Master of Science in Commerce

Program Prerequisites

To be considered for admission to the M.S. in Commerce program, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Have a conferred bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited US college or university or its equivalent in another country at the time of matriculation; candidates with bachelor degrees conferred more than 18 months prior to matriculation are ineligible for admission
• Have a bachelor’s degree and/or undergraduate major in the liberal arts or STEM fields; candidates with an undergraduate major in business are ineligible for admission
• Show evidence of strong academic preparation, intellectual curiosity, and a passion for their chosen field of study
• Along with academic preparation, any relevant work or internship experience; honors; awards; and extracurricular activities
• Qualities of character (e.g., academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, strong work ethic, ability to collaborate, awareness & ability to engage cross differences, growth mindset, initiative, resilience & perseverance, social engagement, unique perspective, and personal & professional integrity)
• Evidence of strong written and oral communication skills; non-native English speakers also must demonstrate proficiency in oral and written English to be successful in the graduate program

In addition, students must have successfully completed the following prerequisite courses prior to matriculation:

• Introduction to Financial Accounting
• Introduction to Microeconomics
• Introduction to Statistics

Admission Requirements

Candidates seeking admission to the M.S. in Commerce program will submit the following items:

• Completed online application
• Resume
• Two required essays
• Two letters of recommendation (including one academic reference from a college or university faculty member)
• Transcripts and academic records from every college and/or university attended
• GMAT or GRE score
• TOEFL or IELTS score (if applicable); McIntire requires a minimum TOEFL score of 100iBT or IELTS score of 7.5
• Interview (by invitation)
• Application fee: $85

Candidates who accept their offer of admission will be required to submit their online enrollment agreement as well as $1,000 non-refundable deposit to reserve their place in the class and initiate their University of Virginia student account. A second and final non-refundable deposit of $1,500 is required to confirm your place in the class. Please refer to the M.S. in Commerce deadlines page for specific enrollment deposit submission dates. Upon enrollment, the entire $2,500 enrollment deposit will be applied to your tuition account.

For additional information, please visit the M.S. in Commerce program website or contact:

McIntire Office of Graduate Marketing and Admissions

140 Hospital Drive

P.O. Box 400173

Charlottesville, VA 22904-4173

(434) 982-6800

mscommerce@virginia.edu

https://www.commerce.virginia.edu/ms-commerce

Departmental Financial Aid

The McIntire School of Commerce offers a limited number of departmental scholarships to qualified graduate students in the M.S. in Commerce Program. Scholarships are awarded based on merit and financial need and prospective students may express interest in being considered for a departmental scholarship in their application for admission. If awarded, scholarships will be communicated at the time of admission.

Grading & Academic Performance Expectations

Grading

Grades are awarded only to students who are registered for and complete a course for credit.  All courses are on a credit basis only and students must receive a grade.  The letter grades used for grading students in McIntire graduate courses are: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F.

GPA Requirements for Graduation

Students are required to complete their program of study with a GPA of 3.00 or higher in order to graduate.

Academic Performance Expectations

Good academic standing is defined as maintaining a 3.00 cumulative GPA.  At the end of each term, a student’s academic performance will be evaluated by the Academic Program Director to determine if a student is still in good academic standing.  A student not meeting the 3.00 cumulative GPA criteria at the end of a given term will be placed on Academic Probation.  A notation of Academic Probation will be placed on the student’s academic record until such time as the academic issue is resolved.

While on Academic Probation, a student will meet regularly with his or her Academic Program Director to ensure appropriate progress is being made toward degree completion.  A student who earns a cumulative GPA below a 3.00 in two consecutive terms will be dismissed from his or her program of study.  A student who earns a grade of ‘F’ in any course will be dismissed from the program.

Behavioral & Administrative Expectations

Behavioral and administrative expectations are outlined throughout the Graduate Record and include but are not limited to required class attendance, making progress toward a degree, and fulfilling all expectations implied by enrollment at the University (e.g., Honor Code or Standards of Conduct).

Student adherence to these expectations will be evaluated periodically or when a situation is brought to the attention of an Academic Program Director.  If a student’s behavior is found to not be in adherence with the expectations, a warning will be issued to the student and a behavior modification plan will be put in place.  This plan will include a timeframe for reevaluation of the student’s behavior.  After a reevaluation is conducted, a student who has met the expectations of the behavior modification plan will return to good standing.  A student who is still not meeting the behavioral expectations outlined in the plan will be given a final opportunity to remediate the deficient behavior and return to good standing.  If, after a second opportunity to meet the expectations of the program and university, a student is still found to display behaviors inconsistent with the program expectations, an ‘Enforced Withdrawal’ will be enacted.

Employment and other Extracurricular Activities

Students may not engage in employment or other extracurricular activities in excess of what is compatible with a full-time commitment to masters level study of commerce.  No full-time student may be employed for more than 20 hours per week or receive financial compensation or financial award for activities requiring more than 20 hours per week.

Global Immersion Attendance Policy

The program attendance policy described earlier applies to all McIntire graduate programs.  Beyond on-Grounds classes, all students are expected to fully participate in M.S. in Commerce’s 4-credit hour Global Immersion Experience (GIE).  Participation in GIE constitutes international travel as part of one of the regional tracks offered in the spring term (taking place in May and June) and students are expected to arrive on time and remain with the track for the duration of the international experience.  Exceptions to this requirement are very rare and require the approval of the M.S in Commerce Academic Program Director and GIE Program Director.  Requests for exceptions must be made in writing to the Academic Program Director as far in advance of the scheduled global immersion term as possible.

Obtaining all required visas and travel documents is the student’s responsibility.  Failure to obtain proper documents may result in inability to complete required study abroad coursework, and degree requirements.

Course Enrollment

Enrollment in M.S. in Commerce courses is restricted to students in that specific program.  Permission may be granted rarely to non-degree students to enroll in these courses on an exception basis.  A request for this exception must be made in writing to the M.S. in Commerce Academic Program Director.  Requests will be evaluated based on course availability, applicant qualifications and any other factors that might impact the administration of the graduate course under consideration.

M.S. in Commerce students who wish to further their study of a particular subject beyond required program courses and/or outside the McIntire School of Commerce must receive advance permission from the M.S. in Commerce Academic Program Director and course instructor before the assigned registration period.

M.S. in Commerce Courses