Foster School of Business – University of Washington

FAQ

What is the tuition for Foster's MBA program?

The tuition for Foster’s MBA program is $36,759 per year for Washington residents, and $53,601 for non-residents.

What is the average GMAT score for admission to Foster's MBA program?

The average GMAT score for the incoming class at Foster is 704.

Does the Foster MBA program accept the GRE?

Yes. The Foster MBA program has accepted the GRE for a few years now.

What is the average GRE score for admission to Foster's MBA program?

The Foster MBA average GRE scores are 161 Verbal and 160 Quantitative.

What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to Foster's MBA program?

Foster does not state a minimum requirement for years of work experience. However, it is important for candidates to be aware that they are being considered against other candidates with an average of 6 years of experience.

What is the average number of years of work experience for admission to Foster's MBA program? (or, What is the average age of a Foster student?)

The average number of years of work experience among students in Foster's MBA program is 6. The average age of a Foster MBA student is 29 years.

What is the average starting salary for graduates of the Foster MBA program?

The average starting salary for Foster MBA graduates ranges from $106,667 to $137,518 depending on industry choice. The salary will vary by industry, with consulting and finance jobs generally commanding the higher salaries.

How long is Foster's full-time MBA program?

Foster offers a traditional 2 year MBA program.

What are the application deadlines for Foster's full-time MBA program?

The Round 1 MBA application deadline is October 4, 2022. The Round 2 application deadline is January 3, 2023. The Round 3 deadline is March 14, 2023.

What percent of Foster MBA students are women?

The percentage of the class at Foster that are women is 40%.

What type of interview does Foster use for MBA admissions?

All applicants to the Full-time MBA program must submit a video interview as part of their application. Competitive applicants will be invited to a one-on-one interview with an admissions counselor.

VIDEOS

Admissions

Class Profile

The full-time MBA Class for 2023 has a size of 126 students. On average, students are 29 and have six years of work experience. The class is 40% female, and international students also make up 40% of the student population. The average GMAT for this class was 704 with undergraduate GPAs averaging 3.42.

A third of the class had majored in engineering during their undergraduate years. Seventeen percent each had studied business or humanities. Twelve percent earned degrees in math and science. Economics was pursued by 9% of the class during undergrad. Six percent each had studied the social sciences or computer science.

Application Procedures

Applicants are required to hold a U.S. bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent). GMAT or GRE scores are required for all applicants. If the GMAT is taken multiple times, the Foster admissions committee will accept the highest score; however, GMAT scores are only valid for five years, and the test must be taken by the admissions deadline. If necessary, students should submit evidence of English language proficiency via TOEFL scores.

The completed application includes an online application, two required essays, a résumé, two letters of recommendation, all prior transcripts, an official GMAT or GRE score report, a video interview, and an $85 application fee. Work experience is preferred, but not necessary to apply for the full-time MBA. Once a student’s application is received, the candidate may be invited to complete an admissions interview via video or in-person.

Application Checklist

• Online Application Profile
• Essays
• Résumé
• Letters of Recommendation
• Official GMAT or GRE Scores
• Undergraduate transcripts
• Proof of English Language Proficiency
• Video Interview
• Application Fee ($85)

Interview Reports

Washington / Foster MBA Interview Questions: Round 1 / Adcom / On-Campus

The following Washington / Foster MBA interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! Fairly straight forward interview procedure. Interview was in the office of the admissions officer, scheduled for 1 hour, actual interview lasted 50 minutes. Questions were as follows: 1. Walk me through your professional career. 2. […]

Washington / Foster MBA Interview Questions: Round 1 / Adcom / Skype

The following Washington / Foster MBA interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! I interviewed with an Admissions Director over Skype. The interview started on time and lasted about 35 minutes. Here are some questions I was asked: 1. Walk me through your résumé after graduating from […]

Foster Q&As

Admissions Director Q&A: Wendy Guild, Ph.D., of University of Washington Foster School of Business

This edition of our Admissions Director Q&A takes us to Seattle to hear all about the University of Washington Foster School of Business from Assistant Dean of MBA Programs, Wendy Guild, Ph.D. At Foster, Wendy’s administrative work reflects her longstanding commitment to student development through her collaborative strategic leadership of advertising, marketing, recruitment, admissions, curriculum, […]

