McDonough School of Business – Georgetown University
The McDonough School of Business is located on the main Georgetown University campus in Washington D.C. Located at the intersection of business, government, and international relations, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business develops principled leaders with a global mindset to be in service to business and society. Guided by that purpose, the business school produces knowledge and educates leaders to address the most significant challenges and opportunities facing business and society today. In addition to the Full-time MBA program, McDonough also offers Executive and part-time Flex MBA options. Distinguishing aspects of the program include an emphasis on global business, a focus on principled leadership, and support of the school’s Jesuit heritage and values.
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FAQ
What is the tuition for McDonough's MBA program?
The tuition for McDonough’s MBA program is $67,184 per year.
How hard is it to get into McDonough's MBA program?
The acceptance rate for McDonough is 61.8% It is important to consider the acceptance rate in the context of the student profile of those who are admitted. For example the average GMAT score is 696.
What is the average GMAT score for admission to McDonough's MBA program?
The average GMAT score for the incoming class at McDonough is 696. The average GMAT Focus score was reported as 621.
Does the McDonough MBA program accept the GRE?
Yes. The McDonough MBA program has accepted the GRE for a few years now.
What is the average GRE score for admission to McDonough’s MBA program?
The average GRE score for admissions to McDonough's MBA program is 319.
What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to McDonough’s MBA program?
McDonough 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 5.6 years of experience.
What is the average number of years of work experience for admission to McDonough’s MBA program? (or, What is the average age of a McDonough student?)
The average number of years of work experience among students in McDonough’s MBA program is 5.6. The average age of a McDonough MBA student is 29 years.
What is the average starting salary for graduates of the McDonough MBA program?
The average starting salary for McDonough MBA graduates is $146,033. The salary will vary by industry, with consulting and finance jobs generally commanding the higher salaries.
How long is McDonough’s full-time MBA program?
McDonough offers a traditional 2 year MBA program.
What are the application deadlines for McDonough’s MBA program?
The Early Action deadline is September 9, 2024. The Round 1 MBA application deadline is October 1, 2024. The Round 2 application deadline is January 6, 2025. The Round 3 deadline is April 2, 2025.
What percent of McDonough MBA students are women?
The percentage of the class at McDonough that are women is 30%.
What type of interview does McDonough use for MBA admissions?
McDonough offers interviews by invitation. The interviews are resume-based. This means the interviewer has not had access to the application materials.
Admissions
The Class Profile
Of the 1,642 people who applied to the McDonough Class of 2026, 263 ultimately matriculated into the program. Women comprise 30% of the class and 49% are international. Thirty-three percent identify as U.S. minorities, which includes African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American. Fourteen percent identify as underrepresented U.S. minorities.
Georgetown MBAs had an average GPA of 3.3 during their undergraduate years. Twenty-four percent had majored in business and 23 percent in humanities. Fourteen percent earned degrees in math/physical sciences followed by 12 percent in engineering. Another 10 percent had studied government and international studies. Nine percent came from economics.
New members of the Class of 2026 matriculated with an average of 5.6 years of work experience at an average age of 29. Eighteen percent had worked in financial services and 11 percent in consulting. Another 9 percent hailed from the tech & new media industry followed by 8 percent from government work. Five percent came from manufacturing. When it came time to take the GMAT, Georgetown MBAs averaged a score of 696 on the old edition and 621 on the GMAT Focus. For those who took the GRE, the average score was 319.
Application Procedures
Prospective students may apply to McDonough in one of the four admissions rounds, which occur in September, October, January, and April. All complete applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on the deadline day. If offered admission in the Early Action round in September, candidates make a binding agreement to attend McDonough, withdraw competing applications, and may not submit any new applications.
In addition to a completed application form, candidates are asked to submit GMAT, GRE or EA scores (waivers available), one professional recommendation, essays, a résumé, transcripts from all collegiate and post-collegiate institutions attended, and TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores, if applicable. McDonough also requires an application fee of $175. After applications are evaluated, the admissions committee will offer interviews by invitation only. An interview is required for admission into the full-time MBA program.
Application Checklist
- Application Fee of $175
- Application form (online)
- Personal essays (online)
- Professional reference (online)
- Current résumé (online)
- Official GMAT/GRE/EA score
- Official English language proficiency test score (TOEFL/IELTS/PTE), if applicable
- Official transcripts/academic documents
Essay Topic Analysis
Recommendation Questions
Georgetown / McDonough Q&A's
Georgetown / McDonough LiveWire and DecisionWire
Academics
Faculty
Across its six academic areas of focus, the McDonough School of Business employs 104 full-time faculty members, 74 of whom hold tenure or tenure-track positions. Faculty members both teach courses and help staff the school’s 10 research centers and initiatives, which investigate topics ranging from global social enterprise to financial markets and policy.
Curriculum
Professors at McDonough utilize a variety of teaching methods, including case studies and lectures. The McDonough academic calendar runs on a two-semester system, with each semester lasting twelve weeks. Core Courses can last either a full semester, or only last for a six-week module. Elective Modules run for six weeks or half a semester. The fall semester begins in late August and runs until mid-December. Following a three week winter break, the spring semester starts in early January and ends in mid-May; graduation takes place shortly thereafter. There is a brief exam period every six weeks after a module is complete, with career weeks and holiday breaks occurring between modules.
At the start of the program, incoming students complete a three-week-long Opening Term in which they take two courses, Leading Teams for Performance and Impact and Structure of Global Industries. They then spend the year fulfilling the remaining 13 core requirements. The incoming class is divided into cohorts that complete the core curriculum and residences together. The core features foundational business concepts in finance, ac¬counting, statistics, economics, marketing, management and operations. Students may waive certain core courses and opt to take electives in lieu of familiar coursework. In the spring semester of their first year, MBA candidates pursue two electives of their choosing.
