Master of Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program provides post-baccalaureate students with a high-quality masters-level education in the field of business administration. The program is designed to prepare promising students for positions of increasing responsibility and leadership through education in the broad scope of business. It is open to all qualified students regardless of undergraduate major. The degree program has two concentrations:

MBA - Traditional Concentrations (36 or 42 units): For qualified applicants seeking to develop in-depth, graduate-level knowledge in one or more specialized business areas.

MBA - Executive Concentration (30 units): For qualified applicants possessing early- or mid-career experience who seek to expand their professional knowledge and skills through graduate business education. Also offered through the College of Extended and Global Education.

Admission to the Program

Suitability for admission to the program will be based on an examination of the entire application package. In addition to the general requirements of the university, specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status are:

  1. Bachelor's Degree: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with required minimum GPA of 3.0 calculated using the entire degree or the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units, which may include post baccalaureate work. Students with GMAT/GRE scores and/or professional experience as defined below in item 7. Business Aptitude Requirement, may be permitted to join with a 2.5 GPA;
  2. Personal  Statement:  Academic motivation and personal qualifications demonstrated through submission of a 200-250 word statement of reasons for wishing to pursue the MBA at California State University, San Bernardino and personal qualifications that will contribute to successful completion of the program;
  3. Resume: Submission of a current resume;
  4. Letters of Recommendation: One letter of recommendation and an interview with the MBA office are required;
  5. English Proficiency for International Students: All international applicants who have not completed three years of full-time study at the secondary or post-secondary level where English was the language of instruction must also achieve an acceptable score, as determined by the MBA committee, ratified by the College Curriculum Committee, and in alignment with the Office of Graduate Studies requirements, on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the IELTS exam, or must complete CSUSB's ESL program. The current minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 550/PBT, 213/CBT, 79-80/IBT taken within the past two years; IELTS score of 6.5 taken within the past two years; or complete level 6 of CSUSB's Intensive English Program
  6. Work Experience Requirement for Executive Concentration: Minimum two years substantive work experience as indicated by the Business Aptitude Requirement below​;
  7. Business Aptitude Requirement: Applicants for the MBA must meet one of the following Business Aptitude Requirements listed below:

A. Submission of an acceptable score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) as determined by the MBA committee, ratified by the College Curriculum Committee, and conforming with Office of Graduate Studies requirements. The current minimum acceptable GMAT score is 470 (with a minimum of 10% on both the GMAT Verbal and Quantitative percentile rankings). The current minimum acceptable GRE score of 298 (minimum 10% on GRE Verbal Ability and Quantitative Ability percentile rankings); or

B. Proof of completion of an accredited graduate degree (e.g. J.D., Ph.D., M.D) from an accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the graduate program; or

C. Minimum two years of post-undergraduate professional (defined as exempt level) and/or managerial (defined as responsible for scheduling, hiring, firing, evaluating, developing and/or rewarding employees) experience; or

D. 3.2 cumulative GPA from an AACSB accredited undergraduate business program.

Advancement to Candidacy

To be advanced to candidacy, a student must have:

  1. Achieved classified standing.
  2. Successfully completed the Core/Foundation courses (ADMN 6010 with a "C" (2.0) or better and ADMN 6020 with a "B" (3.0) or better);
  3. Successfully completed the MBA Boot Camps;
  4. Successfully completed 12 units with a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average in the program;
  5. Completed an approved graduate program plan in consultation with the MBA office;
  6. Secure final approval of the MBA office.

Requirements for Graduation

  1. A grade point average of 3.0 ("B") in all course work taken after admission to conditionally classified or classified status, and grades of "C" (2.0) or better in all courses in the program;
  2. After successfully advancing to Candidacy and completing all core courses, students are eligible to register for the culminating experience courses (ADMN 6980 and ADMN 6981) or (ADMN 6980 and ADMN 6983):
    1. Successful completion of MBA Portfolio (ADMN 6980) which includes preparation and submission of a portfolio of course work. The portfolio includes a reflective essay showing how the portfolio demonstrates accomplishment of essential goals for the program.
    2. Successful completion of Comprehensive Assessment (ADMN 6981) or Culminating Business Analyst Project (ADMN 6983)meets the culminating experience requirement.
  3. Successful completion (a grade of "B" (3.0) or better) of ADMN 6020  meets the graduate writing requirement.
  4. No more than 6 semester units of lower than 6000-level course work;
  5. A minimum of 30 semester units for the Executive Concentration or 36 semester units for the Traditional Concentration of acceptable graduate-level work, consistent with the program plan (with a minimum GPA of 3.0);
  6. At least 70% of the units for the degree are required to complete at California State University at San Bernardino;
  7. Any additional general requirements not cited above but listed in Graduate Degree Program Requirements.
  8. A "no credit" (NC) designation will be entered on the student's transcript if he/she fails the MBA Culminating Experience courses (ADMN 6980 and ADMN 6981) or (ADMN 6980and ADMN 6983). Students who do not receive a passing grade on the first attempt must petition the MBA office for permission to retake the MBA Culminating Experience courses.
  9. Students wishing to change from one concentration to another must reapply to the desired option, meeting all admission requirements.