Admissions Director Q&A: Amber Janke of The University of Washington Foster School of Business

Rolling along with our Admissions Director Q&A series, we hear from Amber Janke, Director of Full-time and Evening MBA Admissions at the Foster School of Business of the University of Washington. Amber has pursued a career in higher education for the past 15+ years, working with faculty and student affairs at universities in California and […]

Admissions Director Q&A: Amber Janke of the University of Washington Foster School of Business

In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we hear from Amber Janke, the Director of Full-time and Evening MBA Admissions at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington. Amber has pursued a career in higher education for the past 15+ years, working with faculty and student affairs at universities in California and […]

U. Washington / Foster LiveWire and DecisionWire

Academics

Faculty

Foster has 83 faculty members, and 45% of the professors and lecturers participate in the review process at top academic journals. Their work has been included in publications such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Social Psychology and Personality Science, and the Journal of Consumer Psychology. Professors are spread across five academic departments: accounting, finance & business economics, information systems & operations management, management & organization, and marketing & international business.

Curriculum

Over the course of 20 months, the full-time MBA students at the Foster School of Business take both core and elective coursework to complete their degree. The courses are offered on campus during the day. In the first year, students take three core courses, which are comprised of in-depth modules across a variety of topics. The Autumn Quarter includes 16 credits with topics ranging from financial reporting and analysis to marketing strategy. The Winter Quarter is comprised of 14 credits and includes a business consulting project, statistics, leadership and strategy coursework. The first year concludes in the Spring Quarter, which has eight credits of coursework, covering decision making and operations management. During this quarter, students can also take up to eight credits of electives.  Second-year students take two core courses covering ethics and global economic conditions as well as a variety of electives. Eleven four-credit elective courses are required for the completion of the program, and they may cover topics in business economics, entrepreneurship, and operations management.

In addition, students must participate in experiential learning. They can do so by joining a community board of directors, taking part in an international consulting project, or completing a fellowship. Students must compete in the MBA Core Case Competition or a business plan competition to test their skills against other top competitors. Lastly, students may take on a full-time, paid internship during the summer between the first and second years of classes.

Other MBA Degree Options

In addition to the full-time MBA, Foster offers part-time and executive options. The Evening MBA takes three years to complete and students take courses on a part-time basis in the evenings. Core courses take place on Mondays and Wednesdays, whereas electives are offered once a week from Mondays through Thursdays. The Evening MBA enrolls around 125 students per year, while around 65 professionals matriculate in the executive MBA. The Foster Executive MBA program takes 21 months and 68 credits to complete. Two schedule options are available to compensate students’ professional lives and geographic placement. The North America classes meet once per month for four consecutive days (Wednesday through Saturday). Online academic sessions, as well as virtual study team meetings, support these meetings. The regional program meets once per week on alternating Fridays and Saturdays (occasionally consecutive Fridays and Saturdays) and offers weekly study team meetings and on-campus tutoring sessions. The Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) at the Foster School of Business takes 12 months to complete. The cohort-based program is geared toward professionals looking to continue or to start working internationally. Meanwhile, the Technology Management MBA (TTMBA) is designed for technology professionals and entrepreneurs to learn relevant business management techniques. Courses cover topics such as negotiations, microeconomics, and decision modeling. With evening and weekend classes, the TTMBA is geared toward students who are also working full time. Finally, the Foster Hybrid MBA is mostly completed online with quarterly in-person sessions. This two-year program is designed for working parents, traveling or young professionals and is taught by the full-time MBA faculty.

Core Courses at Foster

Year One

Financial Reporting and Analysis
Managerial Finance
Leadership Development
Building Effective Teams
Marketing Strategy
Micro-Economics of Competition and Strategy
Applied Strategy: Business Consulting Project
Statistics for Business Decisions
Leading Teams and Organizations
Competitive & Corporate Strategy
Information for Decision Making and Performance Evaluation
Operation and Supply Chain Management
Decision Support Models

Year Two

Ethical Leadership & Decision Making
Analysis of Global Economic Conditions

Degree Offerings at Foster

Full-time MBA

http://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/full-time-mba/

Evening MBA

http://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/evening-mba/

Executive MBA

http://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/executive-mba/

Technology Executive MBA

http://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/technology-management-mba/

