Military MBA

General Information

University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business
The second oldest institution of management education on the West Coast, the Michael G. Foster School of Business is nationally ranked and globally recognized, and has a legacy of entrepreneurial innovation and business leadership. As an institution, it has weaved itself into the fabric of Seattle – a burgeoning city that serves as a home to iconic companies like Microsoft, Costco, Amazon.com, Boeing and Starbucks. Arguably, part of the draw for such powerhouse corporations are the many amenities offered to Seattle’s residents; locals can enjoy the thriving arts and music scene, bustling retail centers, five-star cuisine, locally hopped microbrews and regional wines, and a nearness to nature not often paralleled in thriving metropolitan cities.

Contact Information

Foster School of Business
University of Washington
MBA Admissions Office
Dempsey Hall 334, Box 353223
Seattle, WA 98195-3223

Phone: 206-543-4661
Email: mba@uw.edu
Web: www.foster.washington.edu

Facebook: University of Washington – Foster MBA Program
Twitter: Full-time MBA and Evening MBA
Blog: Inside the Foster MBA
YouTube: Foster Means Business

Click Here to Contact the Foster School of Business directly.

Financial Support
The University of Washington participates in the Post-911 GI Bill Program. Foster MBA students are eligible to apply for the Tillman Military Scholars Program and may also qualify for tuition assistance through one of the Washington State waiver programs. For more information on the financial support options available to veterans, please contact the University of Washington Veterans Center.

Veteran Community Support
The University of Washington’s Veterans Center provides students with access to university resources specifically designed for veterans. Here, veterans can connect with the military community within the university as well as find counseling in financial aid, admissions, academics, career advancement, and mental health and wellness. The Veterans Center can also help students navigate disability resources.

Foster MBA students are encouraged to join the Foster Veterans Association, which is dedicated to the support and advocacy of Foster MBA students who have served, or are currently serving, the military of their respective countries.

Accreditations

The Foster School is accredited by AACSB International and is one of four U.S. business schools to earn the European Quality Improvement System accreditation.

The University of Washington is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and is a member of the Association of American Universities.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are evaluated on a number of different qualities including leadership potential, academic performance, and ability to communicate clearly and persuasively. In order to quality for admission, candidates must meet the following criteria:

Degree Requirements
Foster MBA applicants must have completed the equivalent of a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. There are no prerequisite courses needed in order to be considered eligible for admission.

Quantitative Proficiency Requirement
Each applicant must demonstrate the ability to work effectively with numbers and perform complex quantitative analysis. College transcripts showing courses in advanced mathematics or in disciplines that require similar quantitative skills (such as engineering or computer science) may be used to express this ability.

Skills may also be demonstrated through a strong GMAT quantitative score along with professional experience that has required skills in quantitative analysis. All MBA applicants are required to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). All scores and sub-scores are evaluated during application review. Scores are valid for five years; if an applicant has taken the GMAT more than once, the highest score will be considered. For more information on the test, visit the GMAT website.

Work Experience
Post-undergraduate professional experience is not required for admissions to the program, but it is highly preferred. Please review the Evening and Full-time Class Profiles provided on our website. We’ve also made comparing statistics for all Foster MBA Programs easy with our MBA Comparison Table.

Selection Criteria

Foster selects candidates with the highest potential for achievement in the management profession - those who have demonstrated the greatest capacity for high-quality academic work, and who will positively contribute to the diversity of the student body and the ranks of professional leaders.

Competitive candidates have well-developed language and reasoning skills and the ability to think analytically, logically and creatively. We evaluate each applicant holistically based on the application materials submitted (please refer to the list below). Subsequent to the initial application review, select candidates are offered the opportunity to complete an admission interview either on or off campus.

Required Materials

• Online application profile
• 2 required essays, 1 optional essay
• Resume
• 2 letters of recommendation
• Official GMAT score report
• Transcripts from each university or college attended
• Proof of English language proficiency (international candidates only)
• $85 non-refundable application fee

Tuition

Please view our website for the most current information comparing costs for our MBA programs.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to connect with the admissions committee in person or through our online resources for more information on Foster MBA programs, the admission process, or to attend an information session or application workshop. You may also connect with a current student via email, phone, over coffee, or by sitting in on an MBA class.

Foster MBA Faculty

The people make the program, and at Foster, our faculty has been carefully assembled to provide a solid base for your learning and your future. Their research is widely published and respected by the academic and business communities, while their dynamic teaching methods are praised by our students. Foster’s faculty members consult with organizations around the world, allowing them to bring current business issues and engaging guest speakers to the classroom, and they regularly update courses and curriculum to ensure relevant and academically challenging content.

