Admissions

Admission Criteria

There are four main criteria for admission: academic preparation, English language requirement, quantitative skills (GRE/GMAT), and reference letters.

 

The specific requirements listed below should be considered orientative rather than absolute. Excellence in one area may compensate for a shortcoming in another. In the end what is evaluated is the whole file.

 

Please note that there are always many more applicants than slots available, and possession of the minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee that you will be offered admission.

 

Academic Preparation:

• Undergraduate/bachelor's degree or the equivalent from an accredited college or university **
  
• Outstanding academic record
• Most common undergraduate degrees: Economics, Finance, Engineering, Sciencies, Mathematics.
• More specific information about academic backgrounds of current students: GSE Class Profile

** You will be asked to provide proof of completion of your undergraduate degree, including all required coursework and credits, when you arrive on campus to register for GSE master program courses. IMPORTANT NOTE: Students applying who are still finishing their degree will need to be in possession of their degree by the time of registration, that is September 2012. Otherwise any admission offer will be cancelled.

English Language Requirement:

• All Barcelona GSE master programs are taught entirely in English.
• No proof of language skill is required if:
  • your first language is English
  • the language of instruction of your previous degree was English.
    
  • Students with a previous degree taught in English in a non-English speaking country, should provide official evidence from the relevant university that the degree was taught entirely in English to gain an exemption from this requirement.
• All other students must provide recent evidence that their spoken and written command of the English language is adequate.
  

Language Certificate	Minimum Required Score
TOEFL Barcelona GSE TOEFL code: 2531 (If you are not able to choose the Barcelona GSE code, you will need to choose the Universitat Pompeu Fabra – Economics code: 1801)
Computer based	235
Paper based	575
Internet test	100
IELTS
British Council IELTS	6.5
Cambridge Certificates
Cambridge Proficiency	A-C
Advanced Certificate	A-C
First Certificate	A or B

Quantitative Skills (GRE/GMAT):

GRE/GMAT is not compulsory, although many applicants do choose to provide their test scores in order to demonstrate proficient quantitative skills. Applicants who have taken the GMAT are welcome to submit their exam scores, but should note that the GRE is preferred by the admissions committee. Normally, scores up to 80% in the quantitative section are considered to be good scores. Scores below this percentage can also be included.

 

Good scores on these examinations will be positively valued by the admissions committee and could be a decisive factor in those cases in which applications do not contain enough information to determine the candidate's potential for academic success in the master program.

• GRE code: 2531
  (If you are not able to choose the Barcelona GSE code, you will need to choose the Universitat Pompeu Fabra – Economics code: 1801)
  
  
• GMAT code: Graduate Program in Economics, Finance and Management
  (this is the same code used by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

You are responsible for uploading ETS (TOEFL and GRE) or GMAT, IELTS, scores to your application. You can enter the application form at any stage of the application process and upload scores in the system. You may also update your scores by uploading new scores to replace the document you uploaded previously.

Letters of Reference:

The two letters of reference are an extremely important element in the application package. The Admissions Committees normally prefer letters from Faculty members. If you cannot provide two faculty referees, you may include a professional referee instead. Instructions for submitting reference letters

 

Please note that it is possible to submit your application provisionally without referees. However, your application will not be reviewed until you have submitted complete information on your referees and the Barcelona GSE has received your letters of reference.