iMSA Admissions
The iMSA program is designed for both seasoned accounting professionals and those looking to develop skills in this essential area of business.
Our admissions team is looking for evidence of academic ability, as well as indications of past performance and future potential in your professional career.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)*
- All required application materials
- Prerequisite coursework (see below)
*Though recommended, we do review applications holistically and consider work experience, positive references, and a strong personal statement as indicators of future success as well. If you feel your profile may not be strong enough for admittance, please consider the Performance-based Admissions Track (PAT).
Application deadlines and incentives
Apply today for our August cohort. View deadline benefits by clicking the drop down options below.
Fall Priority 1 Deadline: Thursday, May 4, 2023
Fall Priority 1 Deadline: Thursday, May 4, 2023
Classes begin in August
- No Application Fee
- Apply for Scholarship Consideration
- Priority Registration
- Early Access to Coursera for Illinois
- Begin Engaging with Classmates via our Networking Platforms
Fall Priority 2 Deadline: Thursday, June 1, 2023
Fall Priority 2 Deadline: Thursday, June 1, 2023
Classes begin in August
- Final Deadline to Apply for Scholarship Consideration
- Priority Registration
- Early Access to Coursera for Illinois
- Begin Engaging with Classmates via our Networking Platforms
Fall Final Deadline: Thursday, July 6, 2023
Fall Final Deadline: Thursday, July 6, 2023
Classes begin in August
- Final Deadline to Start Courses in August
- All completed applications will receive full consideration
Final deadline to start in August
Application Requirements
It's simple to apply online for the Gies iMSA program. All materials below will be submitted through the University of Illinois Graduate College application portal.
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
Admissions Help Videos
Our admissions team has put together a few helpful videos to assist you as you work on your application. These videos address the most common questions regarding your essay, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and resume.
Do I have to take the GMAT or GRE to apply?
No, a GMAT or GRE are not required for admittance into the iMSA program. If you feel it strengthens your application, you are welcome to upload your test scores.
Is there a list of recommended courses I can take to meet the program prerequisites?
We offer online courses through Coursera to help prospective students satisfy the requirements.
For the principles of accounting course prerequisite, we offer the three courses below. The three courses, in combination, will satisfy the principles of accounting prerequisite.
For the business management course prerequisite we offer a course titled Business Strategy.
You will want to make sure that you earn a course completion certificate for each course so you can prove your successful completion of the courses.
Can I use any of my past credits toward the iMSA degree requirements?
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.
- School must be an AACSB accredited institution.
- Course(s) must have been completed within the past 4 years.
- Course(s) must not have been used towards any other degree.
- Course(s) must have been taken at the graduate level.
- Student must have earned an A- or better.