BBA Admission Requirements
In order to be considered for admission into the Cox School of Business for your Bachelors of Business Administration, students applying to SMU must indicate a business major as their first choice academic interest on their application. Students must be admitted to the business school in order to pursue a business major. Admitted students will qualify as either a BBA Scholar or a Business Direct student. While both groups will be admitted to the business school, BBA Scholars will also receive a supplemental scholarship from the business school. Students will automatically be reviewed for the BBA scholars program provided business is listed as their primary academic interest on their application and do not need to submit a separate application for the scholar program.
All applications will be processed through the main SMU Undergraduate Admission office. Admission is highly selective, but holistic in nature with an emphasis on a student’s academic performance. Students will be notified of their Cox admission decision after they receive their acceptance to the University. If a student is not admitted to Cox, they are still eligible for acceptance to the University if they indicate a non-business academic interest on their application.
SMU is a test-optional university at this time. You can elect to send your ACT or SAT scores, should you choose to take those exams. The admission committee weighs many factors beyond test scores during the course of the application process, including classroom performance and GPA, rigor of high school curriculum, quality of essays and recommendations, and extracurricular activities.
SMU Application Deadlines
November 1st: Early Action and Early Decision I admission deadline.
January 15th: Regular Decision and Early Decision II admission deadline for priority consideration for merit-based scholarships.
Application Resources
FAQ SMU Undergraduate Admission
External Transfer Process
Students wishing to transfer to SMU and study business will need to apply to SMU first, and then apply for admission to the business school during the spring semester. Only students first admitted by SMU will be reviewed for admission to Cox. The Cox School of Business application can be accessed by contacting the SMU Undergraduate Admission Office or the BBA Admission Office. The business school will only review transfer applications for Cox after the end of each spring semester, and all Cox applications must be submitted by June 1st for external candidates. Final transcripts for external transfer candidates must be sent to the SMU Undergraduate Admission Office in order for Cox to release a decision. Applicants must have 24 post high school graduation credit hours by the end of the spring semester in which they apply, and also a minimum 3.5 all-college GPA at the end of that spring semester. Preference will be given to students who have taken microeconomics, macroeconomics, and calculus. If a student is not admitted following their first application to the business school, they will choose a major from one of the other academic schools at SMU and can pursue a minor in business.
Internal Transfer Process
Current SMU students who seek to change their major to business or add a business major, will need to apply through the internal transfer admission process facilitated by the BBA Admission office.
The Cox School of Business Internal Transfer application is released in mid-March and can be accessed by contacting the BBA Admission Office, and must be submitted by Monday, May 19th, 2025. The Cox School of Business only accepts students for Fall entry.
A committee of Cox faculty members will review students each spring for a select number of spots available in the Cox School of Business. The committee will weigh many factors including current GPA, courses taken, campus involvement, and a student’s initial application to SMU. Applicants must have at least 24 post-high school, all-college credit hours* by the end of the spring semester in which they apply.
Students must also have a minimum 3.5 all-college GPA at the end of that spring semester in order to be eligible for review, although the GPA of students admitted is typically higher. The average all-college GPA of students admitted in the Fall 2024 internal transfer cohort was a 3.9.
Students must apply during the first spring semester they are a student at SMU. Preference will be given to students who have taken microeconomics, macroeconomics, and calculus.
If a student is not admitted following their first application to the business school, they are not permitted to apply again and they will pursue a major from one of the other academic schools at SMU and can choose to minor in business. Students must apply during the first Cox internal transfer admission cycle upon completion of 24 post high school college credit hours.
*Students who were admitted as a Spring Entry student and took a gap semester before beginning at SMU can apply with less than 24 post high school credit hours but must have a minimum of 12 post high school credit hours completed at the end of the spring semester.
Students are not eligible for review if they delay submitting their application in order to meet the minimum requirements the following year. Any student who does not meet the requirements for review at the time they should apply will pursue a major from one of the other academic schools at SMU and can choose to minor in business.
Financing Your BBA
An undergraduate business education is an investment, and a Cox degree paves the way toward a great ROI. There are several scholarship opportunities across campus. The BBA Admission office only offers merit based scholarships for first year students invited into the BBA Scholars program. All students applying to SMU may be eligible for additional merit based scholarships awarded though the SMU Undergraduate Admission Office. Need based assistance can be applied for through the SMU Financial Aid office.
Admission Events
The best way to find out if Cox is the right school for you is to visit us in Dallas. You can schedule an information session and tour through the SMU Undergraduate Admission website. In the Fall, we offer our Cox Spotlight event that will give you an in-depth look into our undergraduate program. If you can't make it to Dallas, meet us on the road when we join the SMU Undergraduate Admission Office at programs in various cities. We'd love to meet you!
Feel free to contact us in BBA Admission to help you plan your visit.