Eller College of Management Early Assurance Program
The W.A. Franke Honors College Honors Early Assurance Program-Eller (HEAP-Eller) allows for academically talented students to gain early admission to the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management.
Applications Open on October 30, 2026
Program Overview
The Honors Early Assurance Program – Eller (HEAP-Eller) allows students to apply for conditional admission to select Eller College of Management graduate and professional programs during their junior year. HEAP-Eller seeks high-achieving applicants interested in pursuing a Master’s education in the Eller College of Management.
Eligibility Requirements
HEAP-Eller is open to all undergraduate Juniors from any major. Juniors are defined as having three semesters remaining until their intended undergraduate graduation date upon application to the program.
Once accepted to the program, students will matriculate into the University of Arizona Eller College of Management upon completion of program requirements, including satisfying all Franke Honors College graduation, bachelor’s degree, and relevant graduate program pre-requisite requirements. Students can apply for early admission to a maximum of two of the following Eller graduate programs:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA), Tucson and Scottsdale
- Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence for Business (MS AIB)
- Master of Science in Management Information Systems (MS MIS)
- Master of Science in Marketing (MSM)
Applications will be considered through a holistic review process. To be eligible, applicants must be an active W.A. Franke Honors College Student with a minimum 3.4 cumulative GPA.
The Eller College of Management looks for the following attributes in applicants. This is not an exact list and meeting these attributes will not guarantee admission in any capacity:
Application Process & Timeline
Applications will typically open in late October and remain open until January. Students apply during their junior year via a Qualtrics submission. The HEAP-Eller application is separate from the traditional application to the Eller College of Management. Please note that applications submitted through the traditional pathway will not be considered for HEAP-Eller admission, and HEAP-Eller applications will not be considered for the traditional admissions pathway.
Applicants who are invited to interview will participate in both Eller College of Management and Franke Honors College interviews virtually. Opportunities to tour the campus and meet with current graduate students and administrators will also be available.
The University of Arizona Eller College of Management reviews applicants with a holistic approach when selecting incoming students. The holistic review guarantees a fair and equitable consideration of your entire application, including your experiences, attributes, and metrics. This means that one portion of an application does not carry weight over another portion. Eller College of Management looks at applicants beyond metrics to ensure that each student is a good fit for the mission and values of the program.
Timeline
| Fall Semester of Junior Year (4 semesters until intended undergraduate graduation) | Attend a program information session [we will include a schedule & RSVP link when ready] The application for the 2026-2027 cycle will open October 30, 2026. |
|---|---|
| Spring Semester of Junior Year (3 semesters until intended undergraduate graduation) | The application deadline for the 2026-2027 cycle is 11:59pm March 5, 2027. Selected applicants will be invited to interview for the program and eligible applicants will be evaluated for conditional admission in mid-April. Admissions decisions will be communicated to applicants by April 23, 2027. |
| Senior Year | Admitted HEAP-Eller students will ensure they are on track to complete all University of Arizona and Franke Honors College graduation requirements and pre-requisite courses to prepare for matriculation to the Eller College of Management. Admitted students may enroll in select Eller graduate courses during their senior year. Admitted students wills submit their official GradApp through the University of Arizona Graduate College to transition from conditional to full acceptance into their Eller graduate program (the application fee will be waived) |
| Following Undergraduate Graduation | Admitted HEAP-Eller students begin graduate school! |
Matriculation Requirements
Accepted students receive a conditional acceptance, contingent upon successful completion of program requirements. All programs require students to graduate with a cumulative University of Arizona GPA of 3.4 of higher. International students will need to meet TOEFL, IELTS, or Graduate College English Language requirements. Additional requirements may vary by program of interest; these will be listed below.
