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Application Deadlines
Early Action: November 1, 2018
Regular Decision 1: January 15, 2019
Regular Decision 2: March 15, 2019
About Minerva
Minerva Schools at KGI (www.minerva.kgi.edu) is a 4-year residential university based in San Francisco, USA. Minerva offers an innovative undergraduate program that combines a global education with an intensive and interdisciplinary curriculum. All Minerva students study and live in a new city each semester, and graduate with global experience from San Francisco, Seoul, London, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Hyderabad and Taipei. Minerva students engage with a diversity of people and societies, while gaining access to a wealth of educational resources far beyond those available on a traditional campus.
Building upon their coursework, students participate in a range of experiential learning programs with top individuals and organizations in each city. The university’s Professional Development Agency provides lifelong career support beginning in your first year of study.
Academic Programs
The Minerva education is both fully active and intentionally structured for intellectual growth. Unlike the passive lectures at other universities, Minerva classes are exclusively small, interactive seminars, where expert faculty guide students through discussion and collaborative work. This active learning approach stimulates deep cognition, enhancing their understanding of course material and furthering their ability to apply concepts to new situations. As students progress from year-to-year, the curriculum becomes increasingly focused and individualized, with courses specific to their selected fields and a variety of independent project work.
Minerva offers majors or courses, each with different specializations which students select to focus on:
Arts and Humanities: humanities analyses, humanities foundations, humanities applications, historical forces, philosophy ethics and the law, dynamics of the arts and literature
Computational Sciences: computational theory and analysis, contemporary knowledge discovery, applied problem solving, computer science and artificial intelligence, mathematics and operations research, and data science and statistics
Natural Sciences: theoretical foundations of natural science, research analysis in natural science, designing solutions, molecules and atoms, cells and organisms, earth’s system
Social Sciences: theory and analysis of the social sciences, empirical approaches to the social sciences, designing societies, economic markets, mind and emotio, global governance
Business: brand management, strategic finance, managing operational complexity, new business ventures, scalable growth, enterprise management
Eligibility Requirements
While exceptional academic performance is crucial, Minerva admissions also seeks raw potential. To qualify for admission, you will need to demonstrate initiative, curiosity and intellectual capacity. The admissions committee reviews academic excellence, as well as your areas of passion and personal achievement. In addition, a desire to improve the human condition and collaborate in solving the most complex problems of our time is important. While there are many ways to demonstrate these qualities, you must be capable of handling the academic rigor of the Minerva curriculum, have the maturity to navigate diverse cities and cultures, and be ready to contribute meaningfully to both the Minerva community and society as a whole.
How To Apply
Minerva’s three-part application process is distinct from those at other universities. The application process is designed to empower students to answer three key questions: who you are, how you think, and what you have achieved.
In addition to basic personal and academic information, students are required to complete a series of engaging challenges designed to measures creativity, mathematics, as well as written and spoken communications. These tests are administered in a timed, online-proctored format. Students also have the opportunity to describe their personal achievements, for example, personal projects, involvement in academic olympiads or Model UN groups, literary or artistic works, leadership of non-academic initiatives, employment experiences.
Admission is based on merit alone and is determined by Minerva’s own specific criteria, not standardized test scores or generic essay questions. All applications are done online online. Visit https://www.minerva.kgi.edu/admissions/ to view and begin the application process.
Financial Aid
Admissions at Minerva is merit-based and need-blind, which means students are admitted based on merit and not on their financial background. Minerva offers financial aid and eligibility is determined entirely by your demonstrated need. This independent financial aid application process allows Minerva to evaluate all candidates equally, so if you meet the rigorous admissions standards, Minerva will offer a package that will enable you to attend.
Minerva offers three types of financial aid to students:
Low-Interest Loans - Minerva offers low-interest loans to all qualified students. These do not exceed $20,000 over all four years and are deliberately structured to greatly reduce your financial burden after graduation.
Minerva Work-Study - To supplement your family's contribution and help pay down your student loan, Minerva provides extensive term-time employment opportunities to students who demonstrate additional need.
Need-based Scholarship - If there is still a gap in funding your education, the Minerva Institute will provide a need-based scholarship made possible by the generous contribution of philanthropic donors.
Important: to be considered for financial aid, complete the admissions process first, and then follow the steps listed under Financial Aid Requirements. Every applicant is eligible to apply for financial aid. Apply for financial aid here: https://www.minerva.kgi.edu/tuition-aid/financial-aid/
Postgraduate Degree
Minerva’s Master of Science in Decision Analysis is a 21-month-long, part-time program, including 16 months of coursework, followed by five months of independent study on a Master’s thesis. It consists of five core courses, namely: Advanced Formal Analyses, Advanced Empirical Analyses, Advanced Complex Systems, Information Based Decisions and Research Methods. After completing the program you will be able to analyze and use data effectively in a variety of fields, to compare options available in any given decision-making scenario, and to establish metrics and systems to evaluate and make intelligent decisions. Apply for the masters degree online here: https://www.minerva.kgi.edu/masters/apply/