How to apply

As part of the application process please submit a current Curriculum Vitae/ Resume which provides us with information on the following:

• Full and legally recognised name
• Educational qualifications (degree, name of institution, city, dates)
• Employment history, for each position please include: length of employment - month/year for start and finish, position title and department, location, city, country, organisation details (i.e. products, size, annual turnover, number of staff, a detailed description of your role, responsibilities and achievements) and provide any details on professional memberships (e.g. CPA/CAANZ)
• Personal details, including awards, prizes, personal achievements, club memberships, interests, languages, citizenship and residency

Assessment criteria

It is important to note that when preparing your CV/Resume, that the information you provide will be assessed based on the following competencies:

1. Written communication - clearly and logically expressing ideas in writing using appropriate terminology and good grammatical form.
2. Business management - establishing a course of action to perform complicated tasks successfully.
3. Leadership - demonstrating individual leadership by taking a principal role in identifying goals, determining strategies and initiating actions and/or demonstrating team leadership by guiding groups of people to work effectively together.
4. Adaptability to change - maintaining effectiveness in changing organisational situations and in different cultures.
5. Influence and decision making - using appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to persuade others internal or external to the organisation of an idea, product or service and exercising appropriate judgement in reaching conclusions based on information and logic.
6. Leadership potential - assessment is based on leadership history at school, university, in the workplace and referees' reports. The criteria include: Strong interpersonal and communication skills; a willingness to show leadership in a team environment; a high degree of self-confidence and independence of mind; a strong sense of commitment and drive to succeed, combined with a preparedness to be flexible when required; a willingness, based on natural curiosity, to learn continually, interview.

Copies of recognised undergraduate degree, showing all grades and proof of completion/degree awarded. Your degree must be equivalent to an Australian Bachelor degree. Transcripts and a conferred degree in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. Fails in prior university study are considered carefully by the Selection Committee. Reasons for failure should be attached for the Selection Committee to review. Exceptional career attainments acceptable to the School, may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Please note: Any applicant who holds a degree from India should submit the semester breakdown mark sheets. A comprehensive transcript is not accepted if you wish to transfer to another program within UNSW in the future.

GMAT or GRE

Candidates are required to demonstrate academic excellence. This can be achieved through either previous tertiary academic qualifications or strong GMAT / GRE test score. GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years.

Please visit the entry requirements page for further information regarding GMAT and GRE requirements.

You need to arrange two referees to complete the AGSM referee report forms to support your application. Both referees should be people who know you well and be able to comment on your skills and abilities in a professional setting. Relatives or personal friends are not permitted to act as referees.

If you are applying based on work experience, please ensure your referee reports clearly cover at least 5 out of the last 7 years (sometimes multiple referee reports are necessary to cover 5 years).

All applicants should forward the referee report form to the two referees and upload the signed reports to their application. AGSM reserves the right to contact referees.

For your reference, referees need to provide commentary on your intellectual capacity, ability to relate to others, written expression, oral expression, leadership in a team environment, self-confidence, motivation to succeed, adaptability to change, commitment to learning, natural curiosity, maturity and overall management potential. Referees will also need to answer the following questions:

• How long, how well and in what capacity have you known the applicant?
• What do you consider to be the applicant’s management strengths?
• What do you consider to be the applicant’s areas of improvement?
• How would you describe the applicant’s creativity and problem-solving ability?
• Please indicate to what level was English used in the applicant’s position of employment (covering spoken, written, reading and listening skills)
• Please make any other comments you feel would be useful to AGSM MBA Programs in considering this application
• Referee details: Name, Title, Organisation, Work phone, Email, Address

All applicants must meet the University's English requirements regardless of nationality or residency.

Please refer to the UNSW English Requirements Policy for further information.

Please note: An English waiver based on work experience and residency only applies to the following countries:

American Samoa, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Canada, Fiji, Gibraltar, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, The Gambia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland), United States of America, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

All applicants must provide proof of identity with their applications. Proof of identity is defined as photo identification showing your legally recognised full name, date of birth and photo. Appropriate documentation is one of the following:

• Australian/New Zealand Citizens must provide the photo page of passport;
• Australian Permanent Residents and other Visa holders must provide the photo page of passport and copy of Visa.

Once your online application is completed and ONLY if you have been shortlisted you will need to complete a short video Interview. We will email the link once we have reviewed the application. It is highly recommended that students submit the application a few days prior to their intended deadline to complete this portion of the application if selected.

You will have a limited time to complete this so if you haven’t received the video link after 3 days of submitting a complete application, please reach out to us at admissions@agsm.edu.au. It is highly recommended that students submit the application a few days prior to their intended deadline in order to complete this portion of the application. The questions are designed to help the Admissions Committee learn more about you and your fit within our program.

After reviewing applications for the AGSM MBA program, the selection committee may request that an applicant participates in an interview to obtain further information to assist in the selection process.

The interview will be conducted by a member of the selection committee which is approximately 30 minutes in length. Generally, interviews are conducted by video conference, but where possible a face-to-face interview may be arranged.

Applicants should note that the interview is a formal assessable component of the application process.

All international applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their complete applications well before the 4th round deadlines to avoid any possible delays pertaining to a visa application, and to allow for relocation arrangements to be made in the case of an offer being made.