- Language Exam Scores for International Applicants
- TOEFL minimum score: 100 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 5 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- IELTS minimum score: 7
- TOEFL minimum score: 100 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 5 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- GRE/GMAT Exam Requirement: waived if student has demonstrated sufficient quantitative skills through coursework or other qualifications (check with program director for approval)
- Language Exam Scores for International Applicants
- TOEFL minimum score: 85 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 4.5 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- IELTS minimum score: 7, and no subject below 6
- TOEFL minimum score: 85 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 4.5 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- GRE/GMAT Exam Requirement: waived
- Complete a statistical foundations course with a B or better. Options to complete this include:
- BNAN 277 (Analytical Methods for Business)
- AREC 339 (Economic Statistics)
- MATH 263 (Introduction to Statistics and Biostatistics)
- PSY 230 (Psychological Measurement and Statistics)
- SBS 200 (Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences)
- DATA 361 (Elements of Statistics using Calculus)
- DATA 363 (Introduction to Statistical Methods)
- ISTA 331 (Principles and Practice of Data Science)
- SIE 433 (Fundamentals of Data Science for Engineers)
- Language Exam Scores for International Applicants:
- TOEFL minimum score: 90 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 4 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- IELTS minimum score: 7, and no subject below 6
- TOEFL minimum score: 90 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 4 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- GRE/GMAT Exam Requirement: waived if student is completing a STEM undergraduate degree
- Language Exam Scores for International Applicants
- TOEFL minimum score: 90 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 4 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- IELTS minimum score: 7, and no subject below 6
- TOEFL minimum score: 90 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 4 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- GRE/GMAT Exam Requirement: waived if student is completing a STEM undergraduate degree
- Language Exam Scores for International Applicants
- TOEFL minimum score: 79 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 4 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- IELTS minimum score: 7, and no subject below 6
- TOEFL minimum score: 79 for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 or 4 for tests taken after January 21, 2026
- GRE/GMAT Exam Requirement: waived
Program-Relevant Information
Students who are granted conditional acceptance via the HEAP-Eller application process may also receive tuition scholarship or graduate assistantship offers upon admission.
Scholarships are distributed when a student matriculates in the Master’s program in Eller. Students must maintain good standing at the University of Arizona academically, financially, and in terms of student code of conduct to receive the financial support. More information about potential scholarships available can be found below:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Up to 3 Graduate Assistantships
- Up to 5 scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000
- Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA)
- Up to 3 Graduate Assistantships
- MSBA Tucson: up to 5 scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000
- MSBA Scottsdale: 15% ~ 25% tuition scholarship
- Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence for Business (MS AIB)
- Up to 3 Graduate Assistantships with partial tuition waiver and stipend
- Up to 5 scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000
- Master of Science in Management Information Systems (MS MIS)
- Up to 3 Graduate Assistantships with partial tuition waiver and stipend
- Up to 5 scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000
- Master of Science in Marketing (MSM)
- Up to 3 Graduate Assistantships with partial tuition waiver and stipend
- Up to 5 scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000
FAQs
Yes, the program is open to out-of-state students.
No, students must be active members of the Franke Honors College for their application to be considered.
There is not a set number of admits promised each cycle. Each program will make independent admissions decisions based on the depth and strength of the applicant pool.
No, all majors are welcome to apply.
Yes, international students are welcome to apply. Please be aware of relevant language exam (TOEFL or IELTS) thresholds required for each program, noted in the matriculation requirements.
There isn’t one single model for an ideal candidate! We encourage applicants to bring their unique strengths and interests to their application. The program is a partnership between the Franke Honors College and the Eller College of Management and we are looking for candidates that are committed to both college communities. On the Franke side, a strong candidate is someone who is deeply engaged and can communicate the value of that engagement in relation to their future goals. On the Eller side, strong candidates will align with the mission and values of the program(s) of interest.
Affiliated Program Staff/Faculty
Eller College of Management:
- Georgia Stahl | Manager, Graduate Programs in Marketing | georgia@arizona.edu
- Michelle Piontek | Program Manager, HSLopez School of Business Analytics | mhanoka@arizona.edu
Franke Honors College:
- Dr. Karna Walter | Assistant Dean, Student Engagement | karna@arizona.edu
- Tori Nardinelli | Assistant Director, Research, Creative Expression, and Professional Initiatives | outfleet@arizona.edu
- Gloria Cota Aguirre | Coordinator, Research & Early Assurance Programs | gcotaaguirre@arizona.edu