School of Business Online Master of Business Administration Frequently Asked Questions

No, our Online MBA program is designed to offer maximum flexibility and convenience for busy professionals. With our asynchronous format, you have the freedom to access course materials, interact with classmates, and connect with professors at your own pace and on your own schedule.

Our Online MBA program is designed for flexibility: full control over when you study with no scheduled classes or long lectures. Our on-campus MBA program is designed for someone who wants the more traditional classroom setting, with an extra focus on the cohort and group projects.

The next start is on August 28th, with our deadline being August 14th. We launch new students every August (fall semester) and January (spring semester).

Throughout the whole program, you will be enrolled for one 8-week course at a time, so you can focus on mastering each subject before moving on to the next. You will take two 8-week classes over the course of a 14-week semester—one class at a time.

Two years. The program is 6 semesters long, going through two Fall, Spring, and Summer cycles. The program has a set schedule, so students cannot graduate sooner, even if they transfer credits in for certain classes.

No. There are key classes and electives offered in the summer, so students are required to be enrolled during the summer.

See the Admissions Requirements page.

Absolutely. Careers and interests can change over the course of a person’s life, so we welcome applicants from all academic backgrounds. If you don’t have any course work or experience in accounting, you’ll take Introduction to Finance and Accounting as a 1-credit course, which will prepare you for Financial Management and Intermediate Accounting.

Current costs for the MBA program are listed on our graduate costs page.

There are no additional fees for the Online MBA!

Yes, we have a financial services team who can provide financial information specific to this program as well as resources for financial aid. You may contact them by email at financialservices@northwestu.edu or by phone at 425-889-5210.

For our Fall start, please submit your application and transcripts by August 14th.

For our Spring start, please submit your application and transcripts by November 30th.

For transcripts to be counted as official, they must come to us directly from the institution where you studied. Therefore, you must order your transcripts through a service like Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse, or ask your institution directly to send us your transcripts.

Transcripts may be sent electronically to admissions@northwestu.edu or mailed to:

Northwest University
P.O. Box 579
Kirkland, WA 98083-0579

Students who completed their degree(s) outside of the United States should provide a transcript equivalency evaluation in addition to the official transcript(s).* Any NACES-approved organization can complete this equivalency process. Find a list of providers here: https://www.naces.org/members. Please contact your enrollment counselor if you have questions about this evaluation.

*In the United States, for transcripts to be considered “official,” they must come directly from their undergraduate institution. Transcripts emailed to Northwest University are considered “unofficial” transcripts. Students can request their undergraduate institution to send copies of transcripts to either Northwest University or the evaluation company of their choice.

One provider we work closely with is SpanTran. Order Transcript Evaluation from SpanTran.

You may transfer up to nine credit hours of eligible graduate-level coursework, with prior approval from the program director.

This varies greatly since different students read and complete their assignments at different paces. This is a reading and writing-intensive program. On average, you should expect to devote 15 to 20 hours a week.