet all the criteria and understand the academic expectations of a graduate course before enrolling.

Visit RIT application instructions for information on requirements. Below there are admission requirement details that pertain specifically to Saunders College graduate programs. You will also find information on GMAT/GRE Waiver options you may qualify for.

Degree-specific requirements

Degree-specific admissions requirements vary for each Saunders College graduate program. These requirements are found on the respective degree program pages.

Undergraduate degree and GPA

Completion of a bachelor's degree and your undergraduate GPA is required for admission into Saunders Graduate degree program. It is not required that your undergraduate degree is in business or management. Most of our graduate degree programs are designed for individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds. Many of our graduate students have undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, design, science, and engineering.

Official transcripts

Completion of a bachelor's degree and your undergraduate GPA is required for admission into Saunders Graduate degree program. Please review RIT application instructions for specifics on how to submit transcripts.

Tip: Unofficial copies may be uploaded during the application process for the initial admissions review. If accepted, students must submit official copies for the full admissions packet. Copies of courses taken in high school for college credit must also be submitted.

Minimum GPAs and test scores

Saunders intentionally does not specify minimum GPAs or test scores as all of your application materials are considered when making admissions decisions.

Personal statement

Please submit a typed, double-spaced, 2 page statement about why the Saunders graduate program is a good fit for your future career. Include information on what draws you to the Saunders program and how you will leverage your past academic and professional work experience to be an active, engaged and successful student in our college.

Resume/curriculum vitae (CV) and work experience

Work experience is not required, except for the Executive MBA program. Many of our students are accepted directly from undergraduate programs. However, if you submit a resume your work experience will be reviewed along with other application materials. Executive MBA applicants should submit a current resume or CV when completing their application.

Recommendation letters

Saunders does not require recommendation letters for MBA or MS programs, however please feel free to submit recommendation letters if you have them. Two recommendation letters are required for the Ph.D. in business administration program.

RIT has a large international student population representing over 100 countries offering a wealth of International Student Resources to support you. Please note there are additional requirements for international applicants for you to consider, including I-20 and Four-year undergraduate degree equivalency details. Below is more information specific to applicants to Saunders College programs. 

English-language test scores, TOEFL or IELTS

International applicants must submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Testing Language System (IELTS) as part of their application. The minimum scores required are:

• Paper-based TOEFL - 580
• Computer-based TOEFL - 237
• Internet-based TOEFL - 92
• IELTS - 7.0

Applicants must have a minimum score of 21 on each of the four components of the Internet-based TOEFL, but the total test score must also be at least 92. Equivalent scores are required for each component of the paper-based TOEFL and the IELTS. The TOEFL or IELTS requirement is waived for those submitting transcripts from degrees earned at American institutions, or from the countries listed on our Graduate Admissions website.

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is the most widely used assessment for graduate management admissions, and it is required for most graduate degree programs at Saunders. Visit the GMAT Guide to learn about the structure of the GMAT test and useful tips to help prepare.

The GRE may also be taken as a substitute of the GMAT exam, however, we prefer you take the GMAT. The GRE is more focused on writing instead of analytical reasoning. Visit the official GRE website to learn about the structure of the exam.

Please see below for details on these tests including preparation tips, how to schedule your test and applicable GMAT and GRE Waiver options.

Information for GMAT and GRE tests