Your Path Starts Here
From the moment you're granted admission to the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, you join a group of great thinkers and leaders and gain a powerful support system of people who will strive alongside you throughout your journey. Our admission process is thoughtful, thorough, and competitive—we're looking for various students committed to academic excellence, extracurricular involvement, and personal achievement.
Students may apply to the Undergraduate Business program (majors and minors) in the semester they will have earned 39 credit hours and completed all required prerequisites. For many students, this means applying during the fall of their sophomore year. Students who enter William & Mary with AP or dual-enrollment credits may be eligible to apply even earlier. We do not recommend overloading your schedule during freshman year in order to meet the minimum credit requirement sooner.
Admission into the major and minor programs is competitive. Meeting the minimum qualifications for admission does not guarantee admission to the major or minor.
We evaluate each applicant holistically, considering the full picture of who you are and what you bring to the Mason School community.
Proven grades, course rigor, and trends in academic performance.
Life experiences that demonstrate resilience, ethical character, openness to various perspectives, entrepreneurial and creative spirit, and collaborative ability.
Strong writing and the ability to reflect your values and goals in your application essay.
Before entering the business school, the following courses must be completed or on track to be completed prior to entry:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| BUAD 200: Essentials of Business (COLL 200*) | 3 |
| BUAD 203: Principles of Accounting | 3 |
| BUAD 231/L: Business Statistics and Lab | 4 |
| ECON 101: Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| MATH 108, 111, or 131: Calculus | 3 |
*COLL 200 designation pending approval.
Total prerequisite credits: 16. Students must also earn a minimum of 39 total credit hours (including AP, dual enrollment, or transfer credits accepted by William & Mary before entering the program.
ECON 102: Principles of Macroeconomics is not required for admission but is a degree requirement and a prerequisite for certain upper-level finance courses.
Minor requirements vary by discipline. See Minors page for specific prerequisites.
Transfer students are eligible to apply under the same requirements. All transfer students must complete at least one semester of coursework at William & Mary (which may include university requirements along with any remaining prerequisites) before applying to the business school, and must take BUAD 200, BUAD 231, and BUAD 231L on campus, even if they transfer in the required 39 credit hours and comparable prerequisites.
| Cohort | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall Entry | February 1 |
| Spring Entry | September 15 |
The undergraduate business school fee allows the Mason School to remain at the forefront of personalized, experience-based business education. William & Mary students are charged a supplemental fee of $250 per credit hour, applied to all courses with a BUAD prefix. A similar fee can be found at many other nationally ranked business schools, including several in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
(Note: Fee amount held pending BOV Spring confirmation)
All currently admitted William & Mary undergraduate and incoming transfer students interested in pursuing a business major or minor must apply separately for admission to the Undergraduate Business program. Choose to apply as a business major or minor. Business major coursework includes a comprehensive core curriculum, major-specific courses, and the potential for further study through a concentration. The minors program lets non-business majors gain in-depth exposure to one business discipline.
Applicants must have at least a 2.5 GPA at the time of application and at the time of matriculation into the program.
As I was deciding which college I wanted to go to, I kept coming back to William & Mary because of its community of students. Everyone has very specific passions, they're academically driven, motivated to do service, and further their careers. But the energy is more collaborative than competitive.
