Applying and Deadlines

One of the basic requirements for admission to Fisher is the completion of a four-year bachelor’s degree or its equivalent prior to matriculation. The Ohio State University does not recognize a three-year bachelor’s degree to be comparable to the four-year bachelor’s degree. To determine if you meet the degree requirements for The Ohio State University, contact the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions.

You are required to submit transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended. Coursework from one institution reported as transfer credit on another school's transcript does not meet Ohio State's definition of a transcript. Separate transcripts must be submitted if you received any transfer credit from other institutions. In cases where examination results or grades are not released, please contact the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions.

The SMB-A Admissions Committee reviews scanned copies of official transcripts uploaded in your application for evaluation purposes. Transcripts should include all work previously completed and work currently in progress. Ideally, SMB-A applicants will have a calculus class on their transcript (although not required). If you have taken (or are taking) courses at The Ohio State University, you do not need to submit transcripts for those grades as the Admissions Office will obtain your Ohio State grades directly from the University Registrar’s Office.

Important: If you are admitted to the SMB-A program, you will be required to submit official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions.

You can watch our webinar covering the most common mistakes that applicants make when providing academic transcripts as part of their graduate program application. The Director of Admissions and Recruiting will also point out critical requirements for your transcript(s) to make for a seamless application process. 

Watch the Transcript Requirement webinar

Where To Send Official Transcripts

for U.S. institutions

Request that your transcripts be sent electronically from the issuing institution directly to gpadocs@osu.edu. If your institution does not send official electronic transcripts, you may order them to be sent to us. Transcripts must come directly to us from the issuing institution; they cannot come from the applicant, even if they're in a sealed envelope.

Graduate and Professional Admissions
P.O. Box 182004
Columbus, OH 43218-2004
gpadocs@osu.edu

for international institutions

Send copies of international transcripts, diplomas or degree certificates and English translations in sealed university envelopes to:

Graduate and Professional Admissions
The Ohio State University
Student Academic Services Building
281 W. Lane Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210-1132 USA

Special notes for international students:

• Because not all international institutions send transcripts on demand, we will accept official transcripts sent to Graduate and Professional Admissions by the applicant if they arrive in sealed university envelopes.
• International transcript documents should include certified educational records and degree certificates or diplomas.
• All documents must be received in the original language with official English translations. Student-made translations are not accepted.

A detailed resume or curriculum vitae gives the SMB-A Admissions Committee a snapshot of your professional and academic career and serves as an indication of how well you are able to sell yourself on paper.

Since our Career Management Office is represented on the Admissions Committee, the resume also gives us an idea of how you would present yourself to a prospective employer and helps them evaluate your potential for successful placement upon completion of the Fisher SMB-A program.

Resume requirements

Please include all of the following in your resume, if applicable, and account for the time since the beginning of your university education.

• Your contact information (full name, mailing address, phone, and email)
• Employment history (with details of primary duties and accomplishments in each position held)
• Extracurricular and/or community activities
• Languages (read, spoken, and/or understood)
• Military record (if applicable)

For more information about writing your Fisher resume, view our resume tutorial PDF.

You will be required to complete an essay. The essay gives you the opportunity to present yourself more fully to our Admissions Committee and to provide insight into your experiences, goals, and thought processes.

Essay Topic

What are your short-term and long-term goals? How/why will a Specialized Master in Business - Analytics (SMB-A) help you achieve those goals?

Maximum length: One single-sided page, 11-size font minimum (no margin requirement)

Optional Supplemental Essay

This optional essay can be used to address any circumstances you’d like the Admissions Committee to be aware of (gaps in work history/academic performance/choice of references/test waiver requests).

Maximum words: 500

To process each application for admission to the SMB-A program, we charge a non-refundable fee of $60 for domestic applicants and $70 for international applicants.

Paying the application fee must be made with a credit card, as part of the application process.

We have found past performance to be an excellent predictor of future performance.

To ensure that we recruit students who will help us continue to grow our base of successful alumni, we want you to tell us about your experiences to date and how those experiences have made you a better manager or leader.

• An understanding of math is an important component of this degree. Ideally, SMB-A candidates would have a calculus class on their academic transcript.
• Your resume will provide us with a sound overview of your past accomplishments.
• Experience in fields such as; IT, computer science, or engineering - looking to move out of a technical role and use analytics to move into business management is valued, however, no work experience is required.
• Be sure to offer concrete examples in your personal statement to demonstrate things like how you plan to utilize the degree to enter into or accelerate your career, how you landed that first job, used analytics within a team project, worked your way through college, or started a family and want to get back into the workforce.

Fisher is dedicated to developing business leaders who will make a difference, and our SMB-A Admissions Committee is charged with determining your leadership potential.

• We will look at your past leadership experiences (or potential) and refer to your personal statement, resume, and letters of recommendation. Leadership's many facets include integrity, empathy, curiosity, endurance, vision, communication skills, decision-making, and self-awareness.
• We will look for examples from your life, as well as insights into any leadership experiences, potential, and experience beyond your immediate responsibilities.

Joining a group of highly qualified individuals requires that you have strong academic capability, too.

We will examine your overall academic ability, based on prior university records (GPA, etc.) and the results of the GMAT (optional for autumn 2021), as well as the quality and nature of your work experience. Your success is our goal and we want to ensure that you will be able to excel in our curriculum.

However, having "smarts" goes beyond analytical abilities and a strong academic record.

• We are interested in your ability to grasp complex concepts and models, your curiosity, and your passion for learning and expanding your horizons.
• We are also interested in understanding how you interact with others. Team spirit and competence are critical to succeeding during your studies and in business.
• Show us that you have the ability to be in touch with your own and others' emotions, that you are an able communicator who recognizes opportunities when they arise through interaction with others, and that you can stimulate the flow of ideas.

Because Fisher is a close-knit community, your personal qualities and contributions will have an immediate and visible impact on your classmates and the school’s environment.

• We want to understand the characteristics that have contributed to your accomplishments to date and what experiences have made you the person that you are today.
• We also want to understand the principles and ethical standards that are part of the intricate mix that makes you "tick" as an individual.
• There are a number of qualities that we hope our students share, including being driven and hardworking, as well as having high ethical standards and a deep respect for others. However, we are not looking for conformity.
• We strongly believe that diversity and differences in personality are critical to the dynamic and stimulating exchanges that are characteristic of our community. Be sure to share with the admissions committee what makes you, your background, and your accomplishments unique.