Admissions

Applying for the SMU Cox One-Year MBA

Please reach out to us with your questions or concerns, try to visit us on campus so we can meet in person and consider connecting your with any current students or alumni whose work especially interests you. Studying at SMU Cox is an intimate experience and connections matter – starting now.

Learn about applications requirements and tips

Application Deadlines

Deadlines for the Full-Time One-Year MBA program are below. If you are ready to submit your application, please do not wait for a specific deadline. We will process your application when it is submitted.

• Online application (no application fee)
• Professional resume
• Essays
• Optional GMAT, GRE or EA test scores, taken within the last five years*
• Unofficial transcripts (required baccalaureate from an accredited college or university) where you've received 12 or more undergraduate or graduate credit hours (official transcripts required at admission)
• Two professional references (names and contact information only, no letters)
• Optional TOEFL/IELTS scores (international applicants only)

Tuition & Financing

Financing your degree is largely a part of your decision-making process. A graduate management education is one of the most important investments you'll ever make, and it's likely to produce one of your biggest ROIs — you won't just boost your career and earning potential, but you'll reap personal gains, too. To offset the costs, you may be eligible for a Cox scholarship. You are automatically considered for scholarship at the time you are considered for admission. If you need additional funding, you'll find that a variety of loan and private scholarship opportunities are available.

Your One Year-MBA Costs: Invest In Your Future

*This fee may not apply to all students and depends on international student status.

**This estimated total is based on a 12-month school year for the 2024-25 academic year. The cost may be more or less depending on the student's lifestyle, whether the student lives on-campus or off-campus and whether any family members accompany the student. If family members accompany the student, add $8,600 if 1 dependent (spouse or child) and $4,300 for each dependent after 1.

Dual Degree Tuition

Students that are enrolling into Dual Degree Programs which are paired with the One-Year MBA program will be charged the tuition rate that is consistent with the non-MBA side of the dual degree (JD/MBA with Dedman Law or MSEng/MBA with Lyle Engineering) for all credit hours taken at the Cox School. Please connect with the Dedman School of Law, or the Lyle School of Engineering for questions about billing and tuition rates for those programs. All University tuition rates are posted on the Bursar’s webpage. Dual degree students are eligible for Cox merit-based scholarships which are awarded at the time of our admission review.

Financial Aid and Additional Resources 

Our Admissions and Financial Aid representatives are here to help you move through the process of securing all necessary funding to attend the Cox One-Year MBA program. We are happy to talk you through the benefits of filing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), discuss alternative loan options, and what to anticipate as a timeline of financial aid and tuition payments. Official tuition and fee amounts are posted on the Bursar’s webpage. Incoming students who have questions about Financial Aid should contact gradfinaid@smu.edu for additional information about the FAFSA or Texas specific educational resources. SMU is a private institution and we do not adjust tuition for in or out-of-state residency. 

Scholarships

Pursuing a graduate business degree, at a top-ranked private school, can be financially challenging. At SMU Cox, we strive to make that experience a little more accessible and affordable. Through generous support from university organizations and endowments, as well as Cox alumni, we are able to offer merit-based scholarships to our Full-Time One-Year MBA students.

Merit Scholarships

SMU Cox offers a limited number of merit-based scholarships with awards up to $30,000. Recipients are selected on the basis of demonstrated academic achievement, performance on standardized tests, professional experience, and leadership potential. All applicants are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships during the application process.

Scholarships are awarded for the entire year and equally dispersed each semester of the program, subject to satisfactory performance. Candidates are evaluated and awarded during the admission process. To be eligible, candidates must submit their application, including all pieces (transcripts, GMAT, TOEFL, essays, etc.), by the deadline.

Forte Fellowship

The Cox School of Business is proud to partner with the Forte Foundation, an international organization supporting women in business. We offer a variety of merit-based scholarship awards to admitted students which qualify them to be named as Forte Fellows and become part of an exclusive group of top future business leaders.