Master of Business Administration

Program Overview

The MBA program at San Francisco State University prepares students for managerial roles by developing an attitude of intellectual curiosity, fostering continuous learning, and equipping students with applicable business knowledge. The program is structured with prerequisites, advanced requirements, electives, and a culminating experience, culminating in a Strategic Management course and examination. The program is accredited by AACSB and offers professional development workshops, and students can waive prerequisite courses based on previous equivalent coursework or an AACSB-accredited degree.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at San Francisco State University is designed to prepare students for managerial roles in a dynamic business environment. The program aims to:

• Prepare students for responsible positions in a rapidly changing world.
• Develop an attitude of intellectual curiosity and foster an interest in continuous learning.
• Equip students with the skills to apply business knowledge across diverse endeavors.

Outline:

The MBA program is structured around a set of prerequisites, advanced requirements, and electives, culminating in a Strategic Management course and examination.

Prerequisites (0 - 24 Units):

• BUS 714: Elements of Graduate Business Writing (3 Units): This course is required for conditional admits.
• ACCT 780: Financial Accounting (3 Units): Introduces the fundamentals of financial accounting.
• DS 786: Operations Analysis (3 Units): Explores operations management techniques.
• ECON 783: Economics for Managers (3 Units): Covers economic principles relevant to business decision-making.
• FIN 785: Financial Management (3 Units): Covers financial management principles and techniques.
• MGMT 788: Management Principles and Organizational Behavior (3 Units): Explores management theories and organizational behavior concepts.
• MKTG 787: Marketing Management (3 Units): Provides a comprehensive overview of marketing principles and strategies.

Advanced Requirements (12 Units):

• Accounting/Quantitative Methods (3 Units): Choose one course from:
• ACCT 831: Financial Statement Analysis
• FIN 819: Financial Analysis and Management
• Ethics/Management (3 Units): Choose one course from:
• BUS 884: Business Ethics, Society, and Sustainability
• MGMT 842: Seminar in Organization Design and Change
• Marketing/Globalization (3 Units): Choose one course from:
• MKTG 860: Strategic Marketing
• IBUS 815: Seminar in International Business

Electives (15 Units):

• Advisor-approved electives with at least three courses from the 800-level offered by the College of Business.
• Up to two graduate-level courses within the University can be taken with advisor approval.
• A maximum of two prerequisite courses taken at SF State (ACCT 780, DS 776, DS 786, ECON 783, ISYS 782, FIN 785, MGMT 788, MKTG 787) can count as electives.

Culminating Experience (3 Units):

• BUS 890: Strategic Management
• BUS 896: Culminating Experience Examination

Advancement to Candidacy:

• To be considered for Advancement to Candidacy, students must meet the following requirements:
• Complete all general University requirements.
• Attend all professional development workshops at orientation.
• Satisfy all prerequisite courses.
• Achieve an overall SF State GPA of 3.0 or better.
• Complete at least 12 units of College of Business advanced requirement courses.

Other:

• The MBA program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
• San Francisco State University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
• The program offers professional development workshops as part of its orientation.
• Students can waive prerequisite courses based on previous equivalent coursework or a recent AACSB-accredited business degree.
• Students can request waivers for individual prerequisite courses based on prior coursework completed at other institutions.
• Each applicant is assessed holistically based on their academic record, GMAT/GRE scores, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and work experience.
• The program has specific graduate advisors for each elective area.