The first step in getting a master's of business studies is to successfully complete a bachelor's degree in a business or finance related major such as business administration, international finance, accounting, or macroeconomics. Once the bachelor's degree is completed, you must submit an application packet to the master of business studies program of your choice. Depending upon the college or university, as well as the type of business program, you be required to interview with an admissions agent and to complete the general section of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Upon admission to a master of business studies program, you will need to complete a degree plan that includes approximately 30 credit hours of instruction as well as an exit exam and a thesis project.
To apply for and be accepted into a bachelor's degree program for a business or finance related degree, you generally must have completed high school with a diploma or a general education diploma (GED), an associates degree, in any field, from a community college, and have a minimum grade point average of at least 2.0. Many colleges and universities require a higher GPA, however. You will generally need to complete between 70 and 80 credit hours of general education coursework covering a broad range of academic disciplines prior to completing approximately 40 to 50 credit hours of coursework in your major area of study. Depending upon the institution, you may also have to complete a final project or to complete an exit exam in your senior year.
Once you have completed your bachelor's degree, or in your final year of the bachelor's program, you need to apply to schools that offer a master of business studies degree program. Though this category covers a number of sub-disciplines, it is not completely interchangeable with finance or accounting. Compile an application packet for each institution that you wish to apply to. The composition of the application packet differs by university and by business department, but it will generally include a personal statement explaining your skills, education, and goals. It will also need to include sealed, official transcripts, up to three letters of recommendation from previous professors, as well as an application fee.
Upon admission to a master of business studies program, you will need to complete up to 30 hours of instruction in courses that cover various aspects of business, including administration, regulation, capitalization, and the underlying principles of economics from a business standpoint. You will likely be required to complete a research or thesis project as well as an exit examination that covers everything that you have studied while in the program.