Master of Arts with a major in International Business Home

There are both time and financial benefits to doing the Combined option. A student taking MAIB courses while still an undergraduate can 'double count' up to 12 graduate credits toward both the Bachelor's degree and the Master's degree. Students must get approval from their undergraduate department to 'double count' graduate courses toward their undergraduate degree.

Cost Benefits

If you receive Florida Bright Futures, Florida Prepaid or most other undergraduate scholarships, these scholarships will cover a portion of your graduate tuition while you are still an undergraduate. The scholarship will pay the graduate tuition at the undergraduate rate, and you must compensate for the difference between the undergraduate and graduate rates.

For example, if a student "double counts" 12 credits between Bachelor's & Master's degrees and takes an additional 9 credits that only count toward Master's degree, a student can save up to $4,664!

• $2,017 savings for 12 undergraduate credits (based on Fall 2010 tuition fees) that he or she did not need to take because they were substituted with grad business courses
• $2,646 savings if the student is receiving FL Bright Futures and takes 21 graduate business credits ($126 X 21) still an undergraduate.

Time Benefits

Depending on how many credits you earn during your senior year, you could potentially earn your Master's degree in the semester following your Bachelor's graduation. If students complete the maximum of 21 credits while they are undergraduate students, they would only need to complete 9 additional credits to earn their M.A. degree! That could be done in one semester.

The Combined option is considered to be a type of "honors" path for high-performing University of Florida students, thus we are more selective for this option than we are for non-Combined MAIB admission. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Thus, it is important for you to fully apply to the Combined option several months in advance of your desired start date. Most students apply in the final semester of their Junior year.

Combined students are permitted to begin MAIB courses in the Summer B, Fall or Spring terms, and we allow overlap of the Bachelor and Master phases for just one semester, for two semesters, or for a full year if a summer term is completed.

Combined Specific Requirements

• 3.2 cumulative GPA and an above average score on the GMAT or GRE.
• Students must have completed 90 credit hours, including AP, IB and dual enrollment, before beginning the program.
• Students who major in a business subject (general business, finance, marketing, etc.) MUST complete all seven pre-professional courses before beginning the MAIB program (see details below).
• Students must receive a grade of B or better on all graduate courses taken before the Bachelor's degree is earned.
• Admission to the MAIB Combined option does not constitute admission to the UF Graduate School. To continue with the MAIB program after earning the Bachelor’s degree, combined students must meet the Graduate School’s admissions requirements (see below).

Deadlines

We allow admitted Combined MAIB students to start MAIB courses in any of the terms below.

Application Deadlines

Term	Deadline	Applicant can expect response by:	Admitted applicants must reply and submit professional development fee by:
Spring (January)
Combined Deadline	Nov 1	Nov 15	Dec 1
Summer B (late June)
Combined Deadline	May 1	Jun 1	Jun 15
Fall (late August)
Deadline	Jun 15	Jul 1	Jul 15

Application Materials

The minimum materials required to apply for the program are as follows:

• Combined Application Notice

  Please complete the Combined Application Notice form online.

• Statement of Purpose Essay

  The essay should be completed as part of the online application or emailed (jeff.alfred at warrington.ufl.edu) to us. Please emphasize:

  • Your motivations for applying to the MAIB program
  • Why you think you are a good candidate for MAIB
  • How the MAIB program fits into your future goals

  Use the essay as an opportunity to highlight what you think we cannot assess from the other application materials. This is also the place you may wish to clarify or elaborate on something specific within your application package.

  Ideal length is between 400-600 words. Maximum length is 800 words (about 2 pages double spaced).

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)

  A typical business resume is kept to one page, however, for admissions purposes we encourage applicants to not limit their resume to one page. Since we rarely interview applicants, it is important for us to get a complete picture of each individual to determine if MAIB is a good match for them. Please elaborate on duties and responsibilities, as well as leadership activities and time commitments outside of the classroom.

  Please email (jeff.alfred at warrington.ufl.edu) your resume as an attachment.

• Two letters of recommendation

  A minimum of two written recommendations highlighting your talents and personality based on your academics, volunteer work, campus and community involvement, research background, or work/internship history. We prefer to receive recommendation letters via email, but we also happily accept paper-based recommendations if your recommender prefers that method. Recommendation letters should be from supervisors (e.g. professors, employers, advisors, volunteer coordinators, etc.).

