The Leeds School values applications from international candidates. The global business perspectives that international students bring to the program enrich the experience for all of our MBA students. We will evaluate candidates from outside the US using the same criteria used for domestic applicants. However, some additional information is required to complete the application for international candidates.

International students are those who already have, or will be applying for, a temporary U.S. visa (most commonly the F-1 and J-1 visas). If you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, asylee, or refugee—or if you have submitted the Form I-485 to the Department of Homeland Security in application for permanent residency status and have received a receipt for the form—you are considered a domestic applicant. 

Matt Baca facilitates the MBA Biz Comp Bootcamp. The first part addresses the foundation of your message and brand, and includes the following:

  • The culture of the U.S. Business School
  • Academic Honesty, Ethics and Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Professor-Student Contract
  • Business Writing (Case Write-Ups)
  • Business Case Analysis & Discussion
  • Individual and Group Presentations
  • Accent Modification Activities
  • Managing and Participating in a Multicultural Team
  • Managing Conflict on Teams

The second part of the program focuses on taking your message and brand to the world, addressing this task in the following modules: 

  • Marketing You 101
  • Sales Five Golden Rules
  • Your Brand
  • The Job Hunt in America
  • Networking & Small Talk
  • Elevator Pitch/Positioning Statement/Sound Bites
  • Telling Your Story

Read testimonials from Leeds graduate student alums:

“The program was a great way to boost your confidence and show what you would face in the real MBA program. One of the best English courses and prep classes I have ever taken!”

— Seth, Thailand  

“Matt successfully executed a well-planned and to-the-point pre-MBA program and he managed to make us participate in class and conquer our fears and cultural biases.”

— Emre, Turkey

"I am a fully bilingual and bi-cultural student, at first I was a little skeptical about taking what seemed to be an ESL course. Truth be told I was blown away by the usefulness of the program. Once I started the MBA I found that I had a clear head-start on some of the native English speaking students. This program helped me a lot on my writing skills and presentations skills, plus it gave me the confidence boost I needed to start the MBA program.”

“Matt Baca is one of the greatest instructors I have ever had. His livelihood and teaching skills made the course a well-rounded positive experience. His knowledge of worldwide cultures allow him to connect with students from across the globe in order to prepare them for the challenge of an MBA program in the US. Thanks to his course coming back to school has been a smoother transition.”

— Nicolas, Mexico

The International admissions financial and visa processes take six weeks or more to complete after being admitted. Because of the time involved, we strongly encourage international candidates to submit applications by the third round of the admission cycle. 
2023-2024 Application Deadlines*
Round 1
Round 2
 
 
Round 3
Final International
Deadline
Final Domestic Deadline
Full-Time MBA
Oct. 2, 2023
Dec. 4, 2023
Feb. 5, 2024
April 1, 2024
Confirmation Deadline - April 15, 2024
June 3, 2024

The Full-time MBA application fee is $70 US. Application fees may be paid by credit card or check. Checks should be made payable to the University of Colorado and must be drawn on an American bank. Submit your payment with your application as your submission will not be reviewed without payment of the application fee. Include your full name and date of birth on your check or money order to ensure the payment is credited to your application. Do not send cash. Application fees are not refundable and will not be waived.

Merit-based scholarships are awarded to selected international candidates and they are awarded at the time of acceptance. International candidates may apply for additional fellowships after submitting the online application. International applicants who are seeking scholarships should apply in the first or second rounds of the admissions cycle for best consideration as awards are limited and are generally granted to competitive applicants who apply early. Visit Scholarships & Tuition. These are competitive awards and not everyone who applies will receive an award. We do not offer assistantships or research opportunities. There are limited teaching assistantships and they are only offered during the second year. They are not part of the admissions process. 

Need-based financial aid is available for US citizens and eligible non-citizens.

Eligible non-citizens may be:

  • U.S. permanent residents with an I-551
  • Conditional permanent residents with an I-551C
  • Noncitizens with an I-94 showing "Asylum Granted," "Refugee," "Indefinite Parole," "Humanitarian Parole," or "Cuban-Haitian Entrant"

The estimated total cost of the Full-Time MBA program for international students is 

Full-Time MBA

Year 1

Year 2

Fees

Total

International

50,337

24,534

3,928

$78,882

 

 

 

 

Review the information on the Financial Aid website for more information.

  • The Leeds School of Business requires all Full-Time MBA applicants to take the GMAT or GRE. Test scores are valid for up to five (5) years. 
  • Alternatively, applicants can submit a test waiver essay. Limited test waivers are available for FT-MBA. 
    • Test Waiver Essay: Your essay of no more than 750 words should address the following two areas:
      • Describe the academic you: Describe how you will succeed in your graduate studies by including examples such as previous test scores, academic records, or quantitative and analytical strengths you possess
      • Describe the personal you: While academic/quantitative skills are important for success, providing the admissions committee with information on your study skills, ambitions and determination is also important.  Share any skills and successes relating to your professional background

For admission consideration, we request that you upload unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary education (including community colleges, study abroad, summer sessions, and extension programs) in the application. These unofficial transcripts must be complete (including all courses), include grades, marksheets, and be issued in the original language and be accompanied by certified English translations when applicable. If you are offered admission, one official transcript for each university attended will be required prior to your enrollment in the first term. We do not accept or review third-party evaluations such as WES, ECE, etc. 

If you are currently enrolled, send all available records at this time, including courses in progress. Final records are required upon completion of the course work or program. All records should be submitted in the native language, and credentials written in languages other than English must also be accompanied by a literal, certified English translation. 

Should you be admitted. Official US/domestic transcripts must be sent electronically, directly from the institution, to us to be considered official. When you order your transcripts, send them directly to Gradprocessing@colorado.edu and we will match them to your application. Transcripts uploaded by you (the applicant) will not be considered official. If you are offered admission, one official transcript for each university attended will be required prior to your enrollment in the first term.

*Official Non-US transcripts/foreign transcripts should be sent electronically, directly from the institution to intlgrad@colorado.edu. We can accept signed and sealed transcripts as well.

A four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent is required for admission into the graduate programs at the University of Colorado Boulder. Admission standards are competitive and students are expected to have excellent academic records. We do accept most 3-year degrees from India.

Country-specific requirements for credential and grade standards
Meeting the minimum credential and grade requirements does not guarantee admission.

If you are offered admission, international applicants are required to submit a financial statement before you can be issued an I-20 document. The financial statement assures the University of Colorado Boulder that sufficient funds are available to the student to finance his or her two year stay at the Leeds School of Business. The financial statement must be notarized and signed by a bank official, sponsoring company, or an individual with supporting documentation (such as bank statements from the previous three months). This statement is required and is available here.

The Leeds MBA program is rigorous both quantitatively and qualitatively and an excellent command of written and spoken English is essential. Applicants who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree in the United States or whose native language is not English must submit English Proficiency test scores for evaluation. Applicants should request that the scores be reported directly to the University of Colorado Boulder MBA program.

We will accept the following tests of language proficiency:

  1. TOEFL (iBT): A required minimum score of 80+ with a preferred score of 100. TOEFL code 4841.
  2. IELTS: A required minimum score of 6.5+
  3. Duolingo:  A required minimum score of 120+ (on the 160 point scale)

Citizens of the following countries are exempt from the language requirement:

  • Australia
  • Belize
  • Botswana
  • Canada (except Quebec)
  • The Commonwealth Caribbean
  • Ghana
  • Great Britain (United Kingdom)
  • India
  • Ireland
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Scotland
  • Singapore
  • South Africa
  • Zimbabwe