The Fowler College of Business offers a variety of top ranked graduate business programs to service the needs of individuals seeking to improve their managerial and leadership skills.
Office Hours
The Graduate Business Programs office is open to help you!
The Graduate Business Programs is open for in-person visits in LH 448 Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
For MSA and BMAcc Students Only: The goal of this course is to synthesize theory and application to prepare students for the dynamics of real -world professional accounting practice: diagnosing problems and issues, analyzing relevant information, making responsible and ethical decisions, and reporting decision results and recommendations. This course satisfies the requirement for a culminating experience for all Master of Science in Accountancy programs.
For MSIS, MSCM, and MSSCI Students Only: This course satisfies the requirement for a culminating experience in the Master of Science Degree in Information Systems (MSIS) program, Master of Science Degree in Cybersecurity Management (MSCM) program, and Master of Science in Supply Chain Innovation. This class is an assessment of the student’s ability to integrate the knowledge, show critical and independent thinking, and demonstrate mastery of the subject matter.
For MBA Students Only: The culminating experience (BA 795) for MBA students is a course where a mastery of the skills and theories taught throughout the program are demonstrated. For the Fowler College of Business to arrange for an adequate number of quality projects to match demand, we need an accurate count of the number of students who plan to enroll in BA 795 by the published deadline on the Google Request Form.
Completion of this course satisfies the culminating experience (Plan B) in the in the M.B.A. program.
Students can take either a One Unit Simulation or Three Unit Consulting Project. Students who started prior to fall 2021 and have not adopted a new catalog can only take the Three Unit Consulting Project.
Three Unit Consulting Project
Students work with real-world clients, define client problems, collect primary and/or secondary data, analyze data, and offer a set of recommendations for them. We have served clients in industries such as new energy, tech, cybersecurity, and satellite, helping them with issues of market entry, HR practice, new product introduction, and others.
One Unit Consulting Project
Students engage in a business simulation and utilize corporate strategy, sales, finance, and other skills gained through the MBA program to outperform competitors.
Advancement to Candidacy is required in order to take BA 795.
What is my Degree Audit Report (Degree Evaluation)?The Degree Evaluation (also called the degree audit report) is a resource for students and advisors to track student requirements, also known as your Program of Study, toward graduation. It includes course, GPA, and advancement to candidacy requirements.
What should I do if I see a mistake in my DAR and need to change it?If you wish to alter your POS, a Petition for Adjustment of Academic Requirements must be supported by the graduate advisor and approved by Graduate Studies. You must complete the petition, obtain approval of the graduate advisor, and it will be submitted to Graduate Studies. You will receive an email confirmation once the petition has been reviewed.
How many units of transfer, extension, or foreign university credit may be used on my Program of Study?In most graduate programs the maximum transfer credit allowed is 9 units. This includes coursework taken through SDSU Global Campus. (Refer to the University Policies section of theGraduate Bulletinfor specific exceptions.) All transfer credit must have been taken at an accredited university, and approved by the graduate advisor and Graduate Studies.
What is my catalog year?The academic year you begin is your University Catalog year. For instance, students who start in August 2022 will be in the catalog year 2022-2023. Your particular University Catalog establishes all policies, university requirements, and departmental requirements you will follow to complete your degree. Degree Requirements and Policies can change across catalog years. It is important to know your catalog year and access that particular catalog to reference any particular policies and requirements you must follow. To this end, you can access both thecurrent catalogand thecatalog archiveonline.
Program of Study (POS) Worksheets
The worksheets below can be used for unofficial planning purposes. Please refer to your Degree Evaluation/Degree Audit Report for the official review of your degree program.
What is Conditional Standing?Students admitted conditionally have not met all university or department requirements for admission – this is often due to GPA requirements or students having three-year undergraduate degrees. Conditionally admitted students are usually required to take prerequisite courses or obtain a certain GPA during their first several semesters of attendance. The specific conditions, and the allotted time period for completing them, are set by the student's department. If you have been admitted conditionally, please contact your graduate advisor for specific information regarding your conditions.
What is Classified Standing? Your student standing is/becomes "Classified Graduate Student” when you have met all university and department requirements upon admission or by the end of your conditional admission period.
I am a conditionally admitted student. When the conditions of admission have been met, how do I request a change of my status?In the Fowler College of Business, conditionally admitted students must meet their requirements by the deadline established by Graduate Studies. Upon completion of your condition, the Graduate Business Advisor monitors your progress and will request your change of status for you.
What does it mean to be Advanced to Candidacy?A student who has been advanced to candidacy has been officially recognized by the university as a candidate for the degree, meaning that he/she/they is/are ready to graduate. In order to be advanced to candidacy a student must:
Complete at least 12 POS units.
Have a minimum POS and cumulative Graduate GPA of 3.00.
Earned a grade of C or higher on all classes counted on the POS.
Students can typically request advancement through their Degree Audit Report (Degree Evaluation).
The Standards of Professional Conduct are critical to the values and missions of SDSU’s Fowler College of Business and are essential to achieve its mission to empower students from diverse backgrounds to achieve upward socioeconomic mobility. High professional standards are fundamental to maintaining employers’ and the public’s trust in Fowler graduates and in the business profession.
SDSU’s Fowler College of Business is accredited by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), which maintains a high standard for certifying business schools and promoting professionalism in the business field. In line with AACSB professional standards, SDSU university policy, and policy of the College of Graduate Studies (as defined in the university catalog), Fowler Graduate Programs may recommend administrative disqualification of a student who at any time during enrollment has demonstrated behavior unfit for the business profession.
