Ivey MBA Admissions
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General Inquiries
Telephone: 1 (519) 661-3212
Ivey Business School
MBA Recruiting and Admissions, 2nd Floor
Western University
1255 Western Road
London, Ontario, Canada N6G 0N1
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We appreciate your interest in Ivey MBA. As a prospective MBA applicant we encourage you to research and discover what makes Ivey business school the right fit for you and your career.
- Submit your profile for a high-level assessment on your MBA fit
- Listen to our Ivey admissions podcasts & webinars
- Attend an MBA event with the Ivey recruitment team
- Connect with Ivey MBA ambassadors
Now you’re ready to apply – Good Luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
Ivey welcomes two sections of students each year in March. Ivey's Preparatory Knowledge Program (optional, Pre-Ivey programming) starts at the beginning of March, with official classes beginning mid-March. The program is approximately 12 months in length.
There is no typical day as the schedule will change often throughout the year.
During the first six months when you take your core courses over two modules, you’ll have 3 classes a day of 90 minutes each, Monday to Friday, starting at 8:20 AM and finishing at 1:00 PM. During this time, you will also have assignments and meetings with your learning team, career counselling sessions, and extra-curricular activities.
From September to March there are 5 elective periods with each student having their own academic schedule depending on the electives he or she has chosen. The assignments and group work continue, and there is typically an increasing amount of time spent on career-related activities.
During the month of December, you will have the option to participate in one of three international study trips, which the majority of students participate in. Module 3 will take place in the last two weeks of the program and is considered the capstone course of the program.
No. At Ivey we pride ourselves on providing an MBA experience that cannot be delivered on a part-time or distance studies basis. Because of the interactive nature of the case-method and our focus on developing leadership essentials and a strong network of personal and professional relationships, it is necessary that students commit to pursuing the program in London for the year.
There is no typical student at Ivey. We have an extremely diverse class with a wide range of experience and backgrounds. Meet some of our students.
We encourage all candidates to participate in our events to get a better sense of their fit with the program. Check out our events calendar, which includes Class Visit and Open House events on the Ivey Campus as well as First Class on the Road events, where we take the Ivey Case-Method to classrooms in various cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. If you are living farther away, we also have online events.
Before making an appointment, we recommend completing a profile assessment. This allows our team to provide you with feedback on your fit with our admissions requirements. From there, we will direct you to the best next steps.
Ivey has one of the largest and most qualified Career Management (CM) departments in North America. The Career Management team’s mandate is to provide you with the tools and resources needed to navigate your career path well into the future. We are extremely proud of our employment statistics, with our track record of placement consistently 90% or higher. For our current full employment report, please click here.
Our alumni are always happy to share their Ivey experience. They regularly attend our MBA events around the world, and the best way to connect with them is to attend an Information Session or one of our Experience Events (First Class on the Road, Women in Management, MBA Fair etc.). To register for an upcoming event, visit our events website.
We also have current student ambassadors who are available to speak to you about their student experience – they can be reached here.
What is the best way for me to know if I'm a competitive candidate before applying? What are my chances of getting in to the Ivey MBA Program?
Our application process is competitive and fit is assessed based on your MBA career goals and expectations as well as how you can demonstrate leadership orientation and depth in your experience compared to other candidates.
The success of your application is based on your ability to demonstrate strong depth of experience and impact on the businesses you've worked for, as well as your ability to perform well within team based settings, in addition to your GMAT score, references, essays, and all the elements that make up a strong application.
If you haven’t already, we recommend completing a profile assessment, which will allow our team to provide you with feedback on your fit with our admissions requirements.
You can find application deadlines here.
By the time I start the program in March, I will have two years of full-time work experience. Can I apply?
The Admissions Committee would prefer to see two years (minimum) of quality, full-time work experience at the time of application that demonstrates impact, leadership potential and progression. To be considered for an exception, candidates would need to show above average or exceptional capabilities and progression for their years of experience, and would need to have at least two years by the time the program begins. We also encourage applicants to keep in mind that the average work experience of successful applicants is five years, and meeting the minimum requirement is not sufficient to for admission. The applicant pool is competitive, and work experience is assessed based on quality not quantity.
You might find it helpful to view our class profile to see the quality and background of students in our current class.
The range of work experience for our MBA class is 2 to 10 years. After 10 years of experience, our program is not the best fit. This is due to a) the case-based nature of our program, where students must be contributing at a level similar to their peers, and b) our ability to manage the career expectations of students whose experience exceeds that of what our recruiters are looking for from Ivey MBA graduates. If you have more than 10 years of work experience, we encourage you to check out our Executive MBA Program, which might be a better fit.
If you are interested in pursuing an application to the Ivey MBA Program, the first step is to submit your profile to the MBA Admissions Team for a preliminary assessment.
This will allow the team to review your background and provide you feedback on your fit with our program admission requirements.
As a general guideline, your LinkedIn profile and/or resume should highlight your education and academic focus; work experience, responsibilities, and accomplishments (organized by company); and organizations to which you belong. Your profile can also include bullet points highlighting specific skills as well as personal interests or leadership qualities.
A GMAT or GRE score is a mandatory component of the application, however, if you hold all 3 Levels of the CFA designation, CPA (CPA Canada) designation or have a valid LSAT and received a score of 160+ this would be accepted in place of the GMAT score.
Our GMAT scores range from 550 to 780. Please keep in mind that a GMAT score is only one piece of criteria assessed by the admissions committee, in addition to MBA fit, quality and depth of work experience, leadership, judgement and character, and MBA readiness.
Yes, Ivey accepts both the GMAT and the GRE. However, candidates interested in pursuing post-MBA careers in the Financial Services or Management Consulting sectors should consider writing the GMAT to ensure a competitive profile as recruiters in these industries may request a GMAT score as part of their application process. Candidates should research the application criteria for their employers-of-preference before deciding which exam to write.
Here is a government link for you to explore regarding studying in Canada and how to get a study permit: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/index.asp
The Ivey website also has some information for International Students at Ivey MBA: http://www.ivey.uwo.ca/mba/admission/international-applicants/
If you have any further questions regarding this process, please contact the International & Exchange Student Centre at Western University:
General Inquiries: 519-661-2111 ext. 89309
To Book an Appointment: 519-661-2111 ext. 85908
Email: iesc@uwo.ca
Recipients of scholarships and awards are selected based on academic excellence, GMAT score, employment experience, demonstrated leadership, and the admissions interview. Candidates of exceptional quality are automatically reviewed for admission awards ranging from 10% to 75% of tuition. Candidates will be assessed on academic merit and leadership qualities demonstrated through education, activities and work experience. Candidates who are selected to receive a scholarship or award will be notified at the time of the admissions offer.
Find more information on scholarships and financing options for students.