As of 2016 prospective students interested in studying towards a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) will now be required to be in possession of an NQF level eight qualification, i.e. honours degree, postgraduate diploma or equivalent qualification.

In response to this, GIBS has restructured the MBA. GIBS accommodates students with a three year degree through a Postgraduate Diploma in General Management. Students need to successfully complete all requirements for the Postgraduate Diploma in General Management in order to be eligible to gain entry in to the GIBS MBA.

The following core courses are covered in the Postgraduate Diploma in General Management:

• Financial Accounting;
• Microeconomics;
• Marketing;
• Human Behaviour and Performance in South Africa;
• Management Accounting;
• Macroeconomics;
• Human Resource Strategy;
• Analytical Tools and Techniques;
• Corporate Finance;
• Organisational Development; and
• Transformation Operations Management.

Students may be eligible for credits for the postgraduate diploma or equivalent obtained at another institution. Please contact our admissions department for more information.

• A minimum of five years’ work experience, at least two years of which must have been at management level;
• Leadership potential (your experience, letters of reference and application essays should all reveal that you can assume a leadership role in the workplace);
• Good English language skills to actively participate in academic debate;
• A minimum of Matriculation certificate-level competence in Mathematics;
• Competence in the use of a scientific or financial calculator; and
• Competence in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and a web browser.

Entrance Tests: Applicants for the MBA programme must complete either the GIBS Entrance Test or the GMAT. Please note that while these tests represent only one of the several selection criteria for admission to the MBA programme, the applicant must meet the following minimum requirements:

• A score of 550 for the GMAT;
• A minimum of an average score for at least two of the three components of the GIBS

Entrance Test
When making the final decision to accept an applicant, we also look carefully at their undergraduate academic record, references, essays and work experience. In some cases we may request applicants to attend an interview or panel discussion prior to making a decision.

Please note: Four subjects from the GIBS PDBA will be considered as credits towards the GIBS MBA. This is conditional on students attaining a 65% aggregate in these subjects and commencing the MBA within five years of completing the PDBA. No other degrees or credits are eligible.

Non-degreed students: It is compulsory for non-degreed applicants to register for the GMAT. A minimum score of 550 must be achieved in order for the application to be considered. In addition, non-degreed applicants will undergo a series of interviews (panel and one-on-one) and admission to the programme is subject to approval by the Senate of the University of Pretoria.