MBA Program

The Stanford Graduate School of Business does not set out to make MBAs. Instead, we create an environment that transforms the brightest and most passionate people in the world.

At Stanford, we launch you into a career with impact and a life of meaning.

Here's how we do it...

Critical, Analytical Thinking

We help you understand what makes a strong, logical argument. Here, you practice different ways of thinking and hone your oral and written communication of analysis. You learn persuasion and criticism.

Every MBA student takes the Critical Analytical Thinking (CAT) seminar, which focuses exclusively on building these skills. CAT transcends any discipline or function of management. CATenhances your ability to identify critical questions when exploring a new business issue, to parse issues, to develop reasoned positions, and to make compelling arguments.

Personal Leadership Development

If you can’t lead people, you limit your impact.

Since 1966, we’ve taught a course calledInterpersonal Dynamics—known as Touchy Feely at the GSB—that builds awareness of how you affect others.

You learn how you function in small groups and how you relate to others from frequent, candid feedback and reactions of class members. Most alumni describe it as one of the most valuable courses they take at Stanford.

Building on our deep experience with the human side of business, we have integrated leadership experiences into the curriculum. All first-year MBAs participate in weekly Leadership Labs that culminate in the Executive Challenge. The Executive Challenge is a full-day event at which over 150 alumni return to campus to simulate situations that demand true leadership qualities.

Creativity and Innovative Spirit

Stanford is a center of innovation and a leader in trying to solve the world’s challenges. We create the conditions for innovation to flourish; it’s no accident that Silicon Valley surrounds Stanford.

You can take pioneering courses such as Biodesign Innovation, which brings together business, engineering, and medical students to create medical devices.

Design for Extreme Affordability challenges students to develop comprehensive solutions to challenges facing residents of developing countries. We embrace design thinking, an empathetic, user-focused thought process that incorporates humanity into every decision.

Admission Criteria

What Are We Really Looking for?

We're looking for outstanding individuals, and the very qualities that define you make the GSB a stimulating place to learn.

We recognize that what happens to your application after you submit it to Stanford may seem mysterious. It need not be. Here, we attempt to share with you what we consider when we evaluate applications.

As we build the class, we seek the most promising students in terms of intellectual distinction and professional merit. We base this judgment on the totality of information available. No single factor—whether your college performance, essay, test score, interview, letter of reference, or work experience—is decisive.

We consider each application holistically, and take into account factors such as your background, experiences, perspectives, fit with the GSB and its MBA Program, aspirations, values, and accomplishments.

We evaluate each applicant in the context of the application year and are guided especially by three primary admission criteria of intellectual vitality, demonstrated leadership potential, and personal qualities and contributions.

Assumptions

A few basic assumptions underlie our approach.

First, just as no two Stanford MBA students are the same, no two Stanford MBA applicants are the same either. This means we must pay careful attention to the particular circumstances of each applicant.

Second, we believe that past actions usually are the best predictor of future performance.

Third, we believe that how you have developed your talents is as important as what you have actually accomplished.

Fourth, while there is no single academic or professional background most suitable for the MBA Program, admitted candidates tend to have sound analytical skills and strong performance in managing programs, processes, or people.

And finally, we look for diversity in the MBA class because we believe that the GSB's collaborative educational process leverages students' diverse backgrounds to deliver a range of perspectives and approaches to real-world problems. We define diversity in the broadest possible terms, encompassing (but not limited to) educational and professional background, personal experiences and goals, culture, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and nationality.