How to Apply to Undergraduate Business at William & Mary’s Mason School of Business: Enter W&M First, Then Apply After 39 Credits and Prerequisites, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At William & Mary (W&M), undergraduate business is taught by the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, which awards the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). W&M describes it as its only selective undergraduate major. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on W&M’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Getting into the business school: a separate application after entry

• No direct admission from high school: you are first admitted to W&M through undergraduate admission, then apply separately to the Mason School for a business major or minor.
• When: in the semester in which you will have 39 credit hours (including AP, dual enrollment and transfer credits accepted by W&M) and all prerequisites completed or in progress. Most students apply in the fall of sophomore year; AP or dual-enrollment credit can make it earlier, but W&M advises against overloading in the first year.
• Prerequisites (16 credits): BUAD 200 Essentials of Business, BUAD 203 Principles of Accounting, BUAD 231/L Business Statistics and Lab, ECON 101 Principles of Microeconomics, and Calculus (MATH 108, 111 or 131). Macroeconomics (ECON 102) is not required for admission but is a degree requirement.
• AP credit: accepted AP Microeconomics satisfies ECON 101 and accepted AP Calculus satisfies the math requirement; AP Statistics does not satisfy BUAD 231 and 231L, which have no substitutes and must be taken at W&M.
• Deadlines: 1 February for fall entry; the table lists 15 September and 10 January for spring entry, plus a 15 June row whose applicant category is unclearly labelled, so confirm with bba@mason.wm.edu.
• Review: you need at least a 2.5 GPA when applying and when entering, and meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission. The school looks holistically at grades, rigor and trends, personal attributes (resilience, ethical character, entrepreneurial spirit, collaboration) and the application essay.
• Length: students typically complete the program over about 2.5 to 3 years. The first semester is a cohort-based foundation block of Principles of Marketing, Financial Management and Business Analytics, after which you can still change majors.

2. Majors, minors and the supplemental fee

• Majors: Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance and Marketing. You can double major with programs in Arts & Sciences and other schools, but not two majors, or a major and minor, within the Mason School.
• Minors: Accounting, Business Analytics, Consulting, Finance, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Management & Organizational Leadership, Marketing, plus summer-only General and Global Business Administration.
• Accelerated master’s: efficient students can apply to the one-year Master of Accounting (MAcc) or MS in Business Analytics.
• Supplemental fee: $250 per credit hour on all BUAD courses.

3. Deadlines for applying to W&M

• Early Decision I (binding): due 1 November, decisions in early December.
• Early Decision II (binding): due 5 January, decisions in early February.
• Regular Decision: due 5 January, decisions by 1 April. W&M currently accepts only the Common App.

4. Students at high schools in China

• Test optional: SAT or ACT is your choice; international students without IB, AP, A-level or similar results are strongly encouraged to submit one.
• English: W&M generally looks for TOEFL 100 (5 on the new scale from 21 January 2026) or IELTS 7+; Duolingo is accepted if those are unavailable (no score published).
• AP, IB and A-levels: AP 4 or 5 and IB HL 5 to 7 typically earn credit, and A-levels can too; these credits count toward the 39 needed to apply to the business school.
• Gaokao: W&M publishes no Gaokao policy. It warns that 126.com and 163.com addresses may miss its emails.

5. Students at Canadian high schools

• Same process and deadlines; W&M publishes no Canada- or BC-specific grade requirements.
• After entry you likewise need 39 credits and the prerequisites before applying to the business school.

6. Costs and aid

• 2026-27 out-of-state estimates (US$): tuition 46,177, fees 8,072, housing 10,512, food 7,134, plus indirect costs, for a total of about 75,652; business students also pay the $250-per-credit supplemental fee.
• Aid for international students: W&M generally has no scholarship or loan funds for undergraduates who are citizens of other countries.

7. Transfer students

• Applying to W&M: fall due 1 March, decisions on 1 May; spring due 1 October. Students abroad who need an F-1 visa can enter only in fall. The most competitive transfer applicants typically have a 3.5+ GPA.
• Applying to the business school: same requirements, but you must complete one semester at W&M first, even with 39 transferred credits; BUAD 200, BUAD 231 and BUAD 231L must be taken on campus.
• Accounting credit: principles of accounting can transfer only if completed before matriculating at W&M; statistics cannot be transferred.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply to W&M via the Common App by 1 November (ED I) or 5 January (ED II or Regular)
• Aim for TOEFL 100 (5 new scale) or IELTS 7; submit SAT or ACT if you have no AP, IB or A-level results
• After entry, complete the prerequisites and 39 credits and apply to the business school around sophomore fall (GPA 2.5+)
• Budget about $75,652 a year plus the business fee; W&M generally does not aid foreign citizens

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines; AP Microeconomics and Calculus can satisfy prerequisites

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline 1 March; spend one semester at W&M and take Essentials of Business and Statistics there before applying to the business school

Sources: William & Mary, Mason School undergraduate admissions; Undergraduate business academics; Majors and concentrations; Minors; Dates and deadlines; Standardized testing; International testing and English; International expenses and aid; Transfer applicants; International transfer students; Tuition. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check William & Mary for the latest details.