We practice a holistic review of all submitted materials from applicants in the admission process.
The following application components make up your complete application:
*Application fee waivers available for women and veterans
Sarah Wanger, Director of Admissions for Kelley Direct, walks you through the application process for the Kelley Direct Online MBA & MS programs. Sarah encourages you to email kdirect@iu.edu with admissions questions.
Select the button below to start your application.
This required application form is free to complete and provides Kelley Direct with background and contact information.
This is the first required step. However, the following items can be completed in any order. Review of your application will not begin until all items have been received.
As part of the application, you may be invited to participate in a 30-minute phone interview conducted by a member of our admissions team. Your interview is designed for us to learn more about you.
The interview is one element among many that are considered as we complete the review of your admission. If selected, a member of our admissions team will contact you to schedule the interview.
To apply for any Kelley Direct degree program, you must complete two distinct application forms. Once you complete the Kelley Direct Program application, you will be emailed a link to complete the Indiana University Graduate School Application form. This form has several elements that you will submit.
*Application fee waivers available for women and veterans
The quality of the Kelley Direct program reflects the quality of our students. For that reason, we require the GMAT or GRE as an indicator of student aptitude. Trusted by more than 6,000 institutions worldwide, the GMAT helps us ensure that you’ll share the Kelley Direct experience with other promising, motivated students.
GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
No time for the official GMAT or GRE score?
If you are less than 30 days from your application deadline, fax or mail us your unofficial score while we wait for the official GMAT or GRE version.
Kelley Direct holds the distinction as the top-ranked online MBA and MS programs due to enrolling high-potential applicants into our academically rigorous curriculum. In order to admit students ready to embrace their potential, we require the GMAT/GRE as one demonstration of quantitative and analytic capability. For a small pool of experienced, academically and professionally high-performing candidates, this requirement may be waived. The test waiver process is extremely competitive and we award a limited number of waivers in each admission cycle. Many factors are considered, including rigor and achievement from previous degrees, analytical and quantitative skills, and post-bachelor’s degree career growth including demonstration of leadership. Applicants with at least 4 years of full-time professional experience are eligible to apply for a waiver, however, waivers are typically granted to those who hold a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA and have 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in professional roles with demonstrated high-level quantitative capability.
When completing the Kelley Direct Program Application, you MUST upload a current professional resume and check the box indicating you are requesting a waiver.
Kelley School of Business alumni with at least a 3.2 GPA may apply for a waiver regardless of professional experience.
Applicants already in possession of a terminal or doctoral-level professional degree such as a JD, PhD, MD, PharmD, or equivalent will receive particular consideration for a test waiver.
Credentials from US Institutions
Contact all colleges or universities you have attended to request your official academic records (transcripts) be emailed directly to us or mailed via postal mail.
Electronic Transcripts (E-Transcripts)
Electronic transcripts are the preferred method of delivery. Please utilize kdirect@iu.edu as the email recipient of your official electronic transcripts. Note: We cannot accept scanned/printed copies, attachments, or forwarded emails.
Postal Mail: All Applicants with Domestic Transcripts
If your previous institution does not offer electronic transcripts, you may submit unopened official paper copies in the original sealed envelope. Please send your official transcripts to:
Kelley Direct Online MBA & MS Programs
Kelley School of Business
1275 E. Tenth Street, Suite 2100
Bloomington, IN 47405
Postal Mail: US Citizens and Permanent Residents with Foreign Transcripts
US citizens and permanent residents with international transcripts must send official transcripts directly to the Kelley Direct program office and may also be required to submit an official academic credential evaluation to verify degree and GPA requirements. You will be contacted by our office should we require a credential evaluation. If you are a US citizen or permanent resident please have your official transcripts and/or credential evaluation sent to:
Kelley Direct Online MBA & MS Programs
Kelley School of Business
1275 E. Tenth Street, Suite 2100
Bloomington, IN 47405
International Applicants
If you are an international applicant (you are NOT a US citizen or permanent resident), you must submit official documents (transcripts, mark sheets, degree certificates, etc.) in order to be evaluated by the Office of International Services (OIS) for admission. Your transcripts must be in English—arrange for a literal translation to be sent if needed. The Office of International Services does not accept evaluations from external academic credential evaluation agencies in lieu of original academic records. You may submit unofficial documentation to the Kelley Direct program office only while we wait for your official/original documentation to arrive.
If you are an international applicant, please have your transcripts sent to:
Office of International Services
Poplars 221
400 East Seventh Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
Important notes: Please submit the Indiana University Graduate School Application (step three of the application process listed above) before you send your transcripts to OIS to ensure the most efficient processing of your documents.