Student visas

It is essential that international applicants apply for a student visa as soon as the decision to accept the place on the AGSM MBA program is made, as visa applications processing time may take up to three months or longer to be resolved.

The application process for a student visa can be complex and unexpected delays can occur. It is the student’s responsibility to allow enough time to organise their visa.

The student visa regulations may require you to have sat an IELTS test prior to lodging your application for a student visa. You should refer to the Department of Home Affairs or your local Australian Consulate for more information. UNSW International is also a useful resource.

*A list of these countries is available at the Department of Home Affairs.

As part of the application process please submit a current Curriculum Vitae (CV)/ Resume which provides us with information on the following:

• Full, legally recognised name
• Educational qualifications (degree, name of institution, city, dates)
• Employment history, for each position please include: length of employment - month/year for start and finish, position title and department, location, city, country, organisation details (i.e. products, size, annual turnover, number of staff, a detailed description of your role, responsibilities and achievements) and provide any details on professional memberships (e.g. CPA/CAANZ)
• Personal details, including awards, prizes, personal achievements, club memberships, interests, languages, citizenship and residency.

Assessment criteria

It is important to note that when preparing your CV/Resume, that the information you provide will be assessed based on the following competencies:

1. Written communication - clearly and logically expressing ideas in writing using appropriate terminology and good grammatical form.
2. Business management - establishing a course of action to perform complicated tasks successfully.
3. Leadership - demonstrating individual leadership by taking a principal role in identifying goals, determining strategies and initiating actions and/or demonstrating team leadership by guiding groups of people to work effectively together.
4. Adaptability to change - maintaining effectiveness in changing organisational situations and in different cultures.
5. Influence and decision making - using appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to persuade others internal or external to the organisation of an idea, product or service and exercising appropriate judgement in reaching conclusions based on information and logic.
6. Leadership potential - assessment is based on leadership history at school, university, in the workplace, the personal statement essays and referees' reports. The criteria include: strong interpersonal and communication skills; a willingness to show leadership in a team environment; a high degree of self-confidence and independence of mind; a strong sense of commitment and drive to succeed, combined with a preparedness to be flexible when required; a willingness, based on natural curiosity, to learn continually, interview.

Copies of recognised undergraduate degree, showing all grades and proof of completion/degree awarded. Your degree must be equivalent to an Australian Bachelor degree. Transcripts and a conferred degree in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. Fails in prior university study are considered carefully by the Selection Committee.

Reasons for failure should be attached for the Selection Committee to review. Exceptional career attainments acceptable to the School, may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Please note: Any applicant who holds a degree from India should submit the semester breakdown mark sheets. A comprehensive transcript is not accepted if you wish to transfer to another program within UNSW in the future.

You need to arrange two referees to complete the AGSM referee report form to support your application. Both referees should be people who know you well and be able to comment on your skills and abilities in a professional setting. Relatives or personal friends are not permitted to act as referees.

If you are applying based on work experience, please ensure your referee reports clearly cover at least 5 out of the last 7 years (sometimes multiple referee reports are necessary to cover 5 years). AGSM reserves the right to contact referees.

All applicants should forward the referee report form to the two referees and upload the signed reports to their application.

For your reference, referees need to provide commentary on your intellectual capacity, ability to relate to others, written expression, oral expression, leadership in a team environment, self-confidence, motivation to succeed, adaptability to change, commitment to learning, natural curiosity, maturity and overall management potential. Referees will also need to answer the following questions:

• How long, how well and in what capacity have you known the applicant?
• What do you consider to be the applicant’s management strengths?
• What do you consider to be the applicant’s areas of improvement?
• How would you describe the applicant’s creativity and problem-solving ability?
• Please indicate to what level was English used in the applicant’s position of employment (covering spoken, written, reading and listening skills)
• Please make any other comments you feel would be useful to AGSM MBA Programs in considering this application
• Referee details: Name, Title, Organisation, Work phone, Email, Address

Four personal statement essays are required as part of your application. The essay questions are designed to help the Admissions Committee learn more about you. Each essay should meet the word length requirement.

Essay topics:

• What are you made for and how will an AGSM degree help you achieve it? (approx. 250 words)
• What are you most proud of personally and/or professionally and why? (approx. 250 words)
• How will you contribute to your classes and to the AGSM community? (approx. 250 words)
• (Optional Question) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (approx. 250 words)

Previous study can lead to Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). When a student demonstrates their knowledge in a specific course, AGSM Programs may award transfer credit for that subject.

Please refer to the AGSM Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) Procedure for further details. Students wishing to apply for RPL must submit a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Application and provide all required documentation as listed on the application form.

All applicants must meet the University's English requirements regardless of nationality or residency. Please refer to the UNSW English Requirements Policy for further information.

Please note: An English waiver based on work experience and residency only applies to the following countries: American Samoa, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Canada, Fiji, Gibraltar, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, The Gambia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland), United States of America, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

All applicants must provide proof of identity with their applications. Proof of identity is defined as photo identification showing your legally recognised full name, date of birth and photo. Appropriate documentation is one of the following:

• Australian/New Zealand Citizens must provide the photo page of passport
• Australian Permanent Residents and other Visa holders must provide the photo page of passport and copy of Visa.