iMSA Admissions

Graduate College Application

All of the steps below must be completed online through this Graduate College application. Be sure to select your program as "Accountancy", then "Accountancy online - MS" as degree.

Academic Credentials

A bachelor's degree is required. The recommended GPA for admission is a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent), however we do review applications holistically and consider work experience, positive references, and a strong personal statement as indicators of future success as well. For the application review process, applicants do not need to submit official academic credentials, unofficial or scanned credentials are acceptable. If admitted, however, you will be required to submit official academic credentials.

• Credential evaluations (such as WES or ECE) are not accepted.
• Uploaded credentials must include applicant’s name, institution name, and a transcript legend, grade scale, or grade criteria.
• For international degrees, you must include the certificate of degree. If the credentials were originally in a language other than English, credentials in native language and English must be uploaded.
• If you are currently completing your undergraduate degree at the time of application, we will review your application based off the unofficial transcripts you have uploaded.

Resume

Your professional resume should include personal information (name, address, telephone number, and email address), educational background, work experience (start and end dates for each position and a brief description of responsibilities), internship experience, educational training, professional associations, and leadership experiences. Technical resumes are not required. Please limit your resume to 2 pages.

Personal Statement

At Gies, we are committed to expanding access to world-class business education, fostering excellence in scholarship and teaching, fueling innovation, focusing on inclusion in all our commitments, and facilitating meaningful life-long engagement with the Gies Community in our pursuit of a shared purpose.

After carefully reading the statement above, please discuss the following questions in a 750–1000-word, double-spaced essay:

• How do your personal and professional goals fit within Gies’ commitments?
• How will completing a Gies iMSA degree help you achieve those goals?

Letters of Reference

Two letters of reference are required. At least one letter should be a professional reference from a current or former supervisor. Once you enter their information into the online application, your recommenders will be notified to submit a letter of reference or complete a brief online information form. Letters of reference can be received after an application is submitted. Letters must come directly from the recommender, letters submitted by the applicant are not accepted.

Prerequisite Coursework Form

The prerequisite coursework form is required for admissions. In general, we expect applicants to have completed a course in business management along with a one or two course sequence in principles of accounting or a course in financial accounting prior to admission. College course credit or a certificate of completion from a known online course provider is accepted. If you are missing an prerequisites, please visit our FAQ page to view a list of recommended courses.

English Proficiency Scores

(International applicants only) If you are a non-native English speaker or do not meet one of the Graduate College’s exemptions, you will need to upload your TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores directly to your application. If you do not have scores and do not meet an exemption, you may also upload an essay requesting an exemption. Please note that if your test scores fall within the limited status range, you may be admitted to the Performance-based Admissions Track (PAT) program to satisfy the English proficiency requirement.

Optional Materials

GMAT or GRE score (optional): The GMAT or GRE is not required for the application, but you are welcome to submit scores to supplement your application. Unofficial scores can be loaded into your application, but your official GMAT scores must be sent directly to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Institution Code – 1836.

Optional essay: You can use this to address any concerns you may have with your application profile. Additionally, if there is something you would like to highlight that you have been unable to discuss in other areas of the application, you can do so in this essay.

Gies Online Coursera Scholarship application essay: Gies College of Business and Coursera have partnered to offer a limited number of need-based scholarships covering 70% of tuition for qualified students. All new applicants are eligible to apply based on application deadlines for each cycle. To apply, indicate your interest in the application and upload your essay with your application. Essay submissions must be received with the application for full consideration for the scholarship.

Transfer Request Form: Requests for transfer credits will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed even if the following criteria are met. A maximum of 12 credit hours can be transferred. Transfer requests must be submitted with the application.

• Institution must be AACSB accredited 
• Course(s) cannot have been previously applied toward a degree or other transcripted credential
• Course(s) must have been taken at the graduate level
• Course(s) must have been completed within the past 4 years
• Student must have earned an A- or better
• A maximum of 12 credit hours will be approved for transfer