Kelly R. Wilson, Executive Director, Masters Admissions, Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business

1. Do you post average GMAT / GRE and GPA combos for admitted students?

Yes, we do, although we don’t want our potential students worrying too much about “averages” – they are averages for a reason! Our admission process is holistic and we consider each component of an application. While you can use our GMAT and GPA numbers to guide your process, the Admission Committee does not use numerical cutoffs to include or exclude potential students.

That being said, our website is a great resource to review overall information regarding our class profile. Details for each of our three MBA programs can be found here:

2. What is the typical number of years of experience required?

The typical Tepper Part-Time MBA student has roughly six years of professional experience prior to participating in our program, although there is no requirement and the middle 80% range is from 2.5 to more than 11 years. The Admission Committee considers professional maturity, quality of experience, and transferable skills rather than specific years of experience.

3. What is new/exciting happening this/next year in your PT program?

Just last year, we opened a newhome for the Tepper School of Business, the physical realization of a new model of higher education. The “Tepper Quad” is a hub situated at the heart of Carnegie Mellon’s campus, where our students can easily access the top-ranked experts from throughout campus, from engineering, robotics, and computer science to design, entertainment, and public policy. Now that we are fully settled in, we’re excited to begin fully exploiting the value of this center for the benefit of our MBA programs.

4. What are options for part-time students in terms of nights and weekends?

Part-Time Online Hybrid MBA

Our online hybrid format offers ultimate flexibility. Live, interactive classes take place just two evenings a week; offline, students work at their own pace and to fit their own busy schedules. Complementing the online work, the cohort gathers in various locations six times a year for “Access Weekends.” These in-person weekends help the cohort begin their courses personally acquainted with the professors who will be teaching, support networking with other students and alumni, and build the personal and professional connections that are critical to the overall MBA experience.

Part-Time Flex MBA

This program is ideal for those candidates located in Pittsburgh and its surrounding regions. Importantly, unlike a traditional on-campus part-time degree, this program balances on-site time with online coursework, ideal for the busy schedule of a thriving professional. It’s the best of both worlds! Students gather for “Access Weekends” six times a year on campus — giving the cohort an in-person campus experience with classmates and faculty at the start of every core course. Following the weekend, interactive, online core classes take place just two evenings a week, allowing students to attend from office, home, or hotel room. Once they complete the core, students can choose to take their elective courses either on-campus or online, offering the ability to tailor study to the individual’s schedule and preference.

 5. Are the alumni networks of the Part Time / Full Time / Executive MBA programs integrated? and if so, how?

Our MBA graduates join a vast and growing network of Tepper alumni changing the world across sectors and industries. We strongly encourage active participation in this elite club ofbusiness professionals through a commitment to lifelong learning, social networking, and professional development through ongoing events and resources. We have alumni chapters in prominent cities around the United States and abroad.

All of our Tepper MBA students have access to the full Tepper alumni network to aid in their professional development, corporate recruiting, and to build relationships across industries.

6. Are PT MBA candidates permitted to sign up for on-campus interviews or is that restricted to Full Time?

Yes. Our online students have access to the same highly regarded Masters Career Center that our Full-Time Tepper MBA students enjoy. That means access to industry-specific career coaches, career-related workshops, preparation programs, and on-campus recruiting.

7. What Placement Resources are typically provided for your Part Time programs?

Similar to the answer above (#6), Part-Time MBA students have full access to all career planning resources. Our highly regarded Masters Career Center is fully available to help our Part-Time students with support that includes corporate presentations and networking events, one-on-one career counseling, mock interviews, workshops, online resources, self-assessments, and on-campus recruiting. There are also corporate visits and alumni networking events schedule during Access Weekends for Part-Time students.

Our counselors are all certified career coaches with years of relevant industry and functional experience and we maintain an active dialogue with more than 200 top companies.

8. How flexible is the PT curriculum to not require students with specialized backgrounds (such as accounting or finance) to take basic core courses.

Our goal is support the growth and development of our MBA students – not require unnecessarily repetitive coursework! We offer exemption exams for most of our core classes. If a student passes an exam, they are able to choose an elective in its place that will better fit their individual academic and career goals.

9. How many PT programs does the school launch per year?

Tepper offers two Part-Time MBA programs each year – the Part-Time Online Hybrid and Part-Time Flex MBA.