Application Instructions

Do Your Research

To decide whether this program is right for you, we encourage you to assess your personal and career goals, consider the degree objectives and requirements, consider the cost of attendance, visit our campus or attend an admissions event, and discuss with family, friends, and mentors.

Review the online application and deadlines. Consider important aspects of the timeline, including decision release dates and tuition deposit dates.

Attend a Virtual Session or Visit Campus

The best way to learn about Fuqua, Nicholas, and the MBCS program is by interacting with members of our community. We encourage interested applicants to take part in virtual information sessions and on-campus visits. Admitted students are also invited to attend either the virtual or on campus version of what we call Blue Devil Experience.

Apply

Apply for the Master in Business, Climate, and Sustainability program via our online application portal. You can access your application status at any time by logging into your applicant portal.

Interview

We do not offer open interviews for MBCS candidates. Interview invitations will be extended after careful review of your application materials. Most interviews will occur via video conference; North Carolina residents may have the opportunity to interview on campus by invitation.

Receive a Decision

You’ll be notified via email of your admission decision by midnight (Eastern Time) on the decision date for the round in which you apply.

To reserve your place in the class, you must submit:

• A nonrefundable 2,000 USD tuition deposit, due by the deposit deadline for your admission round
• Official test scores sent directly from the testing agency
• Official transcripts sent directly from the institution/s you attended

Apply for a Visa (International Students)

If applicable, visa application information will be included in your admission packet along with specific deadlines for submission. Visa processing can take up to several months to complete, so it is critical you apply no later than Round 1 to ensure that you’re able to join the program.

If you are currently in the U.S. on a student visa for another program, contact the admissions office prior to making plans to leave the country or transferring your visa to ensure that the proper steps are taken to secure your new visa for the MBCS program.

Visa fast facts:

• You must submit your tuition deposit to start the visa application process.
• You’ll be emailed a link to the visa web form.
• You must submit the form and all required documentation by the visa deadline that corresponds to your application round.
• Your visa web form must be received at least six weeks prior to the program start date, or your offer of admission may be cancelled.

Access Our Incoming Student Website

Shortly after you’re admitted, you’ll receive access to our incoming student website. This site includes a wealth of information about our community and expectations, helping to guide your decision. You’ll find all the information you’ll need to transition into your new academic life:

• Program announcements
• Technical and computer information
• Assignments to prepare academically
• Information about housing and living in Durham

Legible, scanned copies of all unofficial transcript(s) are required for each college or university where you:

• earned (or will earn) a degree PRIOR to the start of the program to which you are applying;
• attended classes that relate to your graduate study interests. 

High School Credits - if you took classes at a college or university while in high school, do not list the college or university as a separate school in your application.

Transfer and Study Abroad Credits - if the grades and course names appear on the transcript from your degree-granting university, you do not need to submit a separate transcript. If the grades and course names do not appear, please upload a clear, scanned copy of your unofficial transcript(s) from every college or university where you took a class related to your intended graduate field of study. You must upload a transcript from the original institution showing the courses and grades. If any courses were graded as pass/fail, you still need documentation from the institution confirming this. If you cannot contact the study abroad school directly, try requesting the documentation from your home university—they may have records from when the credits were transferred.

Transcripts Must Include:

• Your name and the name of the institution
• Each course taken and the grade received
• The degree received and date conferred

If your transcripts do not state the degree and date conferred, upload a copy of your diploma in addition to the transcript. If your transcript is not in English, it must be translated, attested, and uploaded along with the originals. Those applying from outside the U.S. should see additional transcript guidelines for international students.

Two Options for Sending Transcripts:

• Electronically to admissions-processing@mbcs.duke.edu
• Directly by mail in a sealed envelope to:
  Duke University
  The Fuqua School of Business Office of Admissions
  100 Fuqua Drive, Box 90120
  Durham, NC 27708-0120

If you do not submit your official transcripts on time, or if you misrepresent, falsify, or omit information, we may rescind any offer of admission or financial assistance.

