San Diego State University, Graduate School of Business History

San Diego State University, founded in 1897, is a public, coeducational institution. The 350-acre campus is located in an urban area 10 miles from the Pacific coast and downtown San Diego. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 32,043.

The Graduate School of Business was founded in 1959 and is located on the main campus. An off-site MBA program is offered in Taiwan. The basic educational approach is the case method, with strong entrepreneurial and international orientations. An emphasis is placed on teamwork and the application of skills and knowledge to managerial decision making.

San Diego State University, Graduate School of Business Academics

The Graduate School of Business offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Business Administration (MSBA), and Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA) as well as a joint degree in Latin American studies and a 4-year concurrent program with California Western Law School leading to an MBA/JD. Other programs include foreign exchange with 10 countries, coop programs, joint research through the Center for International Business Education and Research, and the MBA for Executives program designed for midcareer executives. The strongest areas of study are accountancy, entrepreneurship, financial and tax planning, international business, and marketing. The most popular courses are Product Innovation, Financing the Emerging Enterprise, and Entrepreneurship. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus, including Executive-in-Residence, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and Visiting International Scholars programs.

Forty-nine total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 15 elective credits. Required courses include:

• Financial Accounting
• Managerial Accounting
• Managerial Economics
• Financial Management
• Statistical Analysis
• Operations Management
• Organizational Behavior
• Marketing

Required courses for the MSA include:

• Financial and Managerial Accounting
• Statistics
• Financial Management
• Managerial Economics
• Organizational Behavior

Required courses for the MSBA include:

• Financial Accounting Fundamentals
• Managerial Accounting Fundamentals
• Principles of Economics
• Statistical Methods or Elementary Statistics for Business
• Fundamentals of Finance
• Introduction to Production and Operations Management
• Management and Organizational Behavior
• Marketing

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements for the MS only by having completed relevant course work in undergraduate study.

Business students may take relevant nonbusiness courses in other departments. The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 12 months; maximum, 2 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 2 years; maximum, 4 years.

There are 88 total full-time graduate business faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate; there are 11 part-time faculty, of whom 80% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated well above average for Category IIA institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 9; average business class size is 35.

San Diego State University, Graduate School of Business Unique Programs

Library

The university’s main library houses a collection of more than 4,153,642 microform items, 566,000 special business collections, and 9993 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 4804 periodicals. The business library is particularly strong in marketing and financial reference. Students have access to such databases and networks as ABI/INFORM, NEXIS, and Melvyl. Other opportunities for research consist of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Entrepreneurial Management Center (EMC), and Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER).

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities, consisting of the IBM/Mac laboratories networked to servers and personal laboratories with more than 100 Pentium III computers.

Career and Job Placement

Majors most in demand by companies recruiting in 2006 were marketing, finance, management, and information and decision systems. Average starting salary of the graduating class was $45,000; range was $40,000 to $120,000. Placement services are extensive. Placement services for alumni include on-campus interviews, career fairs, workshops, job hotlines, career counseling, computerized programs of self-assessment and job assistance, and a video resource library. Placement is available through the university placement office.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL. They also must submit a translation of their transcripts and proof of adequate funds to cover 1 year of study. There are special fees of $600 for health insurance. The application deadline for fall entry is April 15.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 16 weeks long; summer sessions, 6 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the day and evening.

San Diego State University, Graduate School of Business Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 2.85 and a GMAT score of 540. Most important admissions factors are academic accomplishments and ability, GMAT results, and work experience. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 807; 386 were accepted; 235 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.3; average GMAT score was 600. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by attending NSHMBA education forums.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall and spring. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $55, a resume, and a personal statement. The application deadlines are April 15 for fall entry; November 1, spring. Students are notified on a rolling basis of the admissions decision. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is April 15.

San Diego State University, Graduate School of Business Financial Aid

About 20% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships. The FAFSA is required. The application deadline is April 15 for fall entry.

Residents pay no tuition. Nonresidents pay $339 per credit, or $8136 per year. On-campus room and board costs approximately $9900; books and supplies, $1200; personal expenses, $2300; and other fees, $3758, for an estimated annual total of $17,158 for in-state residents and $25,294 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing is available in special on-campus residence halls and off-campus apartments, houses, rooms in private homes, and privately owned residence halls. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

San Diego State University, Graduate School of Business Students

Forty-five percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 85% have had an average of 4 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from California (68%). Thirty-six percent are women, 10% are minorities, and 15% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 28; ages range from 23 to 48. Fifteen percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 10% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 50%, business; 12%, engineering; 12%, math and science; 8%, social sciences; 7%, economics; and 1%, liberal arts. About 8% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 92% remain to receive their degree. In 2006, 329 graduate business degrees were awarded.