How to Apply to Kogod School of Business at American University: Admission to AU Is Admission to Kogod and Business Classes Start in the First Semester, With Requirements and Timelines for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

American University (AU) is in Washington, DC. Undergraduate business is taught by the Kogod School of Business. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Kogod’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

Note: the main AU site and its undergraduate admissions pages block automated access, so they were not read for this guide. University-wide rules on testing, English, international documents, transfer and costs are marked “not published” below (meaning not on the official pages we could read); check AU Admissions directly.

1. Degrees and curriculum

• Seven BS degrees: Accounting, Business Administration, Business Analytics & AI (STEM-designated), Business & Entertainment, Business, Language & Culture, Finance, and Marketing.
• Business core: the major pages list 38 credit hours of business core, plus, for example, 24 credits of advanced accounting, 18 credits of finance core and 9 of electives, 13 credits of entertainment core and 12–15 in a specialization, or 18 credits of marketing core.
• Business Administration specializations: choose one of eight by the end of junior year (Accounting, Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Information Systems and Technology, International Business, Management, Marketing) or self-design one with adviser approval.
• Other features: Business, Language & Culture students choose a language and spend at least a semester where it is spoken; Business & Entertainment requires a for-credit internship in the entertainment industry. Kogod cites class sizes of 15–20.
• Combined degrees: earn a bachelor’s and master’s in five years, sharing up to 9 graduate credits; students arriving with AP or IB credit can follow a “3+1” path, making year four the master’s year.
• Conflicting figures: Kogod’s apply page mentions “5 majors, 11 minors and 8 specializations”, while the undergraduate page lists seven BS degrees; the Business Administration page gives the business core as 38 credit hours in one place and 34 in another. This guide follows the seven degrees listed.

2. How you get into Kogod

• No separate business application: Kogod states that admission to AU is admission to Kogod; you start business classes in your first semester with your cohort.
• Deadlines: Early Decision I and Early Action 1 November; Early Decision II 15 January. The Regular Decision deadline, essays, recommendations and testing rules are not published on the pages we read (they are on AU Admissions).
• Honors: the Kogod Honors Program offers honors coursework and extra hands-on opportunities.
• Internal transfer into business: conditions for AU students moving into Kogod are not published; contact Kogod undergraduate advising.

3. Students at high schools in China (Gaokao, A-level, IB, AP)

• Apply to AU with a Kogod major by 1 November (ED I/EA) or 15 January (ED II).
• AP and IB: credit can open the “3+1” combined path; detailed credit rules are on AU Admissions.
• English requirements, use of the Gaokao and A-levels, and international aid are not published on the pages we could read; see AU Admissions’ international applicant pages.

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

• Same deadlines and process.
• Grade requirements for Canadian or BC curricula are not published here; see AU Admissions.

5. Costs

• Tuition and fees are published by AU Student Accounts, which we could not read.
• Kogod says its combined bachelor’s/master’s programmes can save up to US$15,000 in tuition.

6. Transfer students

• External transfer requirements and deadlines are on AU Admissions, which we could not read.
• There is no separate Kogod application, so transfer applicants also choose a business major when applying to AU; ask Kogod advising how business credits transfer.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply to AU with a Kogod major by 1 November (ED I/EA) or 15 January (ED II)
• Confirm English, testing and international document requirements with AU Admissions
• If you have AP or IB credit, look at the “3+1” combined path

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

• Same deadlines; confirm Canadian curriculum requirements with AU Admissions

Transfer students:

• Check AU’s transfer requirements and deadlines and choose a Kogod major when you apply

Sources: Kogod School of Business, American University, Undergraduate programs; BS in Business Administration; BS in Accounting; BS in Finance; BS in Business Analytics & AI; BS in Business & Entertainment; BS in Business, Language & Culture; BS in Marketing; Apply. For university-wide testing, English, international, transfer and cost rules, see American University Admissions. Information is for fall 2027 entry; check the official sites for the latest details.