How to Apply to Business at the University of Utah David Eccles School: Choose Business, Start in Business Administration, Then Apply to Upper Division and a Major, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, undergraduate business is taught by the David Eccles School of Business, which offers nine undergraduate majors. Every business student starts declared in Business Administration, completes the Lower Division core, applies to Upper Division and then either stays in Business Administration or applies to another major. Here is what you need to know, based on the University of Utah’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. Admission and pathway

• Step 1: apply to the University of Utah and select business as your major of interest. Fall 2027 applications open in August 2026. First-year students are business students from day one, placed in small cohorts with a student ambassador.
• Step 2: Lower Division core (24–26 credit hours): MATH 1105, IS 2010, QAMO 2010, MGT 1050, OSC 2030, ACCTG 2100, FINAN 2020 and MGT 1030. AP or transfer credit may cover some of these.
• Step 3: apply to Upper Division:
  • Good Standing Review: C- or above in all Lower Division courses and a 2.7 University of Utah GPA and 2.7 business GPA; admitted and guaranteed completion in Business Administration;
  • Committee Review: C- or above and a 2.5–2.69 University of Utah or business GPA; a personal statement is encouraged; holistic and not guaranteed;
  • students finishing their final 1–2 Lower Division courses in summer with a 3.4+ total and business GPA may receive conditional admission.
• Step 4: Upper Division core (about 26 credit hours over two semesters), then a major: continue in Business Administration or apply to Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Management or Operations and Supply Chain, each with its own criteria. Quantitative Analysis of Markets & Organizations (QAMO) has different prerequisites.

2. Students at high schools in China

• Holistic review: Utah emphasises grades, course rigour (AP, IB and other college-level work), grade trends and unweighted GPA. There is no minimum GPA; 75% of recent admits had an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Testing: freshman admission is test optional, including for merit scholarships and admission to majors. To have scores considered, indicate this and self-report them on the application.
• Gaokao, A-level, IB: the pages reviewed publish no conversions for Chinese qualifications. Submit grade 9–12 transcripts, with English translations; official copies are required after admission.
• English: TOEFL iBT 80 (4.5 new scale), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110, ACT English 18 or SAT EBRW 510, within two years of applying. Chinese citizens must submit a test even if their school teaches in English.
• Scholarships: summer and fall applicants whose files are not complete by 1 December are not considered for merit scholarships.

3. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• English: native English-speaking Canadian citizens are exempt; non-Canadian citizens (for example Chinese passport holders at a Canadian high school) still need a test.
• Academics: holistic review; BC conversions are not published, so contact International Admissions (iao@utah.edu).

4. Transfer students

• Who is a transfer: students with 30 or more credits from other colleges or universities.
• Into business: apply to the University of Utah, attend orientation and first-semester course planning; check the Transfer Course Equivalency Guide for the Lower Division core.
• Associate degrees: a USHE business associate degree lets you apply to Upper Division at orientation if you meet GPA criteria; other accredited business associate degrees may allow direct application to Upper Division, with non-USHE courses evaluated individually.
• Current Utah students wanting to switch should meet a business academic advisor.
• International transfer deadlines: spring 15 November, summer 1 April, fall 1 April.

5. Deadlines and application fee

• International freshmen: spring 15 November, summer 1 May, fall 1 August; I-20 document deadlines for students outside the US are 15 November (spring), 1 April (summer) and 1 June (fall).
• Application: through the Common App; international fee $65, non-refundable, with no fee waivers for visa students.

6. Costs

• 2026-27 international undergraduate I-20 estimate: tuition and fees $32,932 (12 credits a semester), international student fee $300, international orientation fee $75, housing and food $19,198, books $1,600, personal $9,000, health insurance $3,000, for about $66,105.
• Business differential: the pages reviewed do not say whether business students pay extra; use the Eccles tuition calculator.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply through the Common App with business as your major of interest; complete your file by 1 December for scholarships
• TOEFL 80 or IELTS 6.5; fall deadline 1 August, I-20 documents by 1 June
• Earn C- or better in the Lower Division core and keep both GPAs at 2.7+

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

• Canadian citizens are exempt from English tests; others must submit one

Transfer students:

• 30+ credits makes you a transfer; check the eight Lower Division courses in the equivalency guide
• International transfer fall deadline 1 April

Sources: The University of Utah, Eccles first-year admissions; Business core curriculum; Apply to Upper Division; Declare a major; Eccles international students; Eccles transfer students; International freshman admissions and costs; Freshman admissions standards; English proficiency; International transfer admissions. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 estimates). Check the University of Utah for the latest details.