This section contains information on the required documents you need for your MBA application, including a personal statement, CV/resume and one professional reference. If you are selected to move to the second stage of the application, an interview will be arranged.

Required supporting documents

Document Details
Personal statement This should be approximately 500 words in length.
CV/Resume A detailed CV to support your application.
Reference You require one professional reference to complete your application.
Official transcript If required, please provide a certified English translation.
Degree certificate If required, please provide a certified English translation.
English language qualification Required if English is not your first language. See Entry requirements for accepted certificates.

Personal statement

You must include a personal statement as part of your application which should indicate your reasons for applying to the programme. The statement should be approximately 500 words in length and answer the following questions:

  • Why have you selected this particular programme?
    • You should also include other motivating factors and additional relevant information in support of this.
  • What contributions do you feel you can make to the programme?

You may type your personal statement into the relevant box on the programme tab in the online application form. If you wish to include any relevant knowledge, skills, or training, please enter this information in the appropriate box on the programme tab.

Alternatively, you may upload a document containing this information with your application. In this case, you should use the 'If you have a relevant document to upload that is not requested above, please upload it here' option.

Reference

You are required to submit one professional reference as part of your application. You can submit a reference in one of three ways.

  1. During the online application process, you will be given the option to submit your referee’s email address. A reference form will be sent to your referee automatically with instructions on how to complete the form and return it to the school.
  2. During the online application process, there is the facility to upload completed referee reports. You may upload copies of professional references using this facility as long as they display the letterhead of the organisation and are signed and dated by the referee.
  3. We have provided a reference request form. Please pass this form to your referee for completion and return to the school (instructions on how to do this are on the form).

    MBA reference request form (PDF)

Your reference should be from a senior professional colleague, preferably your immediate superior, who can comment on your suitability for the MBA. In some cases we may request a second reference, but in the first instance please ensure that one is supplied. You may not use a family member as a referee. We do not accept academic references for the MBA programme.

Interview

If your application advances to the second stage of the process, we will invite you to participate in an in-person or online video interview.

The interview itself is relatively informal and seeks to evaluate your suitability for the Edinburgh MBA programme. As well as discussing your application, the interviewer may wish to find out more about your personal qualities, motivations, and aspirations for the future.

You should be prepared to discuss your professional experience and your expectations of how an MBA can benefit you. You should also be prepared to answer how you would contribute to the Programme as a whole.