During their second year, students must complete an additional 15 electives out of the roughly 70 offered across accounting, finance, management, marketing, operations and analytics, and strategy. McDonough students are not required to declare a major, although there are special initiatives focused on entrepreneurship, global social enterprise and real estate finance in which students can participate. To allow students to gain international exposure, McDonough has created a Global Business Experience program. Beginning in the spring semester of the second year, Global Business Experience requires students to complete classwork and a consulting project for an international organization. Students then travel to the client country to discuss their solutions with senior managers and also present their findings to classmates at the end of the spring semester.
Other MBA Degree Options
Outside of the full-time MBA program, McDonough offers a four-year MBA/JD program with the Georgetown University Law Center and a five-year MBA/MD program with the Georgetown Medical School. Other options include a MBA/MPP program with the McCourt School of Public Policy and a MBA/MSFS program with the School of Foreign Service, both of which take three years to complete.
Part-time offerings include a 24- to 60-month Flex MBA program and a 21-month Executive MBA program. The Flex MBA can be completed online or in a hybrid format.
Special Initiatives
- Entrepreneurship
- Global Business
- Business of Sustainability
- Business and Public Policy
- Consumer Research
- Markets and Ethics
- Financial Markets and Policy
- Global Real Estate
- AI, Analytics, and the Future of Work
- Business for Impact
Degree Offerings at McDonough
Full Time and Flex MBA
https://msb.georgetown.edu/mba/
Executive Education
https://msb.georgetown.edu/executive-mba/
Dual Degrees
JD/MBA, MBA/MD, MBA/MPP, MBA/MSFS
https://msb.georgetown.edu/mba/dual-degree/
Campus Life
Clubs, Conferences & Competitions
McDonough students have many opportunities to become involved in extracurricular activities, with over 40 student organizations to choose from catering to a range of professional and personal interests. For example, many MBA students participate in community service activities through the clubs MBA Volunteers and Net Impact. Meanwhile, students can prepare for potential post-MBA careers by joining clubs such as the Business and Government Alliance, the Georgetown Entertainment and Media Alliance and the Graduate Marketing Association. A popular tradition on campus is the International Festival, hosted each fall by McDonough’s international clubs, which showcases international cultures through dance, music and food. The student government also hosts informal social events on Thursdays, meant to help students relax at the end of the week.
Every year, McDonough’s student organizations run a variety of conferences on campus. Conferences have included, among others, the Georgetown Graduate Women in Business’s annual conference regarding the professional development of businesswomen. McDonough students also participate in a large number of business competitions each year, such as the Georgetown Ventures & Values Pitch Conference and the Venture Capital Investment Competition.
Campus Space
The McDonough School of Business is located in the Rafik B. Hariri Building in the center of Georgetown University’s campus in northwestern Washington, D.C. Opened in 2009, the building includes student lounge spaces and breakout rooms, a 400-seat auditorium, 120 faculty offices, 15 classrooms, 15 conference rooms and nearly a dozen rooms for interview purposes. Due to limited on-campus graduate housing, most MBA graduate students at Georgetown University live off campus, many find housing in the surrounding neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. If admitted, the MBA Admissions team provides a Housing Guide that references neighborhoods and types of communities where current students live.
MBA Careers
Career Services
The MBA Career Center provides McDonough students with a vast array of resources, including career fairs and corporate presentations. The Center also organizes annual treks off campus to allow students to explore industries such as consulting, marketing and real estate, as well as key business regions like Wall Street, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Students can receive additional help with their job searches by pairing with an industry-specific Career Coach to help guide them through the job search process. On-campus interviews for full-time positions begin in early September and run through mid-December, while those for internships begin in early January.
Career Statistics
Roughly 89% of the Class of 2024 seeking employment received a job offer within three months of graduating and 84.3% accepted job offers within that time frame. These newly minted MBAs received an average salary of $146,033 and an average signing bonus of $33,854.
The most popular post-MBA industry was consulting, chosen by 36% of graduates, followed by financial services at 27%. CPG, tech and manufacturing industries each hired 8% of the McDonough MBA class. Five percent entered real estate.
In regards to regional placement, 46% of McDonough MBAs stayed in the Mid-Atlantic region. 24% headed to the Northeast and 7% headed West. The South, Southwest and Midwest U.S. each saw 4% of McDonough graduates.
Financing
The tuition for the 2024-2025 year at McDonough is $67,184. Given other expenses such as fees, housing, travel and books, however, the school estimates that students will pay $106,781 during that time. The MBA program provides students with financial assistance through merit-based scholarships. First-year MBA students are automatically considered for these awards upon admission and do not need to fill out any additional applications. The school notes, however, that applicants who apply to McDonough’s MBA program during the first or second rounds of admission are given priority consideration for scholarships. McDonough offers an array of loan options to students, with federal loans available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents and private loans. Students interested in private loans are encouraged to compare lenders through ELM Select, including international students with a U.S. citizen co-signer. McDonough also offers research and teaching assistantship opportunities to graduate students.
Cost of Attendance
- Tuition & Fees $71,079
- Avg. Living Allowance $26,826
- Avg. Books $2,646
- Avg. Travel $3,130
- Federal Direct Loan Fees $3,100
- Total $106,781
Recent News
Contact
Mailing Address:
Georgetown University
McDonough School of Business
Full-time MBA Admissions Office
Rafik B. Hariri Building, Suite 390
3700 O Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20057
Phone: 202-687-4200
Email: [email protected]
Web: msb.georgetown.edu/programs/MBA
Blog: http://msbgumba.tumblr.com/
X (Twitter): @msbgu