Executive MBA | Application Process

Applicants are required to respond to essay prompts 1 and 2. The essay questions give you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee and to provide insight into your experiences, goals, and thought processes. Your essays should be written entirely by you. There is an optional essay if you wish to provide additional information. 

All essays have a 500 word limit, double spaced. Word limits apply to the total essay question. For example, your response to Essay 2 should answer all parts. 

1. Describe your short- and long-term career goals and how the Stern Executive MBA program will help you accomplish them. 

2. Stern is committed to helping students develop a deeper set of professional skills, and a broader perspective of the role of business in the world. 

a) What is a significant contemporary issue on which you, as a business leader, would like to have an impact? 

b) Why is it important to you? 

c) How could you leverage your skills and resources to address the issue? 

3. Additional Information (Optional) - Provide any additional information for the Admissions Committee. This may include additional details on your academic/quantitative preparation for MBA coursework through educational or professional experience, further explanation of academic history, current or past gaps in employment, or any other information relevant to your application.

Transcripts are required for all institutions from which the applicant has earned a degree (undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D., M.D., J.D., etc.). Use this section of the application to self-report academic transcripts for every undergraduate and graduate institution you have attended, full-time or part-time. Transcripts are not required for non-degree coursework. However, transcripts from non-degree courses should be submitted if you would like the Admissions Committee to consider the coursework when reviewing your candidacy. 

Each transcript must contain a list of courses taken, grades, or marks earned, and name of degree earned. All transcripts must be accompanied by proof of degree conferral. The degree conferral must indicate the: 

• type of degree conferred 
• month and year the degree was conferred 
• institution and location from which you received the degree 

If this information is reflected on your transcript, then you do not need to provide additional degree conferral documentation. In many cases, an uploaded scan of your diploma provides proof of degree conferral. 

You have three options for providing your transcript(s): 

1. Scan and upload a copy of each transcript in the online formal application 
2. Release your electronic-official transcript(s) directly from the university to our team at executive@stern.nyu.edu 
3. Mail an official copy of each transcript directly to the Executive MBA Admissions office 

Official Transcript Requirements 

All enrolled students will be required to submit an official transcript from each academic institution at which they earned a degree. Official transcripts may be submitted at any time during the application process. All official academic transcripts must be original documents bearing the institutional seal and signature of the institution’s registrar. They must be submitted in the original, sealed envelope from the institution or the embassy or consulate providing verification of authenticity. If you cannot obtain transcripts directly from the institution but you possess an original transcript, you may submit photocopies that have been verified by the embassy or consulate of the institution’s country. Certifications by a Notary Public are not acceptable. 

Your official and self-reported transcripts may be verified. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission at any time, prior to or after enrolling, if there is any discrepancy between the unofficial transcript and the official transcript. 

It is preferred that your official transcript(s) be released electronically directly from the university to our team at executive@stern.nyu.edu. If your official transcript(s) cannot be released electronically, you can send by mail to the address below and we will retrieve it once an Admissions Team member is in the office. For mailing, we recommend using a shipment method that can be tracked. 

NYU Stern School of Business 

Executive MBA Program 

44 West 4th Street, Suite 4-100 

New York, NY 10012-1126 

Additional Requirements for Transcripts not in English 

If an original transcript is not in English, the applicant is required to submit both the official transcript and its English translation. Both the official transcript and the translation should be submitted in one sealed envelope. If the institution attended does not provide an English translation with the official transcript, a certified English translation through a translating service must be obtained and submitted in a sealed envelope, endorsed across the seal by the translating service. Stern does not have preferred translating services. Certifications by a Notary Public are not acceptable. 

If a diploma/degree conferral is not in English, the applicant is required to submit a photocopy of the original and its English translation, following the guidelines above for transcripts not in English. 

Important Notes about Transcripts 

Stern does not accept notarized or personal copies of transcripts. 

All transcripts submitted as part of the Executive MBA application process are considered property of Executive MBA Admissions. They will not be returned, transferred or forwarded to other institutions or other programs or schools at NYU. Please do not submit the original copy of an academic transcript that cannot be replaced. These transcripts will not be returned to you.

Two recommendations are required: 

• One must be completed by your current supervisor. 
• One must be completed by a previous supervisor or a current colleague. 

Both recommendations must be professional. Academic recommendations will not be accepted by the Admissions Committee. Recommendations should be submitted online using the form in the application portal. 

If a recommendation from your current supervisor cannot be included, you must provide a recommendation from your most recent supervisor and provide an explanation in optional Essay 3.

A member of the Admissions team will contact you to schedule an interview once you've submitted a pre-assessment and it has been reviewed by the Admissions Committee. 

The interview is formal and evaluative and a required component of the formal application. The interview is designed to provide you with more information about the Executive MBA program, give you an opportunity to ask questions, and to determine whether our program is a good fit for you. The Admissions Director will ask you questions about your academics, professional background, career goals, and interest in joining the EMBA program.

The Organization Sponsorship Form is an optional component of the application, which means it is not required to submit with your formal application. The form summarizes the time commitment required for the program, so it may be used as a tool to have a conversation with your employer around time and financial sponsorship. 

Download the Organization Sponsorship Form below: 

Executive MBA in NY Sponsorship Form 

If you would like to submit the Organization Sponsorship Form with your application, you may upload it in the application or email it to the Admissions Office.

The Stern Executive MBA program does not require GMAT, GRE or Executive Assessment scores to complete the Formal Application. However, if elsewhere you have not demonstrated sufficient academic or quantitative ability, you may wish to consider submitting GMAT, GRE or Executive Assessment scores. 

If you choose to submit GMAT, GRE or Executive Assessment scores, they must be dated within five years of the final application deadline of the desired program entry date. 

You are responsible for ensuring that Pearson VUE or Educational Testing Services is able to release and send your official score report to the Stern Executive MBA program by the application deadline. To send your official scores to the Stern Executive MBA program, you will need to provide each testing service with Stern’s Executive MBA reporting code. Stern’s Executive MBA GMAT and Executive Assessment reporting code is 5TF-HW-50. Stern’s Executive MBA GRE reporting code is 4894.

$175 processing fee payable online by credit card. 

Members of the U.S. military and U.S. military veterans who have served on active duty are eligible for an application fee waiver. Email your request for a fee waiver to executive@stern.nyu.edu and include documentation of service.  You will receive an email confirmation of your application fee waiver within 5 business days of submission. Please do not submit your formal application until you receive this confirmation from our office. 

If you are experiencing severe economic hardship and would like to request an application fee waiver, please email executive@stern.nyu.edu. Requests should include a detailed rationale for the application fee waiver and will be considered by the Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis.