Although the requirements of master of business administration programmes vary, most of the top-tier ones accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business require applicants to provide undergraduate degree or college grade point average and their scores achieved in the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
The applicants should have a minimum of three years of full-time work experience and submit letters of recommendation from academics and professionals.
MBA programmes also required the candidates to submit application essays and to attend interviews with admissions officers, said Shantanu Tandon, master trainer for the Princeton Review Hong Kong. The organisation offers courses to prepare individuals for GMAT and other accredited tests for undergraduate and graduate programmes.
The GMAT is a 3 1/2-hour computer-adaptive test with multiple-choice mathematics, and verbal and essay sections that measure quantitative and verbal skills. While the basic requirements for MBA and Executive MBA programmes were essentially the same, EMBA programmes might require the applicant to have a greater amount of work experience in a managerial position and have been responsible for a team of subordinates and a substantive budget, said Mr Tandon.
Although most MBA and EMBA programmes consider individuals' GMAT scores, it is not the most important criterion for EMBA admissions. All pieces of an individual's application must come together to form a cohesive whole. "It is the entire application that determines whether one gets admitted or not," he said.
For Richard Ivey School of Business/Asia in Hong Kong, which offers an EMBA programme only, ideal candidates should have a B average in their undergraduate degree, 10 years of work experience with a proven track record, and good references from professionals, said Kathleen Slaughter, dean of Ivey Asia.
An undergraduate degree was a general requirement but not a must, Professor Slaughter said. "The school may consider the application of some successful businessmen or entrepreneurs. Every year we admit some students who do not have undergraduate degrees but have over 20 years of good business experience. They are valuable contributors to the class because of their wealth of experience."
For applicants of the EMBA programme at Ivey Asia who did not have 10 years of work experience, the school would look at the grades of their undergraduate degrees and might ask them to take GMAT, Professor Slaughter said.
Ivey Asia also requires evaluations by two individuals whom the applicant believes can supply supporting evidence of their professional experience and potential. Additional references also help. "We attach importance to what they other people think of the applicants to assess whether they have leadership potential," Professor Slaughter said.
Mr Tandon said at the interviews with admissions officers of MBA programmes, candidates might be asked to elaborate on what they wanted out of programmes, why they wanted an MBA degree, how they saw themselves fitting into the particular school and what contributions they would make to the student body.
"Students will also be asked to bring along a curriculum vitae and prepare for the case studies, if any, which have been provided beforehand."
The admissions process for the MBA and the EMBA were similar, though the interview was usually crucial for the EMBA, Mr Tandon said. Candidates are often asked to present or comment on case studies that have been provided.
Ivey Asia requires applicants to submit three application essays on a broad range of topics, including self-evaluation by the candidates, career objectives, reasons for seeking graduate education, and how applicants plan to fit the studies into their schedule.
Professor Slaughter said candidates' essays should be honest, concise and to the point.
