Apply to the MSTM Program
Applications are open for Fall 2023.
The MSTM program is primarily designed for students with a bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or other technical fields. Admission to the MSTM program is highly competitive. Decisions are based on the individual’s previous academic accomplishments, work experience, test scores, academic statement, resume, demonstrated potential for graduate and professional success, and references. This program is tailored to two groups of students: those who have a few years of professional experience (Professional Cohort), and those who recently finished their undergraduate education (Graduate Cohort).
Fall 2023 Application Materials
- Round 1 Deadline - November 15, 2022
- Round 2 Deadline - January 15, 2023
- Round 3 Deadline - March 31, 2023
- Round 4 Deadline - April 30, 2023*
- Round 5: Rolling admissions - decisions are usually released 2-3 weeks after application completion
In general, the admissions committee reviews applications on a rolling basis, however, the committee reserves the right to hold or waitlist an application to consider a candidate’s competitiveness within a larger applicant pool.
*We are still accepting applications for the Fall 2023 term from all applicants. Please note that all students should attend a mandatory two-week orientation that begins on August 14. If you require a new visa, please apply as soon as possible to allow enough time for your visa processing. All admitted applicants should enroll before orientation.
Ready to apply? Start your application through the Graduate College
Are you in the Graduate Cohort or Professional Cohort?
The MSTM program has two different entrance cohorts. The Graduate Cohort is typically best suited for recent graduates with less than two years of work experience. The Professional Cohort is typically best suited for experienced professionals with more than two years of work experience.
Coursework for both cohorts is the same but the cohort approach allows for students to be in class with people who are at similar stages in their career to provide for richer engagement and interaction experiences for students.
Application Materials
It’s simple to apply online for the MSTM program. To speed up the process, here are the items you’ll need and what you’ll need to do:
Application Steps: All Candidates
1. Begin the Graduate College application: All of the steps below must be completed online through this Graduate College application. Be sure to select your program as Technology Management, then Technology Management - MS as degree.
2. Upload your unofficial transcripts: The unofficial transcripts must include applicant's name, institution name, and a transcript legend, grade scale, or grade criteria. If you are an international candidate, you need to also include a copy of your certificate of degree or provisional certificate of degree, if this is offered by your institution. If an offer of admission is made, the official transcript(s) are required to be submitted upon arrival to campus. If you've not yet completed your undergraduate degree at the time of application, we will review your application based on the in-progress unofficial transcripts you have uploaded.
3. Submit your GMAT or GRE score (optional): The GMAT or GRE is not required for the application, however, submitting the score does give us better insight of your potential ability in the program and can strengthen your application. The admission committee reserves the right to request GRE/GMAT reports if we are unable to make the admission decisions based on what you have submitted. Unofficial scores can be loaded into your application, but your official GMAT scores must be sent directly to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Institution Code – 1836.
4. Upload your résumé: Your professional résumé should include personal information (name, address, telephone number and email address), educational background, work experience (start and end dates for each position and a brief description of responsibilities), internship experience, educational training, professional associations, and leadership experiences. Please limit your résumé to one page only.
5. Upload your academic statement of purpose: Your academic statement of purpose should specifically answer the following questions. Please limit your statement to 500 words or less.
- Why have you chosen the MS in Technology Management program to further your education, and why do you feel it is a good fit for you given your prior education and experience? Please include your career aspirations upon graduation.
- In your own assessment, what is your level of expertise with statistics and data analysis? What statistical software have you used and what is your level of expertise in each? If appropriate, state examples of how you have used statistics and statistical software in practice.
- Tell us about a project where you specifically applied knowledge you learned in a technical course or training.
6. Upload your optional essay: If you feel you need to explain an area of your application or if you have something you would like to share that was not addressed elsewhere in the application, you may upload an optional essay. Please note that no preference is given in the evaluation process to applicants who submit an optional essay.
7. Gies Scholarship application essay: Gies College of Business offers a limited number of merit, need, and diversity-based scholarships covering partial tuition for qualified students. All students who plan on enrolling for Fall terms are eligible to apply. Recipients will be selected based on need, academic standing, and essay submissions. To apply, indicate your interest in the application under the “Financial Aid” header by selecting “Yes” and then “Continue”. You can then upload your essay with your application.
