Pre-MBA Studies Certificate

Develop the knowledge and skills to excel at a top MBA program

Maximize your potential and set yourself up for success.

UCLA Extension Pre-MBA Program

The UCLA Extension Pre-MBA Studies certificate program provides aspiring MBA students a solid foundation of business tools, concepts, and practices that are an essential part of most Master of Business Administration programs.

Gain a competitive advantage through an integrated curriculum that will lay the foundation for future studies. Strengthen your strategic, critical thinking, and business communication skills. Feel confident and fully prepared to enter grad school.

Get the support you need to ace the competitive admissions process. Students receive advising on university selection and graduate school application preparation.

This program is perfect for...

  • Individuals whose goal is to attend a top-tier MBA program in the U.S.
  • Students who completed an undergraduate degree in a non-business field
  • Those needing to complete additional coursework to meet MBA prerequisites
  • Students who want to be best-prepared for the MBA application process

Curriculum

Get ready for the rigor of graduate school. In order to best prepare you, many courses utilize materials adapted from the teachings of prominent faculty from UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management. 

The Pre-MBA Studies Certificate includes seven required courses: 

This course provides an introduction to accounting theory, principles, and practice. Instruction covers the uses, communication, and processing of accounting information, as well as the recording, analyzing, and summarizing of procedures used in preparing balance sheets and income statements.

Additional topics include accounting for purchases and sales, receivables and payables, cash and inventories, plant and equipment, depreciation and natural resources, intangible assets, and payrolls. Sole proprietorships and partnerships are also examined. 

This course examines the effort of the enterprise to secure profits and the nature of demand for its products.Instruction emphasizes both micro and macro-economic issues that have relevance in the business environment.

Topics include cost and production, allocation of resources through competition, forms of market competition, relation of size to efficiency, markets for productive factors, incentives and growth, and capital budgeting. Various concepts of algebra and statistics may be used in the analysis of economic theory.

This course provides a fundamental background of quantitative techniques applicable for administrators in the public and private economic sectors, as well as a solid review of Pre-MBA mathematics.

Topics include linear and matrix algebra (with special emphasis on demand/supply and cost/revenue analysis), and differential calculus. Students are encouraged to bring in examples of mathematical applications based on their professional experiences.

Build a strong foundation of knowledge with this introductory course to marketing. This course surveys marketing methods, practices, and institutions from the perspectives of manufacturers, distributors, and consumers.

Students examine marketing concepts, functions, operations, and organizations of retail and wholesale enterprises; distribution channels; market research; advertising; marketing costs; pricing strategies; cooperative marketing; marketing legislation and regulations; and current trends.

This course offers an introduction to the fundamentals of corporate finance, with an emphasis on the methods and sources of financing for corporations.

Topics include corporate financial analysis, financial planning procedures, present value and security valuation, capital budgeting, capital structure and approaches to raising capital. The course also covers securities markets, factors and models explaining security returns, and the concept of market efficiency.

This course will be the capstone in UCLA Extension’s Pre-MBA Studies Certificate. The course objective is to teach students a way of thinking that leads to effective strategy development and operational problem-solving using instructor selected case studies that well integrate the Pre-MBA marketing, finance, accounting, business economics, and business mathematics courses.

Students will be challenged to evaluate specific business scenarios to achieve an increased proficiency in evaluating, recommending, and forecasting strategic alternatives and potential changes to enhance organizational success, effectiveness, and efficiencies.

Receive personalized counseling to maximize your chances of acceptance into your ideal MBA program.

You will receive expert guidance to help you select target schools that best fit your background and goals, present yourself in writing and in person, research and approach your target schools in the essay and application process, conduct mock interviews, and more.

Pre-MBA students

Certificate Details

  • Duration: 2 quarters, full-time or 4 quarters, part-time
  • Format: Online
  • Application Fee: $0
  • Program Tuition: $12,000

Students will be placed in a cohort for the duration of the program. Program tuition includes the six courses listed above as well as personalized counseling services.

 

Apply Now!

Now accepting applications.

Full-Time Program 

Next start date: Fall 2024

 

Part-Time Program

Next start date: Spring 2024

Apply Now

All applicants must have an undergraduate degree and provide a letter of recommendation.

The Certificate in Pre-MBA studies (full-time) is approved for international students (F-1 visa). Click below for additional information, including English language proficiency requirements.

This certificate is approved for international students (F-1 student visa).

Students participating in courses offered solely by UCLA Extension must meet the English Language Requirements outlined below. Any international student interested in taking classes on UCLA’s main campus must adhere to the English Requirements outlined for UCLA courses.

Acceptable tests and minimum scores

Scores that are equal to or higher than the listed minimum scores from the following tests, taken within the past two years, can satisfy the English proficiency requirement.

  • TOEFL: 80 (iBT)
  • IELTS: 6.5
  • iTEP: 4.5
  • CAE: B (CEFR C1)
  • CPE: C (CEFR C2)
  • TOEIC: 685
  • DUOLINGO (DET): 105

While no other type of test score is accepted in general, students who are affected by test center closures may request an exception to submit an alternate test score.

International Baccalaureates (IB) students or students currently enrolled in an academic institution where the primary language of instruction is English may submit an official academic transcript or verification of enrollment from their school as proof of English proficiency.

Learn more:

International Students: How to Apply

Academic Requirements & English Language Proficiency

Learn more about our Pre-MBA Studies Certificate.

 

Contact Us

Speak to a program representative. Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm.

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