Accelerated 4+1 MBA

Five Years, Two Degrees.

Maximize your earning potential with an Accelerated 4+1 MBA*

Undergraduate students can get a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in one year after completing an undergraduate degree. This accelerated programs allows select core MBA courses to be waived with a combination of specific undergraduate "B" grade or better completed coursework. Each undergraduate course may not be older than five years upon matriculation into the MBA degree program, and must be confirmed upon acceptance into the program.

Accelerated 4+1 MBA Pathways

There are two ways to enroll in the 4+1 Accelerated MBA:

• First-year students – Outstanding applicants for first-year admission may be offered conditional early acceptance to a master’s degree program as an incoming first-year student.
• Current undergraduate students – RIT students currently enrolled in a qualifying undergraduate degree program may apply for admission to a combined accelerated bachelor’s/master’s pathway after their second or third year of study, depending upon their bachelor’s degree program.

Learn more about accelerated degree programs here.

Scholarship Awards for RIT Students

Students from RIT who meet the full admissions requirements to the MBA program will receive a minimum 20% scholarship award. Review of Saunders scholarship awards takes place along with department admission decisions.

Scholarship Awards for RIT Honors Students

RIT Honors students applying to Saunders College of Business graduate programs can now qualify for a 50% scholarship and apply for a GMAT/GRE waiver. This applies to all applicants who successfully complete the requirements of the RIT Honors Program upon certification and are accepted into Saunders College. Please see the Saunders Honors page for more details.

Scholarship Awards for Non-RIT and Partner Schools

Any student from each of Saunders’ non-RIT 4+1 partner institutions who meet the full admissions requirements can receive a minimum 35% award. Review of Saunders scholarship awards takes place along with department admission decisions. 

Recognized among nations very best business schools

The MBA program at Saunders College is recognized by many national and international rankings. Bloomberg Businessweek's 2021-2022 list of best U.S. business schools with full-time MBA programs ranks Saunders College at #77. The Executive MBA program ranks #9 by U.S. News & World Report for “Best Online MBA Programs” in 2022.

In additional recognitions, TFE (The Financial Engineer) Times ranks Saunders #94 among MBA programs in North America, and Poets & Quants ranked Saunders College of Business among the nation's top 10 online MBA programs. Learn about other top rankings and recognition received by Saunders College graduate programs and Rochester Institute of Technology.

Accelerated 4+1 Waiver Details

Courses qualifying for waiver review are subject to the following conditions:

• B grade or better must be earned in courses reviewed for waivers
• May waive up to 6 total core MBA courses
• Courses for waivers must be taken within 5 years of matriculating into the MBA program

GMAT Waiver for Saunders College of Business students

Saunders College of Business students applying to the MBA program with a cumulative 3.25 GPA or higher from all undergraduate courses taken, have the opportunity to request a waiver of their GMAT application requirement. To request a GMAT waiver, first submit an online application (click on “myRIT Portal.) Then email gradbus@saunders.rit.edu to submit your GMAT waiver request form which will be sent to the MBA Director for review. Note: Waiving the GMAT may limit access to certain scholarship awards.

Quick Admissions Decisions

For quick admissions decisions, determination for scholarship and financial aid, contacts and additional admissions information, please visit our graduate admissions pages.

Saunders Accelerated 4+1 MBA Agreements with Other Institutions

Click on the name of the school for more information specific to that agreement.

Rochester Institute of Technology

Agreements with other colleges

Waiver Policies

• Only six graduate core courses can be waived.
• Students must earn a B or better in each course to receive the waiver.
• Applicants must have completed the specific courses at RIT or a 4+1 partner school.
• With approval from the associate dean, director of graduate admissions, or director of students services, similar coursework from the following institutions may count toward graduate waivers:
  • Non-partner AACSB-accredited four-year undergraduate programs.
  • Non-partner regionally-accredited four-year domestic undergraduate programs with a reputation for excellence and rigor.
  • Regionally-accredited two-year (community) college in these cases only:
    • Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting
    • Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
    • Principles of Marketing
    • Organizational Behavior and Leadership
    • Corporate Finance
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams do not count towards waivers.
• Advanced Placement (AP) credits do not count toward waivers.
• Waivers are valid for up to five years from when the student completed the first undergraduate course for that particular waiver.
• Applicants must meet the minimum admissions requirements in order to receive waivers.
• MS students are not eligible for course waivers.

Waiver Exams

Matriculated graduate students (MBA program only) who are not eligible for a waiver, but are very familiar with the subject matter may request a waiver exam from the graduate academic advisor. The exams are created and graded by full-time Saunders College faculty members, and faculty or graduate program staff will proctor the exams. If the student does not pass the exam, he or she will have to take the core course. There is a non-refundable $100 administrative fee charged per exam.