Graduate Admissions

The Daniels College of Business is a GMAT/GRE-optional institution, meaning each candidate must determine whether one of these exams will support their candidacy and merit. 

Daniels takes a holistic approach to reviewing every application. We examine your resumes, essays and transcripts to discern the narrative of where you have been, where you are and where you want to be. If you feel that GMAT or GRE scores will support your candidacy, we encourage you to include them with your application.

Essays are assessed for clarity, organization, conciseness and grammar. Through the essays, you can communicate what you hope to achieve at Daniels and how you will contribute to the Daniels community. Take advantage of the third optional open-topic essay to let us know what sets you apart from other applicants.

Essay Prompts

Essay 1 (required): Briefly discuss your career objectives post-graduate school. How will your professional experience, combined with our degree program, help you to achieve these goals? What are your alternative career paths? (350 words)

Essay 2 (required): Please address one or more of the Daniels College of Business’s core values (listed below). How you choose to address one of these concepts is completely up to you. You might leverage your personal experiences, explore your goals through one of these themes or expand upon your individual focus for your graduate student experience.

Daniels values:
• Culture of innovation and engagement
• Learn through doing
• Interact with integrity
• Diversity and inclusion as a source of strength
• Global action and influence

Essay 3 (optional): Is there anything else that we should know as we evaluate your application? If you feel your credentials and essays represent you fairly, please don’t feel obligated to submit another essay. (250 words)

Executive MBA Essay Prompts

Essay 1 (required): Briefly outline your primary objectives for pursuing an MBA as an experienced professional. How will the Executive MBA program, combined with your professional experience, help you achieve your goals? (350-450 words)

Essay 2 (required): Provide an example of an ethical dilemma you’ve encountered in your professional or personal life. Ethical dilemmas are often complex, and involve making decisions in an environment where no single solution exists. What factors did you consider, what action did you ultimately take, and what did you learn? (350-450 words)

Essay 3 (optional): You are more than what appears on your resume. What interests and activities outside of your career add meaning to your life, or to the lives of others?

We don’t require work experience for specialized master’s degrees.

However, MBA degrees require a minimum of 2 years of full-time professional, military or volunteer work experience. The Executive MBA requires 10 years of work experience, with at least 8 in a progressively responsible management role. Though we don’t prefer any particular type of work experience, wo do consider the overall tenure and scope of your professional history, so please address any gaps in your resume or optional essay.

Candidates are required to submit a $100 application fee.

As a way of honoring our valued community members and those who serve our country, past and present, we offer application fee waivers to the following individuals:

• University of Denver alumni and current students
• Current University of Denver employees
• Current and former members of the U.S. military
• Current and former members of Peace Corps
• Current and former members of AmeriCorps
• Current and former members of Teach for America
• Current and former members of the McNair Scholars program
• Fulbright Scholars
• Master’s Academic Achievement Pathway students

In recognition of academic achievement, the Master’s Academic Achievement Pathway (MAAP) offers current undergraduates who hold and maintain a cumulative 3.0+ GPA at a regionally accredited institution a path a customized path to a master’s degree. We will waive your application fee, and if you meet the MAAP criteria and are accepted to the master’s degree you apply to, you will receive a minimum $15,000 scholarship. Learn more about the MAAP process.

Current University of Denver undergraduates can enroll in one of our 4+1 dual degree programs and begin taking graduate courses while they finish their bachelor’s degree.

If you’re accepted into a Daniels MBA program or specialized master’s degree, a $1,500 enrollment deposit is due to reserve your seat. This deposit is nonrefundable and is credited toward your first tuition payment.

Daniels offers deposit reductions to University of Denver staff, faculty, current students and alumni, as well as current and former members of the U.S. military.