Business Administration (MBA)

Improve Your Managerial and Leadership Skills Through Our Graduate Business Program

The Master of Business Administration at San Diego State University offers a flexible schedule, hands-on learning experiences, and a full-range of specializations, allowing students the opportunity to customize their MBA while getting real world experience. 

Who Hires Our MBA Graduates?

Business Administration Curriculum

  • BA 640 Financial Reporting and Analysis (2 units)
  • BA 641 Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility (1 unit)
  • BA 642 Statistical Analysis (2 units)
  • BA 643 Managerial Economics (2 units)
  • BA 644 Operations and Supply Chain Management (2 units)
  • BA 645 Marketing (1 unit)

Foundational core courses are waivable through prior academic work for which a grade of B or better was earned within the previous 7 years at an AACSB accredited (or equivalent) university.

  • BA 670 Managerial Accounting (3 units)
  • BA 671 Legal Environment of Business (2 units)
  • BA 672 Managerial Marketing (3 units)
  • BA 673 Organization Behavior and Leadership (3 units)
  • BA 674 Financial Management (3 units)
  • BA 649 Business Analytics (3 units)
  • BA 676 Strategic Thinking (3 units)

Professional core courses may not be waived.

All students are required to complete no fewer than 9 elective units.

  • Electives can be taken from any ACCTG, FIN, MGT, MIS, and MKTG graduate class.
  • Up to six units in BA 780, Field Studies in Business and BA 798, Special Studies.
  • Up to six units of 500 level coursework can be included.
  • Up to six units can be taken from outside of the Fowler College of Business upon approval by the director of graduate business programs. 

Below are suggestions for elective selection but are not all-encompassing.  Students may choose to specialize in a specific area of study. Specializations require a minimum of 12 units (four classes) in their chosen area of emphasis. Students may specialize in only one area of study. To officially specialize, a student must complete this Request for Specialization form after registering for their fourth and final specialization course.  

For a listing of the specific courses recommended for each of the specializations and career electives, please select a subject below.

Optional MBA Specializations

The MBA in Finance Specialization provides students with an academic curriculum that focuses on four career tracts: Financial Management, Investment Management, Financial Institutions Management, and Wealth Management.

Choose Four (12 units)
  • FIN 522: Individual Insurance Management
  • FIN 585: Estate Planning Issues and Practice
  • FIN 589: Personal Financial Planning
  • FIN 590: Personal Financial Planning Practicum
  • FIN 617: Financial Management II
  • FIN 641: Financing the Emerging Enterprise
  • FIN 651: Seminar in Investments
  • FIN 652: Seminar in Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
  • FIN 653: Case Studies in Financial Management
  • FIN 654: Seminar in International Business Finance (Summer)
  • FIN 659: Decision Making in the World Economy
  • ACCTG 620: Financial Measurement and Reporting
  • ACCTG 663: Financial Statement Analysis
Career Track Recommendations
Financial Management
  • FIN 617
  • FIN 641
  • FIN 651
  • FIN 653
  • FIN 654
  • FIN 659
  • ACCTG 620
  • ACCTG 663
Investment Management
  • FIN 651
  • FIN 652
  • FIN 654
  • FIN 659
  • ACCTG 663
Financial Institutions Management
  • FIN 617
  • FIN 651
  • FIN 654
  • FIN 659
  • ACCTG 663
Wealth Management
  • FIN 522
  • FIN 585
  • FIN 589
  • FIN 590
  • FIN 651
  • FIN 652

The MBA in Health Services Administration is designed to give students the opportunity to integrate the knowledge they gain in earning their MBA with 12 units of coursework in Public Health. This knowledge helps to prepare students to work in various healthcare administration positions within the healthcare field.

Required (3 units)
  • PH 641 – Introduction to Health Services (offered in the Fall)
Choose Three (9 units)
  • PH 644B – Managing High Performing Health Care Organization
  • PH 648 – Health Policy
  • PH 748 – Health Services Competitive Strategy and Marketing
  • PH 605 – Health Services Administration

The MBA in Information Systems specialization provides students with an academic curriculum focused on creating value with information. An information system (IS) is a reliably, repeatable way to create value with information. In times past, organizations used IS to boost their productivity. In today’s knowledge economy, the information system is the business. This specialization prepares a leader to understand and improve an organization’s ability to protect and to optimize the return on its intellectual capital. It will examine how an organization can use its information and information systems to enhance its offerings and to gain sustainable strategic advantages.

