Cox Distinguished MBA Scholars

The Cox Distinguished MBA Scholars Program awards up to 10 MBA full-tuition scholarships per year to the most outstanding students admitted to the Cox MBA full-time program. You could be one of them.

The Cox Distinguished MBA Scholars Program is designed to enhance your business school experience through unique travel opportunities. Joined by your fellow scholars, you will participate in week-long career enhancing forums in New York City and Washington D.C.

Scholars travel to New York City to visit the New York Stock Exchange and some of the world's leading financial institutions. They also travel to Washington, D.C. to broaden their awareness of the connections between business and government.

Scholars are selected by merit only, based on the following criteria:

  • Outstanding academic achievement
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Solid progression of professional achievement
  • Clearly defined career goals
  • Strong sense of social responsibility and business ethics

General Information:

If you wish to be considered for the Cox Distinguished MBA Scholars program, you must complete both the Cox MBA full-time program application process and the Cox Distinguished MBA Scholars application; deadlines for both are listed below. Finalists will be invited to visit the Cox School and interview for the scholarship in April 2012. If you have already applied or have been admitted to the Cox MBA full-time program, you are still welcome to submit an essay for consideration. If you are selected as a Cox Distinguished MBA Scholar, this award would replace any other scholarship award you may have already received from the Cox School of Business.

Application Requirements:

Please submit a cover letter and current resume along with your essay. Make sure your name is clearly printed at the top of each essay page. In your one-page cover letter, please briefly explain why you are interested in this program and which trip is of most interest to you (keeping in mind that you would go on both trips over your time in the Cox MBA program, if chosen as a Cox Scholar).

Essay Submission:

  • Briefly describe three current business issues/topics/controversies/puzzles that are of particular interest to you and about which you feel strongly; the selection committee will wish to engage you in a discussion of some of these topics if you are selected for an interview.  Each topic should be no more than one-half of a page, single spaced.
  • As a leader, how will you contribute to the Cox School of Business in the role of a Distinguished MBA Scholar?  This topic should be no more than one half of a page, single spaced.

Submission Instructions:

E-mail your cover letter, resume and essay submission to mbainfo@smu.edu with a subject line "Cox Distinguished MBA Scholars Submission".  Hard copy submissions will not be accepted.

Application deadline:

Cox Distinguished MBA Scholars application packages must be received in the MBA Admissions office by 5pm CDT on February 6, 2012. You must also submit your application for admission no later than this date; if we do not have both your application for admission and your Scholars application by this deadline, we would not be able to consider your Scholars application. Extensions of these deadlines will not be considered.

Deposit Requirement:

Selected candidates will be required to submit a $1,500 deposit upon accepting an official award offer.  If they have already submitted their regular $750 deposit, they must submit an additional $750, for a total of $1,500.  Selected candidates that enroll and begin classes at the Cox School of Business in August will receive a full deposit refund.  Otherwise, the deposit is non-refundable.