Global Executive MBA

http://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/global-executive-mba/

Hybrid MBA (Online)

http://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/hybrid-mba/

Joint Degree Programs

MBA/JD, MBA/MHA, MBA/MPAcc, MBA/MAIS (International, Japan or Korean Studies)

http://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/full-time-mba/curriculum/certificates-concurrent-degrees/

Campus Life

Clubs and Competitions

Foster MBA students may choose among the school’s 22 student clubs as a member of the MBA Association. Clubs are broken into groups including functional, industry, diversity, interest and extracurricular. There are a handful of functional clubs that support such disciplines as consulting, marketing, operations, finance and strategy. Industry clubs explore entrepreneurship, technology, healthcare, outdoor sports and interactive entertainment, among other areas. Diversity in Business and Foster Veterans Association are among the handful of diversity clubs. The MBA Challenge for Charity, which is in its 37th year, along with Net Impact, give Foster students the opportunity to give back to their community and affect transformational change. Finally, students’ partners can socialize through the Blue Dot club, while other extracurricular clubs center around Husky football and creativity.

On campus, Foster offers two business competitions: MBA Core Case Competition and the Dempsey Startup Competition. The former is required for first-year students, who participate in a practice case in the winter and then a final “live” case. Industry leaders judge the presentations based on criteria such as recommendations and clarity. Meanwhile, the Dempsey Startup Competition is hosted by the Arthur W. Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, and teams compete for $80,000 in prize funds. The goal of the competition is to develop a new business, and teams may secure further funding after the competition through the Jones + Foster Accelerator.

Campus Spaces

Five of the school’s buildings are located in Seattle, Washington: Dempsey Hall, PACCAR Hall, the Bank of America Executive Center, the Foster Business Library, and Mackenzie Hall. The Eastside Executive Center is located in Kirkland, Washington, and houses the Technology Management MBA. Dempsey Hall is the newest addition to the campus and houses the dean’s office, MBA and undergraduate offices, the Center for Entrepreneurship and several classrooms. PACCAR Hall is a little over twice the size of Dempsey Hall at 135,000 square feet. PACCAR Hall is home to several classrooms, meeting spaces, a large auditorium and faculty offices.

MBA Careers

Career Services

The MBA Career Management provides many ways for students to develop professionally during their time at the school. Offerings include career coaching, online resources, advisory boards, networking events, a mentor program, and peer advisors for students in their second year. In addition, students can participate in mock interviews, résumé reviews, and career advising. 

Career Statistics

Technology remained the most popular industry choice for the latest class, as 45% of 2021 graduates entered the field. Consulting was a distant second, claiming 24% of 2021 graduates. While financial services tends to be a popular field for MBA students, only 4% of Foster MBAs joined the industry–the same percentage entered manufacturing or retail. Healthcare hired 13% of the latest class. Sixty-four percent of the Class of 2021 stayed in the Washington State area while 35% settled outside the area. One percent headed abroad for work.

Financing

For the 2021-2022 academic year, tuition and fees total $36,759 for Washington residents, and $53,601 for non-residents. For the 20 months and six quarters it would take to complete the full-time MBA, this translates to $73,518 for residents and $107,202 for non-residents in tuition and fees. Expenses, such as room and board, books, transportation and miscellaneous personal items, add to the cost of attendance each year. Foster estimates approximately $21,248 for room and board for a one bedroom, solo occupied apartment over the course of 12 months. The MBA Association Membership Dues and MBA Club Dues are covered with one-time payments of $415 and $200, respectively. These expenses, and others including healthcare and personal miscellaneous ones, yield costs of attendance of $73,518 (Resident); $107,202 (Non-Resident); $107,202 (International on visa) per year.

Program Tuition (first year)

Tuition and Fees

Resident $36,759

Non-resident $53,601

Room & Board $21,248

Books and Supplies  $1,500

Local Transportation $1,728

Personal Expenses $3,020

MBA Association Memb. Dues $300

MBA Club Dues $200

Health  $2,500

Int’l Student Visa Fee (per quarter) $45

Totals

Resident $73,518 

Non-resident $107,202

International $107,202

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