Choose One (3 units)
  • MIS 688 – Information Systems in Organizations
  • MIS 691 – Decision Support Systems
Choose Three (9 units)
  • MIS 720–Electronic Business and Big Data Infrastructures
  • MIS 686 – Enterprise Database Management
  • MIS 687 –Secure Enterprise Networking and Mobile Technologies
  • MIS 688 – Information Systems and Strategies in Organizations
  • MIS 691 – Decision Support Systems
  • MIS 695 –Business Systems Analysis and Design
  • MIS 697 – Project Planning and Development
  • MIS 705 – Communication Strategies
  • MIS 649 – Business Analytics
  • MIS 750 – Strategic Project Management
  • MIS 752 –Seminar in Supply Chain & Enterprise Resource Planning
  • MIS 753 – Global Supply Chain Analytics
  • MIS 755 – Information Systems Security Management

Suggested Electives for Specific Career Focus

Students with Undergraduate Degree in Accounting 

  • ACCTG 630: Ethics in Accounting
  • ACCTG 650: Tax Research and Practice
  • ACCTG 651: Seminar in Corporate Tax
  • ACCTG 654: Seminar in Partnership Taxation
  • ACCTG 655: Tax Planning for Individuals
  • ACCTG 657: Accounting for Income Taxes
  • ACCTG 659: Seminar in Taxation Topics
  • ACCTG 663: Financial Statement Analysis
  • ACCTG 670: Seminar in Assurance Services
  • ACCTG 673: AIS Development
  • ACCTG 675: Seminar in AIS Audit and Control
  • ACCTG 729: Forensic Accounting
Student without Undergraduate Degree in Accounting
  • ACCTG 620: Financial Measurement and Reporting
  • ACCTG 621: Accounting Information Systems
  • ACCTG 624: Tax for Managers
  • ACCTG 625: Managerial Analysis and Financial Reporting
  • ACCTG 626: Auditing and Assurance Services
  • ACCTG 630: Ethics in Accounting
  • ACCTG 663: Financial Statement Analysis

Students will have the opportunity to take additional courses that will allow them to tailor their education to the specific contexts most relevant to their entrepreneurial interests.

  • MGT 724: Entrepreneurship
  • FIN 641: Financing the Emerging Enterprise
  • MGT 744: Managing the Growing Firm
  • MGT 748: International Entrepreneurship
  • MKTG 761: Product Innovation Management
  • BA 780: Field Studies in Business
Within Fowler College
  • FIN 654 – International Business Finance
  • MKTG 769 – International Marketing
  • MGT 710 – World Business Environment
  • MIS 753 – Global Supply Chain Management
Outside Fowler College (taken with permission from Graduate Business Director)
  • POL S 577 – Principles of International Law
  • JMS 574 – International Advertising

Organizational Interaction with the External Environment
  • MGT 722: Business Ethics and Social Institutions
  • MGT 724: Entrepreneurship
  • MGT 744: Managing the Growing Firm
  • MGT 746: Corporate Governance
Managing in a Global Environment
  • MGT 710: Seminar in World Business
  • MGT 748: International Entrepreneurship
Internal Organizational Structure and Processes
  • MGT 721: Group Process/Leadership
Choose Any of the Following
  • MKTG 761 – Product Innovation Management
  • MKTG 763 – Seminar in Sales Management
  • MKTG 768 – Seminar in Internet Marketing and E-Business
  • MKTG 769 – Seminar in International Marketing
  • MKTG 772 – Strategic Brand Management
  • MKTG 779 – Advanced Marketing Strategy
more Focused Marketing Course Recommendations
Integrated Marketing Communication
  • MKTG 768 – Seminar in Internet Marketing and E-Business
  • MKTG 772 – Strategic Brand Management
Managerial Marketing
  • MKTG 761 – Product Innovation Management
  • MKTG 772 – Strategic Brand Management
  • MKTG 779 – Advanced Marketing Strategy

Project Management provides students with an academic curriculum focused on planning, leading, organizing, and controlling the resources and schedules of large-scale projects such as software development projects, engineering projects, civic improvement projects, or construction projects. A project is a temporary group activity with the goal to create a unique work product.

  • MIS 695: Business Systems Analysis and Design
  • MIS 697: Project Planning and Development
  • MIS 750: Strategic Project Management
  • MIS 585: Fundamentals of Cybersecurity Management (Prerequisite: MIS 687)
  • MIS 720: Electronic Business and Big Data Infrastructures
  • MIS 755: Information Systems Security Management
  • MKTG 761: Product Innovation Management

Common supply chain activities include sourcing, procurement, conversion, distribution, and logistics management. Supply chain management is the design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of supply chain activities with the objective of maximizing value an organization creates for its stakeholders.

  • MIS 752 (Recommended): Supply Chain & Enterprise Resource Planning
  • MIS 753 (Recommended): Global Supply Chain Analytics
  • MIS 620: E-Business Infrastructure
  • MKTG 761: Product Innovation Management OR
    MKTG 769: Seminar in International Marketing
  • MGT 710: Seminar in World Business Environment OR
    MGT 722: Seminar in Business Ethics and Social Institutions

*Course schedules subject to change.  

NOTE: Students are responsible to verify prerequisite requirements for the courses they select.

Students have the option of completing a thesis, engaging in a business consulting project, or completing a business strategy simulation. Those who wish to partake in the consulting project work on a real-world business challenge for an established company within a group of approximately 4 – 5 students and a faculty advisor.  In the simulation students will work both individually and as a team to apply the theoretical knowledge learned in their classes to make strategic and tactical business decisions and confirm the development of skills critical to succeed in the business world.

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SDSU Fowler College of Business
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-8230

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