Please upload a brief (500 words or less) essay outlining one or more of the following topics:
- Your need for financial assistance in order to pursue the program.
- How you have demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity and/or inclusion via personal mentorship or community involvement.
- Highlight your outstanding credentials including academic and/or leadership achievements, professional accomplishments and/or impact within your community that make you stand out as a candidate for merit scholarship.
Essay submissions must be received with the application for full consideration for the scholarship.
8. Video Questions (optional, but highly recommended): There is a video component in the application which will present two randomly assigned questions for you to briefly answer, and allow you to speak directly to the admissions committee via a recorded response. This video component is not required, however, submitting a video will strengthen your application and expedite the review process.
9. Choose your references: Please choose three references from academic and/or professional sources. Professional references should come from your professors, supervisors and/or mentors who are able to speak about your abilities and skills. Once you enter their information into the online application, they will be notified to submit a letter of reference on your behalf. All letters of reference should be signed and dated by the recommender. It is preferred for the letter to be on an institution or company letterhead.
10. Pay your application fee: The nonrefundable application fee for domestic candidates is $70 and $90 for international students. Applications received without payment of this fee cannot be processed. The application fee cannot be refunded.
Application Requirements: International Candidates Only
1. Check admission eligibility: All international candidates should check the Illinois Graduate College Admissions Requirements for a Country to ensure your education meets eligibility requirements for admission. Please note that a three-year degree from India alone is not accepted as a comparable bachelor’s degree. These candidates will also need a post-graduate diploma or significant work experience to be considered for admission.
2. Send us your English proficiency scores: If you are a non-native English speaker, you’ll need to upload your unofficial TOEFL or IELTS scores directly to your application. For IELTS scores, you should upload a copy of your official score card. TOEFL scores of 103 or greater or IELTS scores of 7.5 or greater are required for full-status admission. Also, due to COVID-19, we are able to accept Duolingo scores through August 1, 2023. Review the Graduate College’s English proficiency requirements for more details on full-status versus limited-status admission. Request your official TOEFL scores be sent electronically to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Institution Code – 1836).
Some countries do qualify for a TOEFL/IELTS waiver if English is the primary language. A list of these countries is available at this website.
3. Upload Program Essay 1: Your Program Essay 1 should specifically answer the following question. Please limit your essay to 250 words or less.
- For international students seeking employment in the United States, realizing that the US job market is extremely competitive and challenging, if unable to secure employment in the US, what are your alternative plan(s)?
4. Provide proof of funding and Declaration and Certification of Finances Form: In order for your visa eligibility document to be issued, we will need appropriate funding documents uploaded directly into your online application. This is not required for application review, but will be needed if you are offered admission. International students are required to show proof of funding for living expenses in addition to all tuition and fees.
5. Upload a copy of your passport: In order for your visa eligibility documents to be issued, we will need a copy of your passport information and photo, including dependents, if applicable. You can upload these directly into your online application. This is not required for application review, but will be needed if you are offered admission.
How can I strengthen my application?
If you want to put your best foot forward in applying to the MSTM program, here are some recommendations that you can do to strengthen your application.
- Submit a GMAT or GRE score. A GMAT or GRE is not required, but submitting your score does give us better insight of your potential ability in the program. The admission committee does reserve the right to request GRE or GMAT reports if we are unable to make the admission decisions based on what you have submitted, so this can also speed up the review process of your application.
- Submit the video questions. There is a video component in the application which allows you to speak directly to the admissions committee via a recorded response. Even though this is not required, submitting it will help us better evaluate your business soft skills. Having this up front will make you move through review process more quickly.
- Include optional essay to explain GPA lower than 3.0. It is important that the admission committee is confident in your ability to succeed in the classroom and one of the first things they look at is your GPA. If it is lower than the minimum 3.0, that will cause concern, so use the optional essay to provide an explanation of why it was low and how you plan to do well in the classroom. This can be a critical piece for moving candidates through the admission process so don’t skip this step if your GPA is low.