If you do not want your official documents to be stamped or marked, please send your documents to the Kelley Direct program office and we can submit your documents to OIS with a request that they remain unmarked.
Although you may be admitted conditionally to Kelley Direct Programs, you are NOT fully admitted to Indiana University until all required documentation has been submitted to the Office of International Services and all holds are lifted from your student account.
Please visit the OIS website with questions about the credential evaluation process and what documentation you are required to submit.
If English is not your first language and you don’t have a bachelor’s or higher degree that was taught in English, you will need to take the TOEFL or IELTS. We accept either test score.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
No time for the official TOEFL or IELTS score?
If you are less than 30 days from your application deadline, fax or mail us your unofficial score while we wait for the official TOEFL or IELTS version.
Do not mail materials to the IU Office of International Services. Scores may be submitted to the Kelley Direct Program Office.
Minimum scores: We require a minimum internet-based TOEFL score of 100; 600 on the paper-based TOEFL; or band 7.0 on the IELTS.
Note: We cannot accept TOEFL or IELTS scores that are more than two years old.
Waiver of the TOEFL or IELTS requirement: The TOEFL or IELTS requirement is automatically waived for international applicants who have completed a college or university degree in the United States.
After you start your application, the above items and forms can be submitted in any order. Review of your application will not take place until all items are received. Our admissions team will track your status and provide reminders for outstanding items.
Yes, application fee waivers are available for veterans and for women. Kelley Direct is proud to partner with Forté, a foundation that works to advance women in business. As part of our Forté partnership, we provide merit-based scholarships for women applicants. Participate in the Forté MBALaunch program to have your Kelley Direct application fee waived.
Once all items are received, we begin our review process. Typically, students are notified of their admissions decision within 2 to 3 weeks.
US Citizens and Permanent Residents
If you are a US citizen or permanent resident, please send your official transcripts to this address:
Kelley Direct Online MBA & MS Programs
Kelley School of Business
1275 E. Tenth Street, Suite 2100
Bloomington, IN 47405
International Applicants
If you are not a US citizen or permanent resident, please send your transcripts directly to the Office of International Services (OIS):
Office of International Services
Poplars 221
400 E. Seventh Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
Important note: Please submit the Indiana University Graduate School Application (step three of the application process listed above) before you send your transcripts to OIS to ensure the most efficient processing of your documents.
Fall term: June 15, 2021
for domestic and international applicants
Fall term: August 1, 2021
Students interested in obtaining an MBA plus an additional online master’s degree (dual-degree seekers) should follow the application process for the Online MBA program as outlined above. There are no additional application requirements to declare a dual degree or major. Any admitted MBA student can decide to pursue a dual degree by working with your academic advisor post-acceptance.
Attendance at weekly live course sessions is a requirement for students enrolled in Kelley Direct Programs. Live sessions are typically held one evening per week, per course. You will most often be enrolled in two courses at a time. Live sessions last around an hour and a half and are usually held in the evenings, Eastern Time.
Based on the US Department of State’s guidance governing the issuance of visas for short-term in-residence programs for distance education students, the Office of International Services advises that Kelley Direct students (certificate/non-degree or degree-seeking) apply for F-1 visa stamps in order to enter the U.S. in F-1 status. A new I-20 and SEVIS fee will be required for each in-residence segment in which the student is required to participate. A new F-1 visa stamp may be required as well.
Current guidance from the Department of State clarifies that the F-1 visa stamp is invalid after a student is absent from the US for 5+ months.
International Kelley Direct students who are not presently in the United States for work or study must communicate with Kelley Direct to submit the necessary documents required for I-20 issuance. I-20s will be issued by Indiana University’s Office of International Services. International Kelley Direct students will then apply for F-1 student visas from U.S. consulates/embassies outside of the U.S. Obtaining an appointment with the consulate/embassy can take up to 30 days, so contact us regarding the I-20 well in advance of your in-residence.
If you already have B-1/B-2 (business/tourist) visa stamps OR are a citizen of a country which is part of the Visa Waiver Program, you are advised to follow the F-1 procedures as well.
Do not mail materials to the Office of International Services.
The tuition rate for our Online MBA and MS programs is $1,380 per credit hour.
Online MBA: 54 credit hours
MS Degree: 30 credit hours
Dual Degree: 66 credit hours
This does not cover typical student costs you might incur such as textbooks.
Scholarships are available. You do not need to complete any additional forms to be considered for scholarship opportunities from Kelley Direct. Admitted students are notified in their admittance letter of any scholarship award that they have received.
We may accept up to 6 credit hours to be transferred toward our Online MBA program. The transferred credits must be from an AACSB accredited MBA program. Student records are evaluated for possible transfer credits only after admission to a degree program.
