Global Business Development (MSGBD)
Enhancing Global Skills + Experiential Learning =
A Successful Global Business Career
The Master of Science Degree in Global Business Development (MSGBD) is a unique one-year program, with curriculum designed to provide students with a solid foundation for a career in international business with a particular focus on developing skills in international sales and analytics, marketing, strategy and entrepreneurial thinking. The program emphasizes learning through hands-on experiences involving three semester-long consulting projects.
Recent graduates have found successful careers as management consultants, sales executives, fiscal service experts, marketing managers, and business development professionals in the areas of technology, logistics, biotech, healthcare, and finance.
MSGBD Cohort Profile
Newly Enrolled
Average Age
Average Years of Work Experience
Average GPA
Languages Spoken
Countries Represented
USA, Morocco, Philippines, Dominican Republic, Armenia, Italy, Estonia, Egypt, Mexico, India, Nigeria, and China
Undergraduate Majors
Global Business Development Curriculum
- BA 640: Financial Reporting and Analysis
- BA 642: Statistics
- BA 645: Marketing
- BA 674: Financial Management
- BA 673: Organizational Behavior
Program Faculty
Andrew Baker
Associate Professor[email protected]619-594-4306SSE 3131
John Francis
Associate Professor[email protected]619-594-5339SSE 3312
Gabriel Gonzalez
Associate Professor[email protected]619-594-1898SSE 3126
Jaemin Kim
Director of Undergraduate Programs/Professor [email protected]619-594-2721SSE 3412
Sean McHenry
Lecturer[email protected]SSE 3141
San Diego: A Global Hub
San Diego is an excellent place to study global business. The second-largest city in Southern California, San Diego is a major global business hub and home to a number of globally competitive industries such as life sciences and biotech, medical devices, and cybersecurity.
Located just miles from the Mexican border, San Diego is a dynamic center of the Cali-Baja mega-region that has been attracting global business by way of foreign direct investment and top talent for decades. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, San Diego boasts miles of beaches, proximity to ski resorts and a thriving cosmopolitan culture.
San Diego State University is the largest university in San Diego supporting 123 years of achievement in education, research, and service. SDSU’s Fowler College of Business, one of seven SDSU academic colleges, has a 20+ year-long tradition of providing top quality international business education. Its undergraduate International Business (IB) program, offered jointly with the College of Arts Letters, is ranked #4 among U.S. public universities according to U.S. News & World Report (2021). Its Wendy Gillespie Center for Advancing Global Business (WGCAGB) has been designated as a National Center of Excellence since 1989.
Project-Based Learning
The M.S. in Global Business Development (MSGBD) is strongly focused on hands-on learning. Each semester MSGBD students work with real companies on projects designed to help them address international business development challenges.
In the fall, students work with a U.S.-based clients seeking to assess regulatory and compliance issues associated with international expansion. In the spring, students work with international startups and SMEs on business development in the U.S.
The program concludes with a capstone, “International Business Development Practicum (IBDP)”, which consists of a summer-long assignment that begins with a visit to a client company in another country. Students work with the executives to scope the project and learn about its operations, products, and strategy on location. The students are then tasked to develop a detailed business development plan integrating and implementing the knowledge they have gained throughout the program. Besides honing cross-cultural competencies and an entrepreneurial mindset, the project demands extensive data collection and analysis culminating in a professional presentation.
In the past, MSGBD clients involved companies from a variety of industry sectors and from countries such as Costa Rica, New Zealand, Tunisia, Czech Republic, Italy, and others.
Current Student Advising
Martina Musteen
Faculty Director, Wendy Gillespie Center for Advancing Global Business, Charles Hostler Professor of Global Business[email protected]619-594-8346SSE 3302Get In Touch
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Take the Next Step
Ready to jumpstart your career? Apply now! Or, if you have any questions about the program, contact us via the Request Info button.