McCombs School of Business
Texas BBA

Getting Admitted

Incoming Freshmen

You are considered a freshman if you:

  • Graduated from an accredited high school
  • Have not enrolled in another college or university before applying to UT Austin. (You may apply as an entering freshman if you took college courses only while in high school or during the summer right after you graduated from high school.)

If you meet these requirements, please read the information for freshmen.

Internal Transfers

If you are a current University of Texas at Austin students interested in transferring into the McCombs School of Business, please read the information for internal transfers.

External Transfers

If you are attending other universities or colleges outside the University of Texas at Austin, please read the information for external transfers.

Information for Prospective Freshmen

Information Sessions

The McCombs School of Business conducts information sessions for prospective freshmen on Mondays and Fridays at 1 p.m. This 1 p.m. session is followed by a tour of the McCombs School of Business and the Business Honors Program info session at 2 p.m. We also encourage prospective freshman and their families to visit the Freshman Admissions Center while on campus. These events can be scheduled through the Be a Longhorn website.

Admission

Admission decisions for the McCombs School of Business are made by the Office of Admissions. We do not, at any point, see applications. There is no separate application for the McCombs School of Business, except for the Business Honors Program. If interested in being considered for the McCombs School of Business, simply indicate Unspecified Business as your first-choice major on the ApplyTexas application. You should also give careful consideration to the second college or major that you list. If admissible, students will enter McCombs as unspecified business students. After 30 hours and pre-requisite courses, students can declare a major.

The top 10% law guarantees admission to the University. It does not, however, guarantee admission into the McCombs School of Business.

  1. A maximum of 75% of the class (approximately 900 students) is admitted according to rank. The Office of Admission begins with those students ranked in the top 1%, followed by top 2%, and so on until 75% of the class is filled.
  2. The remaining 25% of our spots (approximately 300 students) are admitted through a competitive process. Students from non-ranking high schools, foreign, out of state, non-top 10%, and those who are not admitted into the first 75% compete for the remaining spots. Rank (if students have one), essays, honors/awards, leadership activities, community service, test scores, and special circumstances are all considered in determining admission for the remaining 25%.
  3. If not admitted to McCombs as a freshman, UT students will have the opportunity to apply for admission through the internal transfer process.

If not admitted to McCombs as a freshman, UT students will have the opportunity to apply for admission through the internal transfer process.

  • Freshman Class Profiles
  • Prospective Freshman FAQs

Please note the following important information:

  • The McCombs School of Business accepts new students for the fall semester only.
  • Advance placement and testing information: The Instructional Assessment & Evaluation Center can assist you to determine testing schedules, claim credit, and required tests.
  • Residency: As a state-supported institution, the University reserves a majority of its space for Texas residents. Consequently, the admission of nonresidents is highly competitive.

Information for Prospective Internal Transfers

An internal transfer student is one who is enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin and applies for admission to transfer into the McCombs School of Business. The process is extremely competitive. It is not recommended that students enroll in another college at UT Austin on the assumption that they will transfer into the McCombs School of Business.

Note: The McCombs School of Business accepts students for the Fall semester, only.

Procedures:

  1. Attend an Internal Transfer information session, for an overview of the requirements to apply, decision process, and to have your questions answered. You may check the minimum requirements for consideration and see if you qualify to apply by visiting the McCombs Internal Transfer web site in UT Direct.
  2. Submit the McCombs online application (available April 1st) by the June 1st deadline to apply. Late applications are not accepted.

Requirements to apply:

  1. Twenty-four (24) hours in residence at UT-Austin
    1. Must be completed by the end of the spring semester, summer courses taken after the June 1st deadline do not count.
    2. Placement (credit by exam), correspondence, extension, pass/fail, or transfer hours will not be considered.
  2. Demonstrate Foreign Language Proficiency (one of two ways):
    1. Two years of the same foreign language in high school.
    2. One year (2 semesters) of the same foreign language in college.
  3. Course Requirements:
    1. Calculus I (M 408K, M 408C, or M 403K)
    2. Calculus II (M 408L, M 408D, or M 403L)
    3. Microeconomics (ECO 304K)
    4. Macroeconomics (ECO 304L)
    Most business students take the K and L calculus sequence. However, students interested in the Engineering Route to Business major should take the C and D sections OR K, L and M.

Students with over 90 hours or a completed degree are encouraged to consider other options, such as completing a degree in their current college/school or alternate institution with the option of pursuing an MBA or MPA degree at a later date.

  1. 90 hours includes any university setting coursework, but it does not include dual credit, placement, correspondence or extension hours.
  2. An undergraduate degree in Business is not required for entry into a Masters program in Business or Accounting. The majority of people pursuing an MBA degree do not have undergraduate degrees in Business.

Additional Opportunities: The Business Honors Program and the Integrated MPA (formerly known as PPA) have separate admissions procedures in addition to the internal transfer requirements. For more information, contact the appropriate office. You must be admitted as an internal transfer before these programs will consider your application.

When do I declare a major? If you are admitted to the McCombs School of Business, you will be listed as an unspecified business major. You can declare a specific business major (eg., Accounting, Finance, etc.) in the Undergraduate Programs Office (CBA 2.400) once you:

  1. Enroll in the McCombs School of Business
  2. Remove all high school unit deficiencies
  3. Complete 30 hours of college credit, including:
    1. Calculus I and Calculus II
    2. Microeconomics & Macroeconomics
    3. BA 101, and have credit or registration in BA 102
    4. Register at the BBA Career Center

Students must declare a major before reaching 75 hours or registration will be barred.

