Admissions

Pre-MBA Checklist

Your first semester at Tippie may mark a return to school after several years away from the books. Before classes begin, we recommend that you refresh your skills and get a head start on learning new information. At the same time, you can get ready for your internship and job search by taking care of a couple of MBA Career Services tasks. See below for more information.

The Tippie MBA is very quantitative in its approach to solving business problems and you will use computers extensively. For these reasons, it is important that your skills are current in basic tools for business analysis.

MBA Career Services

The staff of MBA Career Services is eager to partner with you in identifying and preparing for the next step in your professional development. Click here to learn more about what to do before you arrive on campus.

Accounting, Finance, Quantitative Skills, and Statistics: MBA Math

Tippie offers a robust core curriculum designed to develop a solid foundation within each student. Many incoming students have expressed a need for math review before they arrive on campus. Every student admitted for fall 2009 will be required to complete an online pre-MBA prep program, MBA Math. The program offers introductory lessons in finance, economics, statistics, and accounting. Basic functions of Microsoft Excel are also covered.

Writing Skills

Equally important to your success is the ability to communicate your analyses clearly. If you are unfamiliar with standard business communication formats, you may wish to review this material. Two excellent references are The Business Writer's Handbook by Charles T. Brusaw and The AMA Style Guide for Business Writing. Both books are widely available at major bookstores or may be purchased through online bookstores. International students who are not familiar with American standards or formats for business communications are strongly advised to review one of the above references.

Computing Skills

You will develop your computer skills as part of your course work in your MBA program. While you will receive instructions on specific technical software, it will be very helpful if you are familiar with word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software when classes begin. You will use Microsoft Office products throughout your MBA study. If you need instruction on this software, you may either attend classes or workshops in your area or purchase one of the many excellent self-study guides that are available.

The Tippie School of Management does not require students to purchase a computer. However, many students find it convenient to own a computer. A computer lab in the Pappajohn Business Building that is primarily for MBA student use provides access to computers during day and evening hours. In addition, laptop computers may be checked out from the Pomerantz Business library in the Pappajohn Business Building.

View recommended computer specifications and further information on computing resources. This page is also printed in the admission binder sent to admitted students.