Students are often surprised at the individual attention they receive from our highly accessible professors. Here, you will find that doors are open during office hours, phone calls and emails are promptly responded to, and you likely even see your professors at extracurricular events where they enjoy getting to know their students personally. Whether you are preparing for a marketing plan competition or participating in a consulting project, faculty advisors serve as guides, mentors, sounding boards…and some of your most demanding critics.

Accomplishments/Recognition

The Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index ranks the University of Washington #1 in research productivity in Business Administration and #8 in marketing. Foster is also recognized as one of the best business schools in the nation for entrepreneurship studies and as a world leader in business ethics research and development. Foster has also been rated one of the best business schools for women by The Princeton Review.

According to the U.S. News and World Report, for the past two years, Foster MBA graduates were among the top three schools in the U.S. for post-graduate employment. Our graduates land positions with a wide range of companies and industries in the Pacific Northwest, California, and beyond.

Foster’s Full Time and Evening (Part-time) MBA Programs receive consistent recognition in rankings published by the U.S. News and World Report, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, The Financial Times, and The Economist.

Learning Environment

Facilities
New facilities have transformed and energized the Foster School of Business. PACCAR and Dempsey Halls have earned LEED Certification and provided students with dynamic classroom spaces, student team rooms, technology equipped conference spaces and boardrooms, large-capacity auditoriums, faculty offices, a soaring atrium, and a conveniently located café. It is equipped with a wide range of technology enhancements including Web-linked digital monitors, and distance conferencing capabilities. Take our virtual tour!

Diversity
We strive to create a culture of community that fosters a rich and satisfying learning experience and is representative of society as a whole. We believe that diversity can be reflected in age, racial/ethnic origin, and cultural background, as well as by the activities, accomplishments, career goals, life and work experiences, and fields of previous academic study of our candidates. Seeking out motivated individuals from different backgrounds helps to improve the learning environment and those who seek to expand their perspective through their classmates’ experiences. Foster MBAs have come from more than 80 different undergraduate schools, with varied backgrounds as nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, engineers, bankers, technology specialists, and medical professions. Visit our website to learn more about diversity at Foster, as well as ways in which you can get involved during your time here.

Collaboration
While Foster MBAs come from a variety of backgrounds, they share a desire to share their personal strengths and professional experiences with their peers. For many MBA students, business looks like a dog-eat-dog world, but for MBAs at Foster, it looks more like a dawg-pack. For many of our students, the spirit of collaboration was either a key factor in the decision to apply to Foster or quickly became one of its most valued characteristics.

Innovation
Seattle consistently ranks among one of the top cities for innovation and entrepreneurship – it is one of the fastest growing small business cities (Newsday, 2013), is considered the second best city for female entrepreneurs (Seattle PI, 2013), comes in at #5 for tech startups (Entrepreneur, 2013), and is #13 among the world’s most inventive cities (Forbes, 2013). Being close to all of this growth puts the Foster School of Business in a prime position for those seeking the entrepreneurial path. The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine ranked the Foster School of Business as 13th in the nation for graduate entrepreneurship, much of which is driven by the programs offered by the team in the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship. Foster MBAs have access to startup resources like the C4C New Ventures Facility and the Jones + Foster Accelerator Program, as well as entrepreneurship competitions, an entrepreneurship certificate program, and knowledgeable advisors who are here to help driven students make the most of their MBA experience.

Career Services
Throughout the MBA experience, students are constantly provided opportunities to connect with employers via MBA Career Management programs. Students build relationships through local and national recruitment fairs, advance their professional development through networking events with high profile professionals, and have continuous access to Foster MBA alums – a resource that expands their network to over 6,000 professionals in the Greater Seattle Area and 10,000 around the globe! The Foster MBA Career Management Office also maintains our Mentor Program (the longest running mentor program in the nation, which pairs students with C-level executives), and offers individualized career coaching and a wide array of resources to help all students form and execute personalized career strategies for optimal success. Our team does everything they can to help you get you to where you want to be, and this hard work is reflected in our highly competitive job placement rates.

Hands-On Learning
Foster curriculum balances theory with practice. Students sharpen their analytical skills and gain insight into business environments by developing solutions to real-world business problems. Working with a faculty advisor, student teams meet with clients to scope complex projects, determine a course of action, perform research, and present their recommendations. In addition, students complete internships with a range of companies, from local start-ups and family-owned businesses, to national and international corporations.

Our “learn by doing” philosophy drives our commitment to experiential learning. Field study courses, endowed business plan and case competitions, global business study tours or exchange programs, the chance to consult for local companies, and the opportunity to sit on a local non-profit board of directors are just some of the ways Foster MBAs gain first-hand experience of the business world. Foster MBA students further demonstrate their leadership skills in the MBA Association and student clubs, facilitate networking opportunities internally and through alumni outreach, compete in teams to raise money for charities, manage a new ideas fund, and inform the continued development of the Foster MBA program.