Hi,

I am hoping to apply for an accredited MBA programme in 2015, however I have concerns regarding the experience requirement at the universities. Do they require 3 years work experience after the undergraduate studies? As I have over 4+ years experience, however majority of my work experience was during my undergrad studies (2.5 years). Would they still consider my application? What is the general consensus regarding experience requirements at good universities?

I have emailed couple of universities, however I have yet to receive a firm response to my query.

Thanks!

This tends to be a tricky area for many applicants, for some reason. In general:

- business schools will only consider experience accrued after you completed your undergraduate degree.

- minimum requirements will vary by school. For instance, Stanford doesn't require any experience to apply. Oxford - Said requires two years of experience.

- HOWEVER: looking at the minimum work experience requirements is often misleading. Stanford rarely lets candidates in with no work experience, instead typically recruiting people with four years of experience, on average. For Oxford, admitted candidates tend to have 5 or 6 years, on average. This range: 4-6 years, is typical of the averages at many of the top MBA programs, although obviously it varies from school to school.

- candidates with less than the average number of years of work experience should have something else about their profile that sets them apart from the other applicants. A stronger-than-average GMAT score, for instance, helps, as does having strong, proven leadership abilities, or coming from an under-represented background.