Other Options:

  1. The Business Foundations Program is designed for non-business majors, to provide a foundation in business concepts and practice for students who plan to enter the workforce or earn a graduate degree upon completion of their undergraduate degree. The program offers six Business courses, four upper-division and two lower-division, which can be taken in any combination as a supplement to an undergraduate program. Students may choose to take one or more of the courses to satisfy an interest or need for specific instruction. Students who complete the program should be able to interview for entry positions in most public and private organizations. Many colleges at UT allow it as a minor, students may list it as a minor on resumes, and students receive a certificate upon completion. All courses are taught by Business faculty members.
  2. Career Exploration Center: Students are also encouraged to visit the Career Exploration Center where career counselors work to help students clarify goals, explore interests, discuss personal concerns and develop a plan of action for their transition from college to a career.
  3. Graduate Business Degrees: An undergraduate degree in Business is not required for entry into a Masters program in Business or Accounting.

Internal Transfer Historical Summary

Acceptance Rates
Year Applications Admitted Acceptance Rate
2003 464 304 66%
2004 374 307 82%
2005 466 319 68%
2006 487 317 65%
2007 466 312 67%
2008 493 307 62%
2009 460 307 67%
Mean Earned UT GPA
Year Residents Non-Residents
2003 3.68 3.88
2004 3.6 3.7
2005 3.7 3.76
2006 3.7 3.8
2007 3.7 3.7
2008 3.8 3.8
2009 3.8 3.8
Minimum UT GPA for Admission
Year Residents Non-Residents
2003 3.50 3.70
2004 3.3 3.5
2005 3.4 3.5
2006 3.5 3.7
2007* 3.5 3.5
2008* 3.6 3.6
2009* 3.6 3.6

*Beginning 2007, there will no longer be a distinction between resident and non-resident admission requirements (i.e. GPA) for internal transfer to the McCombs School of Business.

Information for Prospective External Transfers

An external transfer student is one who attends another four year college or university or a junior/community college and then applies for transfer admission to the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

The Office of Admissions makes all external transfer decisions for the McCombs School of Business. Please visit their website for details on admission factors, application, deadline etc. We do not see external transfer applications at any point.

Requirements to apply

  • 30 Hours of transferable credit required
  • 3.0 minimum GPA (actual GPA for admission could be higher, please see historical data)
  • Demonstrate Foreign Language Proficiency (one of two ways):
    1. Two years of the same foreign language in high school
    2. One year of the same language in college
  • Course requirements:
    1. Calculus I (M 308K or M 408C)
    2. Calculus II (M 308L or M 408D)
    3. Microeconomics (ECO 304K)
    4. Macroeconomics (ECO 304L)

UT no longer offers M 403K (Calculus I) and M 403L (Calculus II), but the equivalent will still transfer. We recommend that students taking any 303/403 courses complete both Calculus course requirements before transferring, since UT no longer teaches them. This will avoid the need to retake the entire sequence.

Please reference the Admissions Office Common Transfer Problems website for further direction:http://www.utexas.edu/student/admissions/ate/problems/

When do I declare a major? If you are admitted to the McCombs School of Business, you will be listed as an unspecified business major. You can declare a specific business major (eg., Accounting, Finance, etc.) in the Undergraduate Programs Office (CBA 2.400) once you:

  • Enroll in the McCombs School of Business
  • Remove all high school unit deficiencies
  • Complete 30 hours of college credit, including:
    1. Calculus I (M308K or M 408C) and Calculus II (M 308L or M 408 D),
    2. ECO 304K & 304L (or equivalent),
    3. BA 101, and have credit or registration in BA 102.
  • Register with BBA Career Services

Students with over 90 hours or a completed degree a are encouraged to consider other options, such as completing a degree at their current institution, or alternate institution, with the possibility of pursuing an MBA or MPA degree at a later date.

  • 90 hours includes any university setting coursework but does not include dual credit, placement, correspondence or extension hours
  • An undergraduate degree in business is not required for entry into a Masters program in business or accounting. The majority of people pursuing an MBA degree do not have undergraduate degrees in business.

Residency: As a state-supported institution, the University reserves the majority of its space for Texas residents. Consequently, the admission of non-residents is highly competitive.

What courses should I be taking at my current institution? To obtain information on coursework to take at your current institution, please view the general degree requirements for our ten majors.

60 hours in residence to obtain a BBA: The University requires that at least thirty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree be completed in residence. The McCombs School further requires that at least sixty semester hours of coursework be completed in residence at the University on the letter-grade basis. For additional requirements, see BBA Degree Requirements

Additional opportunities: The Business Honors Program and the Integrated MPA (formerly known as PPA) have separate admissions procedures in addition to the external transfer requirements. You must be admitted as an external transfer before these programs will consider your application. For more information, contact the appropriate office.

External Transfer Historical Summary

Texas Residents
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
# Applications 1001 646 643 554 527 402
# Admitted 81 71 112 119 90 86
# Enrolled 69 71 111 119 80 81
Avg. GPA (Admits) 3.90 3.85 3.78 3.82 3.87 3.92
Non-Residents
Does not include international applicants
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
# Applications 160 150 175 155 116 98 
# Admitted 10 7 17 14 8 11
# Enrolled 6 7 17 14 3 36
Avg. GPA (Admits) 3.53 3.94 3.73 3.79 3.90 3.83
Applications from 2- and 4-year institutions
Applicants Admitted from: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Two-year institutions 57% 56% 46% 30% 52% 42%
Four-year institutions 43% 44% 54% 70% 48% 58%
International Applicants
Applicants: 2009
#Applications 271
# Admitted 13
Average GPA (Admits) 3.89
International TX Residents 3
International Transfer 10
Applicants Admitted from:
Two-year institutions 5
Four-year institutions 8
# Enrolled 12
Average GPA (Enrolled) 3.91
Admits Enrolled from:
US university/college 8
Foreign university/college 4