Professional MBA FAQ

Boise State’s Professional MBA has a number of unique attributes: 

• Intentional Design: The program is intentionally designed for working professionals who want to immediately apply what they learn in the workplace. Rather than focusing primarily on theory, our curriculum emphasizes practical problem solving through real-world projects, and experiential learning. 
• Design Thinking: Design Thinking, often called user experience design, is one of the first classes students take in the curriculum. Boise State was one of the first programs in the country to offer this topic as a stand-alone class.  Design Thinking is one of the few MBA topics that directly changes how people approach problems, not just what they know. In today’s business environment, leaders rarely have textbook problems with obvious answers. Design Thinking teaches students to navigate ambiguity, innovate, and build solutions around real customer needs. 
• Cohort:  You’ll learn alongside a cohort of accomplished professionals from a wide range of industries. Long after graduation, these connections continue as trusted advisors, collaborators, business partners, mentors, and friends. Past alumni have discovered new career opportunities, launched businesses together, and built lasting personal relationships through their cohort.

The Professional MBA is all three in a fixed-hybrid format.

Students take evening, in-person classes in Fall and Spring semesters. Summer sessions are online.

No, the PMBA is not fully online.  Only summer classes are offered remotely. Our fully Online MBA is an option if students are not able to attend in-person.

Yes. The majority (if not all) PMBA students work full-time while attending the program part-time. It is actually preferred that you are working full-time while in the PMBA.

Classes take place in the evenings 2 -3 nights per week. Usually classes are held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. There are no weekend commitments. 

You do not need to take the GMAT or GRE. The PMBA does not require these test scores as a part of admission.

We look for at least two years of significant, post-undergraduate work experience. On average, our students bring 7+ years of professional management experience (such as managing people, budgets, or major accounts). 

Note: Internships, part-time roles, or administrative positions typically do not count toward this specific management requirement.

The PMBA does require you to have management experience. We are looking for at least 2 years of management experience. Examples of qualifying roles include hiring/firing, company-wide training, fiscal management, and/or contract negotiations.

We prefer a 3.0 GPA or higher.  If your GPA in your last two years (60 credits) of study is higher than your overall cumulative GPA, we will use the higher one!

Applicants with a 2.75–3.00 GPA may still be considered for provisional admission.

No, you do not need a bachelor’s degree in business to apply to the PMBA. Our curriculum is designed for students who may or may not have taken business classes in their undergraduate studies.

There are no prerequisite courses to apply to the PMBA. The opening Orientation course has tutorials in Excel, Statistics and Economics to help students come into the program with a basic foundation of a few business topics that are helpful through all classes.

We begin accepting applications in November for the following academic year. We accept applications through July. See the Application Deadlines and Dates table.

• A Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • A GPA of 3.00 or higher is preferred. If your GPA in your last two years (60 credits) of study is higher than your overall cumulative GPA, we will use the higher one!
  • Applicants with a 2.75–3.00 GPA may still be considered for provisional admission.
  • Minimum two years of management experience. 
    • We are looking for significant, full-time management experience overseeing people, budgets, or major customer accounts. Examples of qualifying roles include hiring/firing, company-wide training, fiscal management, and/or contract negotiations.

Boise State offers multiple MBA programs that fit different audiences. The PMBA is for emerging or established leaders in the Treasure Valley looking for an in-person, evening program. Our Online MBA is ideal for early to mid-career professionals who prefer online education and are looking for a program that has emphasis areas. The Full-time MBA is tailored for students who have little or no professional work experience and would like to transition directly from their undergraduate degree to their master degree. Boise State’s Executive MBA caters towards senior leaders with 10+ years of management experience looking for their MBA to continue to advance their career in the C-suites or sharpen their leadership skills if already an executive.

These programs are not the same. They are two distinctly different programs.

These programs vary in applicant qualifications, curriculum, and program delivery.

The cohort and curriculum are both different. The full-time MBA courses are offered during the day, Monday – Thursday. The PMBA courses are offered in the evenings from 6 to 9 PM Monday – Wednesday. The average age for the full-time MBA is approximately 23 years old, with the majority of students coming to graduate school right from their undergraduate studies. The average age for the Professional MBA cohort is 32, with students having more management and career experience.

Graduate students can apply for financial aid. Only unsubsidized federal loans are available to Professional MBA students. Grants or work-study are not available. See our Financial Aid page for more information. 

Students will need to check with their employer to see if they offer tuition reimbursement.

The price varies depending on in-state and out-of-state tuition. The price is also subject to change based on Boise State cost of attendance. On average, the program cost between $27,000 and $41,000. View the table on this page to learn more about the cost of the PMBA program.