• Official transcripts

  Official undergraduate transcripts from all institutions attended are required. Students who have received or will receive a Bachelor's degree from the University of Florida (UF) do not need to send transcripts since the MAIB Office has access to UF transcripts.

• Official GRE/GMAT score

  The MAIB program accepts either GRE or GMAT test scores. We have no preference as to what test applicants choose to take. Given the diverse applicant pool, this flexibility allows students to select a test that best fits their testing strengths and future academic goals. For example, applicants who plan to attend an MBA program in the next 5 years may select the GMAT while those who plan to pursue further graduate education can take the GRE.

  Review the Frequently Asked Questions about the GRE Revised General Test for more information on this delay.

  It is in the applicant's best interest to plan ahead in order to prepare for and schedule a test. The test scores are good for five years, so don't hesitate and take it long before you plan to apply. When scheduling the test, keep in mind that you have to wait 30 days before retaking the test. You may want to take the test early enough so that you have the opportunity to retake it if you do not do well.

  GRE: UF does not mandate minimum GRE scores. GRE test scores will be used in the context of a holistic credential review process. Below are the test score ranges which are considered good (verbal and quantitative sections). Scores below or above this range are considered weak or excellent, respectively.

  • GRE (score before August 1, 2011) = 1100 - 1200
  • GRE (score after August 1, 2011) = 302- 308”

  Use code: UF: 5812

  For currently enrolled UF students, the UF Teaching Center and Reading & Writing Center offer GRE preparation workshops each semester. Past workshops have included an overview of the test, best practices, and practice tests. Students with workbooks can also contact them for more information on walk-in or individual tutoring. Please visit their websites for more information: Teaching Center and Reading & Writing Center.

  For more information on the GRE please visit Educational Testing Service (GRE).

  GMAT: There is a minimum required score for the GMAT, and that is a 465 total (verbal + quantitative). A score between 550- 620 is considered good for the GMAT.

  Use code: J7Z-5J-64

  For more information on the GMAT, please visit Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

Upon receiving application materials, the MAIB office will send one email regarding the status of your application. Further correspondence must be initiated by the applicant.

Graduate Admission Requirements

(To be completed in your bachelor’s degree graduating term with your MAIB advisor)

Admission to the MAIB Combined Option does not constitute admission to the UF Graduate School. To continue with the MAIB program after earning the Bachelor’s degree, combined students must meet the Graduate School’s admissions requirements. To be eligible for graduate admission, students must:

• Earn a Bachelor’s degree with a grade point average of 3.0 or above
• Complete the online graduate admission application and pay the application fee by posted deadline
  • The graduate admission application should be completed AFTER the bachelor’s degree application has been submitted.
• Have no conduct flags that disqualify them from graduate admission
• Submit valid test scores that meet the MAIB program and Graduate School’s minimum requirement (note: test scores are only valid for 5 years)
• Submit all required combined degree paperwork by posted deadlines
• Earn at least a “B” or better in any graduate course in order for it to count toward their Master’s degree.

Double Counting Courses

Students wishing to double count courses to both their Bachelor's and Master's degrees use graduate courses to substitute for undergraduate major requirements, restricted elective requirements and general elective requirements.

To get an idea about the options you have in substituting graduate courses for undergraduate degree requirements, please read the list of approved substitutions. This list, including approved substitutions and course scheduling, is subject to change at any time! Accepted combined students are advised to enroll in the undergraduate course they are trying to substitute during regular registration and only drop it once they have successfully registered for the graduate course equivalents.

Each student accepted to the program will sit down with an MAIB advisor to develop timelines of their courses. Some example timelines:

• Business Administration example timeline
• Management example timeline
• Finance example timeline

Timeline & Planning Ahead

We only permit undergraduate students to begin our MAIB coursework after they have completed at least 90 credit hours, including AP, IB and dual enrollment credits in pursuit of the Bachelor's degree. Furthermore, you must have fully applied to the MAIB program and received an offer of admission. To plan ahead, the ideal time to apply to the MAIB Combined option is in the middle of or late in your Junior year.

Undergraduates with a major in a business subject (general business, finance, marketing, etc.) MUST complete all seven pre-professional courses in the term before beginning the program. To review these courses please visit: Universal Tracking

It is also strongly recommended that ALL general education and Gordon rule requirements have been completed as well so you can fully focus on completing your major requirements and being successful in the MAIB courses.

• For information on general education requirements, please visit University Requirements - General Education (Gen Ed)
• For information on Gordon rule requirements, please visit Writing and math Requirement (Gordon Rule)