Can you get a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with only a liberal arts undergraduate degree? Although it may sound impossible, you actually can get an MBA if you have a liberal arts bachelor’s degree. Liberal arts majors are useful to businesses because they understand social, cultural, political or philosophical aspects of issues. Granted, if you hope to get an MBA, there are things you need to do as an undergraduate to improve your chances of getting into an MBA program.

Get Good Grades

Get good grades in all of your liberal arts courses; repeatedly demonstrate that you can write well and speak well. This is important because businesses value individuals who can write well and speak well. The fact that the writing and speaking skills are demonstrated in a liberal arts class as opposed to a business class is not as important. Good writing skills and good speaking skills communicate readiness for the job market, and businesses will see this as a strength no matter what your undergraduate major is.

Take Business Courses

Take undergraduate business courses. For example, take courses such as introduction to accounting, financial accounting and managerial accounting because having a solid understand of accounting will make it much easier for you to succeed in an MBA program. Also take courses such as introduction to finance, introduction to marketing and human resources management; this will give you breadth of exposure to the various areas within business.

Internship

Do a business internship. Select an area of business that you are interested in. For instance, if you are interested in pursuing a career in human resources, do a human resources internship. Or, if you are interested in a finance career, do an internship in a bank or other financial setting. If you want a marketing career, do an internship in a marketing firm.

Letters of Recommendation

Ask business professors to write letters of recommendation for you. For example, if you take an accounting course and do well in the course, ask the professor of the accounting course to write a letter of recommendation for you. If you do well in a marketing course, ask the professor of the marketing course to write a letter of recommendation for you. Do the same thing for each business course that you take during your undergraduate years.

Score High on the GMAT

Purchase a GMAT preparation booklet, and prepare to get a high score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Of note, not all MBA programs require the GMAT; however, most MBA programs do require it. High GMAT scores indicate that you have the potential to succeed in a business career; consequently, MBA programs do consider your GMAT scores in making admissions decisions.

Write a Great Application Essay

Write a stellar essay as part of your MBA application. Most MBA programs require an essay. The essay is your opportunity to show the admissions committee that, despite your undergraduate major in liberal arts, you have the necessary skills to succeed in an MBA program.