When to submit copies of official transcripts

Only if you are admitted to the program will you be required to submit official transcripts from each college or university you have attended for verification. The due date for official transcripts will be noted in your admitted student portal. If you have not yet completed your studies by this date, your official transcripts should reach Fuqua School of Business no later than one week before your program begins.

The admissions committee wants to learn more about your personal and professional motivations. To help us get to know you better, you’ll need to provide your thoughts on three short-answer questions and two essays as part of your application.

Instructions for All Written Submissions:

• Responses should use 1.5-line spacing and a font size no smaller than 10-point.
• Do not repeat the question in the document you upload with your application.
• Respond carefully, fully, and concisely.
• Length requirements vary by question and are detailed below.
• Responses must be completed before submitting your application.

All essays are scanned using plagiarism detection software. Expressing your ideas by using verbiage from existing sources, including websites and other applicants' essays or materials, or having someone else compose your essays, without properly crediting those sources constitutes an act of plagiarism. Plagiarism, an act of theft and fraud, is considered a cheating violation within the Honor Code and will result in an application denial. If you have worked with a consultant or used any form of Generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) to support the completion of your application materials, the expectation is that the work submitted is authentically yours and is a true and factual reflection of who you are and what you have experienced. Falsely representing yourself or providing misleading information in any part of the application is considered an honor code violation. If you are working with Admissions Consultants, please ensure that the Honor Code policy is discussed and your essays will not be shared with other potential applicants.

Required Short Answer Questions:

INSTRUCTIONS:

Answer all three questions. Respond in 500 characters at most (the equivalent of about 100 words per question).

1. Why are you pursuing the MBCS degree at this stage in your professional development?
2. What are your immediate career goals after completing the MBCS program?
3. Life is full of uncertainties, and plans and circumstances can change. As a result, navigating a career requires you to be adaptable. Should the immediate goals that you provided above not materialize, what alternative directions have you considered?

Required Essay 1

Please present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be only a few words, while others may be longer. Your complete list should not exceed 2 pages. Do not copy the essay question in the document you upload with your application.

Question: A spirit of community and team-work helps to set the joint MBCS degree apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. Please share with us “25 Random Things” about you. These '25 Random Things' help us get to know someone's personality, background, special talents, and more.

The Admissions Committee wants to get to know YOU - beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. Share important life experiences, likes/dislikes, hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are.

To better explain what the Admissions Committee is looking for, see here for examples of applicants sharing their random things.

Required Essay 2

Respond in 350 words at most.

Question: For our MBCS class, the Admissions team is looking for students who are eager to engage with, and learn from, their classmates. This learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom, as extracurricular engagement is an important part of the MBCS experience. Use your research of Durham and Duke's offerings for extracurricular activities to share with our admissions team how your unique perspective, experiences, and passions will add to the MBCS community.

Optional Essay

If you feel there are circumstances of which the Admissions committee should be aware (e.g., unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders or lack of a professional recommendation, or inconsistent or questionable academic performance), please explain them. Do NOT upload additional essays nor additional recommendations in this area. The optional essay is intended to provide the admissions committee with insight into your circumstances only.

Submit your required resume electronically within the online application system. For employment and volunteer positions, include the location, title, date, and responsibilities, starting with your most recent position. The education section should include dates of attendance and degrees received.

Your resume should include:

• Full-time or part-time employment
• Volunteer work
• Internships
• Education

One letter of recommendation is required and should come from someone who knows you in a professional context, such as a supervisor at an internship or place of employment. If you are unable to provide a professional recommendation, you may submit a recommendation from someone who knows you through school and can speak to your performance in an academic setting. Please clarify if you select this option in the Optional Essay. You may not submit more than one recommendation.

Other Recommendation Guidelines:

• Use your recommenders’ work email addresses, rather than their personal accounts, like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, and so on.
• Recommendations from relatives and friends are strongly discouraged.

The MBCS program accepts GMAT, GRE, SAT, and ACT scores. GMAC and ETS, the administrators of the GMAT and GRE tests, respectively, have now made available the option to take these tests from a home environment, which we view the same way as tests taken in a test center. Please visit the GMAC or ETS websites for more information. Test scores are valid for five years.