Degree Requirements (30-45 units)

Core/Foundation (6)
ADMN 6010Data-Driven Decision Making3
ADMN 6020Advanced Managerial Communications3
Core/Essentials (21)
Students must select 7 courses out of 8 courses.21
Accounting for Managerial Decision-Making
Entrepreneurship and New Ventures
Financial Theory and Corporate Finance
Information Systems and Technology Management
Organization Theory and Behavior
Strategic Management
Marketing Management
Managing the Supply Chain
Culminating Experience (0-3)0-3
Concentration (3-15) 3-15
Students must satisfy the requirements of one of the concentrations listed below.
Total Units30-45

Culminating Experience (0 or 3 units)

Students must take ADMN 6980 and select ADMN 6981 or ADMN 6983. 

ADMN 6980MBA Portfolio0
ADMN 6981Comprehensive Assessment0
ADMN 6983Culminating Business Administration Project3
Total Units3

Concentrations (3-15 units)

Accounting and Internal Auditing Concentration

(Program Code: ACIA)

Six units from the following courses:6
Financial Accounting from the User Perspective with Data Analytics in Accounting
Controllership and Professional Ethics
Adanced Internal Auditing
Three units chosen from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 level or above), including the one course not taken above.3
Total Units9

Cyber Security Concentration

(Program Code: CSEC)

IST 6470Database Management and Policies3
IST 6480Information Networking Systems and Security3
IST 6700Cybersecurity Policy and Risk Management3
IST 6720Cyber Defense and Vulnerability Analysis3
IST 6730Cybersecurity Theory and Practice3
Total Units15

Entrepreneurship Concentration

(Program Code: ENTP)

Six units from the following courses:6
Commercializing Entrepreneurial Innovation
Resources for the Entrepreneur
Exploring Entrepreneurial Opportunities
Three units chosen from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 level or above), including the one course not taken above.3
Required Course (0 unit)
Reflective Essay
Total Units9

Finance Concentration

(Program Code: FINN)

Six units from the following courses:6
Financial Institutions and Markets
Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management
International Finance
Three units chosen from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 level or above), including the one course not taken above.3
Total Units9

Global Supply Chain Management Concentration

(Program Code: GSCH)

Six units from the following courses:6
Project Management
Global Supply Chain Management and Logistics
Transportation and Supply Chain Management
Three units chosen from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 level or above), including the one course not taken above.3
Total Units9

Hospitality Management Concentration

(Program Code: HOSM)

Six units from the following courses:6
Innovation in Hospitality
Hospitality Services Management
Contemporary issues in Hospitality and Tourism
Three units chosen from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 level or above), including the one course not taken above.3
Total Units9

Human Resource Management Concentration

(Program Code: HRMG)

Required Course3
Human Resource Management
Six units from the following courses6
Strategic Human Resource Management
California Human Resources
International Human Resources
Contemporary Topics in Human Resources Management
Independent Study
Internship
Three units chosen from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 level or above)
Total Units9

Management Concentration

(Program Code: MANM)

Six units from the following courses:6
Human Resource Management
International Management
Leadership as Art and Science
Three units chosen from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 level or above), including the one course not taken above.3
Total Units9

Marketing Concentration

(Program Code: MRKM)

Six units from the following courses:6
Consumer and Organizational Buying Behavior
Advanced Marketing Research
Marketing Strategy
One additional elective chosen from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 level or above), including the one course not taken above.3
Total Units9

Interdisciplinary Concentration

(Program Code: INDF)

Six units from any of the required courses listed in any of the other concentrations above.6
Three units from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 or above).3
Total Units9

Executive Concentration

(Program Code: EXEC)

(Also offered through the College of Extended and Global Education.  Program Code: EXCG)

Three units from any JHBC graduate level course (5000 or above)3
Total Units3