MSBA Frequently Asked Questions

The application deadline may be found here: Graduate Program Application Deadline. Applications received after the priority deadline will have higher application fees. Those fees can be found here: Application Fee

Unfortunately WSU does not provide application fee waivers.

International students may be eligible to work off-campus after they have attended WSU for 1 fall and spring semester. F-1 international students must be authorized for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) when participating in off-campus internships or cooperative education experiences. After graduation, students in STEM designated programs are eligible for up to 3 years of Optional Practical Training (OPT) in which they may work in the U.S. in a related field. CPT is done while the student is still working toward program completion. Optional Practical Training (OPT) is done after graduation. lease note, graduate students in thesis/project/dissertation programs are no longer eligible for CPT once they’ve completed all coursework and have only their terminal activity remaining to graduate. They are eligible to apply for OPT.

There isn’t a limit to the number of co-op or internship courses an F-1 student can take, but there are certain consequences to future practical training eligibility based on how much CPT is utilized. A student who has participated in a full year (365 days) of full-time CPT is no longer eligible for OPT after graduation. It is rare for students to come close to this limit because full-time CPT is generally only allowed during the summer and semester break.

Additional information on F-1 employment options may be found here. Students are welcome to call the Office of International Education with further questions at 316-978-3232.

Wichita State University does not discriminate in its employment practices, or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a veteran. For additional information please go to: Policies Related to Discrimination

We do not require a transcript/degree evaluation to be completed prior to applying to the program. We have software built into the application system that will evaluate your degree for you. If you have questions related to the length of your degree program being equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, you can contact Jordan.Oleson@wichita.edu for additional guidance.

Unfortunately the analytics program does not offer fellowships or graduate assistantships along with admission. If you are interested in working as a graduate assistant in the business school, you can email a copy of your resume and cover letter to grad.business@wichita.edu to keep on file. If positions become available, your resume may be shared with faculty in the Barton School for consideration. Once admitted, you may also check Wichita State’s Handshake website for jobs available on campus. More information on that may be found here: Handshake

Wichita State offers a variety of graduate certificates that may be earned in conjunction with, or independent from, a master’s degree. *Please note that international students are not eligible to solely pursue a graduate certificate, as they are considered non-degree bound programs. Students interested in pursuing a certificate while enrolled in their master’s program may apply to earn the certificate here: Declaration of Intent to Pursue a Graduate Certificate. There is not an additional cost associated with applying to the certificate program while enrolled as a master’s student. All graduate certificates in business may be viewed here: Graduate Certificates

For GRE/GMAT requirements please visit : WSU Catalog

Students may find information on campus housing here. Students who wish to live off-campus may want connect with other graduate students to save on housing costs. The Indian Student Association is one good resource to connect with to potentially find roommates interested in living off-campus. More information on that student organization may be found here: Indian Student Association (ISA)

Language exams are typically required of international students. Language exams may be waived for students who have attended college in the U.S. as a full-time student for a minimum of one year. Enrollment must have been in academic-only coursework (no English language training courses) and must have resulted in a 3.0 GPA or higher. This coursework must have been completed within 2 years of the proposed semester of admission at WSU. Waivers may also be given if a bachelor’s or graduate degree was awarded from a U.S./UK/Canadian/New Zealand university within 2 years of the proposed semester of admission at WSU. If this criterion does not apply to you, we will need to have a language exam score to consider you for admission. The following scores are required for analytics students: TOEFL (iBT) – 79, TOEFL (PBT) – 550, IELTS – 6.5 overall band score, PTE Academic – 58, Duolingo English Test – 115.

Students should not come to the United States to take the language exam test. Students can apply to the intensive English program at Wichita State. Conditional admittance will not be granted in a master’s program prior to enrolling in an Intensive English program if needed.

Many, if not most, of our foreign students are educated (at least at the college level) in English. However, we find that the experience of being educated in English vs. living in a country where the native language is English, to be very different. To ensure the success of our graduate students, we require demonstration of high level of proficiency in English

The length of the program will depend on a variety of factors. The number of prep courses you will need, as well as the amount of hours you plan to work while in the program will impact the time to degree. The program requires 30 credit hours, but up to 15 additional hours of prep courses may be required if you have not taken them as an undergraduate student. The prep courses that are required if you have not taken them already may be found here: Degree Requirements If you work full-time (40 hours a week), we recommend that you take 6 credit hours a semester part-time. If you work part-time (20 hours a week), we recommend that you take 9 credit hours a semester. If you don’t work at all while you are in school, you could take up to 12 credit hours a semester. The program is comprised of 30 credit hours, with up to 15 possible prep course hours in addition. You can take the total number of credit hours that you will need in the program, divided by the number of credit hours you are planning to take each semester to see how long the program will take you.

Utilizing data and statistical methods, business analytics assists with developing new insights into business performance. The MS in Business Analytics is a STEM designated and interdisciplinary degree with courses taught across fields in business, economics, computer science, mathematics and statistics. The program is offered in person. There are 2 tracks in the program – Management or Data Science. Business analytics is a growing field with a good job outlook. Analytics seems to be utilized in nearly every field now and may help expand your skillset.

You may find our prerequisite courses that are required for the analytics program outlined here: MSBA Degree Requirements . If you do not have these at the undergraduate level they may be taken with us here at Wichita State. The program coordinator will review your plan of study with you upon admission and she can let you know if any of these courses would be waived based on your related professional experience at that time.

The Master’s of Science in Business Analytics program is Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) designated. STEM designated programs come with up to 3 years of Optional Practical Training (OPT), which may allow international students the opportunity to work in the U.S. for a longer period of time after graduation.

The MS in Business Analytics with Management Track focuses on developing capabilities and mastery in leading analytics initiatives. The Data Science track aims to impart mastery in use of innovative tools and techniques in data analytics.

You can apply to the graduate program with unofficial copies of your transcripts. We will need the official copies after you have been admitted. The graduate school will send you instructions on how to send or bring them to WSU after you are admitted. We do not need you to have your transcripts evaluated for us by an outside company. The application portal has a program built in that will evaluate your transcripts for us. We do need copies of your transcripts in English, however. Your undergraduate institution should be able to assist you with this.

WSU Tuition and Fees may be found here: Tuition and Fees

Students who have 3.3 or higher GPA when they apply will automatically qualify for a Global Select Scholarship. This scholarship significantly reduces the hourly tuition rate that students pay.

Please note that the total amount you pay may vary, depending on how many semesters you take to complete the program. The amounts outlined above also do not include the cost of living or textbooks. You can use the Net Price Calculator to determine these costs for your individual situation here: Financial Aid/Net Price.