For SAT and ACT, we are able to accept tests taken prior to your undergraduate experience even if they are expired.

We do require one of these test scores in order for an application to be considered complete and to receive an admissions decision.

We do not accept TOEFL or IELTS test scores. We will review applicants' English abilities based on written essays in the application and verbal proficiency in the interview.

Admission system test codes:

• GMAT: Duke program code Q13-N5-43
• GRE: Duke program code 5156, and the 4201 Business Administration and Management Department name on your GRE exam
• ACT: Duke school code is 3052. The instructions on how to submit official test scores can be found on this page. If your test date was before 9/1/2017, ACT provides specific instructions on how scores can be obtained.
• SAT: Duke school code is 5946. The instructions to send recent scores can be found here. The instructions on how to send older scores can be found here.

Need more help?

Information on registering and sending GMAT scores

Information on registering and sending GRE scores

Fee

A $125 USD non-refundable application fee, payable by VISA or MasterCard, is due when you submit your online application.

Application Fee Discounts and Waivers

You may be eligible to receive an application fee discount ($75 USD off of $125 USD) if you meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Before submitting your application, you register for and attend at least one of the event activities listed below. Indicate the event type, location and month of attendance in your online application. (Graduate School Fairs are only considered as a qualifying event if you completed a sign in at the Fuqua table during the fair.)
  • Campus visit
  • Open house
  • Information session
  • Informational luncheon
  • Meet & greet
  • Multi-school information session
  • Virtual information session
• You obtain an endorsement from a current Fuqua student or alumnus/alumna. In your application, include your recommender’s name, program (Daytime, Cross Continent, Weekend Executive, Global Executive, Master of Management Studies: Foundations of Business, Master of Management Studies: Duke Kunshan University, Master of Quantitative Management: Business Analytics, or Master of Quantitative Management: Health Analytics), year of graduation (if known), and email address.

You may be eligible for a full application fee waiver if you meet at least one of the following criteria:

• You are a current senior at Duke University and applying as part of Duke+Fuqua.
• You are a member of the military—active duty, active reserve, or honorably discharged/completed service (within three years) of any nation. Either voluntary or compulsory service is valid for qualification.
• You are an active participant or alumnus/alumna of the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or Teach for America.
• You are a member of one or more qualifying organizations: Admit.Me Access, Forte MBA Launch, Fulbright, Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), MBA Jumpstart, Posse Foundation, Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA), or Riordan Fellows Program.
• You attended one of our on-campus multi-day events:
  • Duke MBA Workshop
  • Duke MBA Women's Leadership Weekend
  • Duke MBA Pride Weekend
  • Duke MBA Veterans Symposium

Instructions to apply for an application fee discount or waiver

Meet at least one of the above criteria.

• Select an application round in the “Personal Information” section of the online application.
• Complete the questions included in the "Application Fee Waiver Information" section.
• Submit your application after all sections are complete. However, do NOT submit your application if you are asked for credit card information.
• Following the above instructions is the only way to receive an application fee discount or waiver. If you submit your online application without selecting the "fee waiver" or "fee discount" option, then you will not qualify for the waiver or discount, and no refund will be available.

Interviewers will have a copy of your resume, but no other component of your application. We do not offer open interviews for MBCS candidates. Interview invitations will be extended after careful review of your application materials. Most interviews will occur via video conference; North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia residents may have the opportunity to interview on campus by invitation. Both formats are given equal weight in the admissions process.

Interviews are conducted by staff, alumni, or select students who will ask you a variety of questions about your educational background and personal interests. At the conclusion, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions.

On-Campus Interview Fast Facts

• Interviews are only available to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia residents who are invited to interview.
• Interviews are conducted in English and generally last 30-45 minutes.
• Select a time that lets you participate in other campus visit activities.
• Appropriate attire is business casual.
• Arrive 20 minutes prior for parking and check-in.
• Bring a one-page resume to the interview.
• Interviewers will have a copy of your resume, but no other portion of your application file.

Video Conference Interview Fast Facts

• Most applicants will interview via video conference, as on-campus interviews are only available to invited North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia residents.
• Appropriate attire is business casual.