Graduate students in the Fowler College of Business must pay an additional fee per unit for all units taken as a requirement for graduation for the following degrees. This fee is in addition to basic tuition and fees and nonresident tuition.
Students may be exempt from the fee in the following situations. 1. Students enrolled in the concurrent MBA/MA in Latin American Studies are charged the professional fee on business courses but not on courses with Latin American content. 2. Students are not charged the professional fee for courses that are not used to meet degree requirements (i.e., courses that are not included on official Programs of Study and are not program prerequisites). Examples of these types of courses include exercise or undergraduate language courses.
Graduate Professional Business Fee Waiver Request
(Please download, complete electronically, then Save As. No handwritten/photographed fee waivers can be processed.) When you send it the completed form to[email protected],add the reason and semester you are requesting in the body of the email as well as the form itself.
Students currently pursuing a Master’s or doctoral degree may add on an optionalAdvanced Certificateby initiating a “Request for Permission to Enter an Advanced Certificate Program” electronic formhere.
This form must be completed before completing 50% of the certificate units as well as completing 50% of your Program of Study for your degree.
Upon completion of the Advanced Certificate, students must submit the Completion of Advanced Certificate form through my.SDSU. Note, this form can only be processed after all grades earned for the certificate are posted.
To initiate a form, first log into my.SDSU.
Next, select the Academic Records tile.
Choose Student Records Forms from the side menu
Select Notification of Completion of Advanced Certificate Program and complete the form.
Upon receipt of online form, the graduate advisor will send a link to an additional form that will specify what classes taken and what grades earned for the certificate.
How is the College of Graduate Studies and the Fowler Graduate Program Office affiliated?
The College of Graduate Studies provides leadership and support to the Fowler College of Business masters and advanced certificate programs. Graduate Studies creates, maintains, adjusts, and evaluates your Degree Audit Report as well as ensures that all degree requirements and university policies are followed. Graduate Studies has many resources available on their website linked below under SDSU Campus Resources.
In the Fowler College of Business Graduate Programs, CPT is any optional practical training (internship, practicum, or other employment) that is an integral part of the established curriculum for a program of study. Most CPT occurs off-campus.
CPT requires that the training must be part of your academic program of study while you are enrolled in school.
Only practical training that is directly related to the course curriculum qualifies as CPT.
Both paid and unpaid practical training require CPT authorization from the ISC before a student can begin the opportunity with the employer.
CPT is authorized by the International Student Complex (ISC) for one term at a time.
A case study competition designed to give students from leading MBA programs across the country real world experience and invaluable insights into mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, financial advisory and private equity. To get involved, please contactNikhil Varaiya, Ph. D..
A yearly competition hosted by SDSU's Zahn Innovation Center. Zahn seeks innovation driven ideas or technology that can scale to address a large market opportunity.
Culminating Experience
All Master's students complete a “culminating experience” at the end of their program. This final step is satisfied through either the Plan A or Plan B option.
Plan Ais completed with a thesis that will be published in the San Diego State Library. A thesis is the written product of a systematic study of a significant problem; it states the major assumptions, explains the significance of the undertaking, sets forth the sources for and the methods of gathering information, and analyzes the data, and offers a conclusion or recommendation. The finished product shows evidence of originality, critical and independent thinking, appropriate organization, language, and format, high level of writing competency, and thorough documentation. Your thesis will be supervised by a faculty committee consisting of two members from your department, and one from another SDSU department (either within Fowler or outside). It is never too early to start thinking about your thesis committee! Identify faculty members you work well with, and that specialize in your area of interest.
Plan B(Comprehensive Examination) Students pursuing Plan B will complete a comprehensive examination, project, or portfolio in lieu of the thesis and is an assessment of your ability to integrate knowledge of your subject area, show critical and independent thinking, and demonstrate mastery of the subject matter. Discuss the format, expectations, and registration requirements with your graduate advisor well in advance of your last semester.
A project in the culminating experience classes in Fowler serves as Plan B. The culminating experience in the majors are:
MSA– ACCTG 790; MBA– BA 795; MSGBD– BA 796; MSBA-FTP–FIN 590; MSCM and MSIS–MIS 790.
You should be Advanced to Candidacy prior to registering for your culminating course. Your Graduate Advisor will notify Graduate Studies after you have passed the exam, project or portfolio.
Graduation Application
A Graduation Application must be completed via WebPortal by each student in the semester they anticipate graduating. Students should visit theOffice of the Registrar's Apply to Graduate pagefor information about applying online and filing periods. There will be a nonrefundable $100 filing fee when you submit the application. MoreGraduation Information.
The Master of Engineering degree is a practice-oriented, interdisciplinary degree designed to meet the needs of students who are interested in furthering a career in engineering with a business/management emphasis. College of Engineering runs the program with the necessary advising. The 36-unit degree requires Engineering students to take 12 units of Business Courses. Students are highly encouraged to take those classes within one track (Supply Chain Management, Tech Sales and Marketing, Entrepreneurship, or Tech Commercialization). If you can not get 12 units from one track, please select from Other Suitable Classes.
For the 2023- 2024 Academic Year, these classes have been confirmed to offer
Graduate academic advisors in the Fowler College of Business are available virtually to answer your questions. To schedule a virtual appointment, email your advisor directly. Please refer to the list below for contact information:
Program Advisor, Faculty Director for Charles Hostler Professor of Global Business, and Wendy Gillespie Center for Advancing Global Business[email protected]619-594-8346SSE 3302
