The Master of Business Administration degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 30 units (10 courses) and the passing of a comprehensive examination.
The 10-course program consists of 7 MBA Core Courses and 3 Electives of the student’s choosing. All coursework, including the culminating experience, must be earned within seven years of admission into the program. A 3.0 grade point average must be maintained in all degree coursework.
MBA Core Courses (21 units)
| ACC | 5110 | Management Accounting | 3 Units |
| CIS | 5620 | Computer Information Systems | 3 Units |
| FIN | 5210 | Managerial Finance | 3 Units |
| MGT | 5310 | Business Organization, Theory & Behavior | 3 Units |
| OM | 5630 | Seminar in Quality & Productivity Management. | 3 Units |
| MKT | 5410 | Marketing Management | 3 Units |
| MGT | 5900 | Integrated Business Strategy | 3 Units |
Elective Courses (9 units)
In addition to the seven Core Courses, students are required to complete three Elective Courses of their choosing.
- Students have the option of completing any three electives that range in topics from operations, CIS, finance, accounting, analytics, marketing, etc.
- Choosing a three-course concentration is an option for those looking to help define the trajectory of their career. Students in the MBA program can earn a concentration in Accounting, Business Analytics or Finance. To learn more about these concentrations and their curriculum, visit the MBA Concentration webpage.
For a complete list of elective courses offered each term, visit the Course Schedule.
Culminating Experience Options
Students in the MBA Program have two options for their culminating experience requirement: Comprehensive Exam or Project. The majority of MBA students choose to take the comprehensive exam. For more information on your options, read the additional information below or contact the MBA Program staff.
Students are eligible to participate in the Comprehensive Exam during the term they are scheduled to complete their Core Courses. Typically, the Comp Exam is taken in a student’s last semester of the program when they are enrolled in MGT 5900, the capstone course.
The Comprehensive Exam is an online, open book exam available through Canvas that requires the completion of seven questions - one question for each Core Course in the MBA curriculum. Students will be offered two questions pertaining to each Core Course and must select one question to answer. (The course learning goals and objectives identified in the syllabi will help students to anticipate the content and focus of exam questions.) Faculty that teach in each Core Course area provide the exam questions and grade them. Each of the Comp Exam questions are graded with a pass/no-pass score. Students must pass five out of the seven questions to pass the Comprehensive Exam. If a student should not pass five questions, they are eligible to retake the missed questions during the next term when the exam is offered.
Students are strongly encouraged to keep and organize all Core Course materials including books, assignments, syllabi, study guides, and other information to use as study materials for the Comprehensive Exam. Prior to the semester end of each Core Course, it is also recommended that students download any additional course materials that were stored in Canvas. Please be prepared to secure any and all Core Course materials in preparation for study and use during the Comp Exam.
Students who are eligibility to sit for the comprehensive exam each Fall and Spring semester will be notified by email in the beginning of the semester. The Comp Exam is typically administered on the weekend following exam week.
(ACC 5960, CIS 5960, FIN 5960, MKT 5960, MGT 5960, OM 5960)
Course 5960 is an Individual Project offered as a culminating experience option to Evening MBA students who have completed their seven Core Course requirements. Students choosing the Individual Project (worth 3 credits) are required to complete only two elective courses.
- A student can choose to be a general track MBA and complete two elective courses along with their Individual Project Course 5960. (30 units total)
- Or for students wanting to pursue a concentration, they would need to complete the three required concentration electives and take the Individual Project Course 5960 to fulfill the culminating experience requirement. (33 units total)
Students must secure the approvals of an MBA Faculty Advisor, Program Director, and additional committee members one semester in advance of enrolling in Course 5960.
An Individual Project consists of original work that contributes new knowledge to some area of business or organizational studies. The nature of the project and the discipline of the faculty supervisor generally determine the concentration under which the project will be registered. An Individual Project report includes original research, tables, exhibits and appendixes of approximately 70-100 pages in length. An oral presentation to the committee is required to defend your completed project. Students have one term to complete their Individual Project.
If the project extends beyond the semester in which it is initially registered, you must register for the course BUS 7005 – Continuing Thesis or Project (zero units) using the Special Registration Form and pay the applicable fees.
Updated: October 06, 2023