Deferred Start Program

The Deferred Start Program offers highly qualified and motivated undergraduates from the College of Arts and Sciences, Tandon School of Engineering, Global Liberal Studies, Stern School of Business, the Steinhardt School, NYU Abu Dhabi, and NYU Shanghai the opportunity to pursue their Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA within 2-5 years after graduation.

Students accepted into the program will receive a $10,000 Early Advancement Award to be applied to their tuition upon enrolling in the Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA program. Admitted students will also be eligible for consideration of further scholarships in the year in which they enroll.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply to the Deferred Start Program, you must: 

• Be in your final year of undergraduate study at the College of Arts and Sciences, Tandon School of Engineering, Global Liberal Studies, Stern School of Business, the Steinhardt School, NYU Abu Dhabi, or NYU Shanghai
• Students applying in their final semester prior to their degree conferral should have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher at the time of applying
• Be in good standing with NYU 

Application

As a Deferred Start Program applicant, a standardized test score is not required to apply to the program. The application fee to the Deferred Start Program will be waived for all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria. 

Enrolling in the Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA Program

If admitted to the Deferred Start Program, you will be expected to gain 2-5 years of valuable post-undergraduate work experience in related fields prior to enrolling in the Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA program. Once admitted to the Deferred Start Program, you’ll hear from the Admissions Committee before each year you are eligible to enroll.

To enroll, you must: 

• Complete an abbreviated application and verify your employment (Please do not submit a standard application for the Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA program)
• Submit your non-refundable enrollment deposits 
• Complete all registration and tuition payments
• Complete all steps above by the dates indicated in the communication/admission letter from the Admissions Committee 
• Attend the mandatory MBA orientation held in January prior to the start of classes 
• You will be asked to complete these steps in the admissions cycle prior to your intended start date. For example, if you plan to enroll in January 2027, you must submit your abbreviated application in the 2026 admissions cycle. 

Once you have completed the necessary steps for enrollment, your $10,000 Early Advancement Award will be applied to your Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA tuition. The $10,000 Early Advancement Award may not be used to pay your non-refundable enrollment deposit. Admitted students will also be eligible for consideration of further scholarships in the year in which they enroll in the Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA program.