Business Administration

Undergraduate Information
Graduate Information
Faculty

OFFICE: Lamden Hall 419 (undergraduates) and 448 (graduates)
TELEPHONE: 619-594-5828 (undergraduates) and 619-594-8073 (graduates)
WEBSITE: https://business.sdsu.edu/undergrad/advising (undergraduates) and https://business.sdsu.edu/graduate/grad-advising (graduates)

A Member of the AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Undergraduate Information

The Majors

Business administration offers a major in General Business that is open to all students, including students who have completed the approved Transfer Model Curriculum in Business. For additional majors, minors, additional programs, and courses in the Fowler College of Business, see listings under Accountancy, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing.

General Business Major

Business refers to the multitude of activities required to accomplish commercial transactions in society. Included in the process of business are management activities designed to direct, organize, and lead the processes needed to accomplish transactions; marketing activities designed to facilitate the exchanges that constitute transactions; financial activities designed to provide for and support the capital needed for transactions to occur; information system activities designed to plan and organize the processes required to ensure activity; and accounting activities designed to monitor and audit overall business activity.

The General Business major provides an overview and fundamental working knowledge of the varied aspects of business. Students receive a broad and generalized understanding of the function of business and how the various sub-disciplines of business interact to contribute to the success of an organization. Students select courses across all business sub-disciplines, obtaining an understanding of the field of business. Courses are selected within a particular sub-discipline to develop specialized knowledge of a particular area of business.

Positions available to graduates with a General Business major are those that require a broad, overarching understanding of the business function, rather than specialized knowledge within a particular business sub-discipline. Examples are in retailing, sales, and other service industries.

Statement on Computers

Before enrolling in upper-division courses in the Fowler College of Business, students must be competent in the operation of personal computers, including word processing and spreadsheets. Business students are strongly encouraged to have their own computers capable of running word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, e-mail, and Internet applications such as those found in packages sold by major software publishers. Availability of on-campus computing resources can be limited due to increasing demand across the university.

Retention Policy

The Fowler College of Business expects that all business students will make reasonable academic progress towards the degree. Business premajors who have completed major preparatory courses, earned 60 units, but have less than a 2.9 may be removed from the premajors. Upper division business majors earning less than a 2.0 average in their major GPA for two consecutive semesters may be removed from business. An academic advising consultation is required for students not meeting impaction criteria.

Transfer Credit

Lower Division: Courses clearly equivalent in scope and content to San Diego State University courses required for minors or as preparation for all business majors will be accepted from regionally accredited United States institutions and from foreign institutions recognized by San Diego State University and the Fowler College of Business.

Upper Division: It is the policy of the San Diego State University Fowler College of Business to accept upper division transfer credits where (a) the course content, requirements, and level are equivalent to San Diego State University courses and (b) where the course was taught in an AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-accredited program. Exceptions require thorough documentation evidencing the above standards.

Impacted Program

All majors in the Fowler College of Business are impacted. Before enrolling in any upper division courses in business administration, students must advance to an upper division business major and obtain a business major code. To be admitted to an upper division business major (accounting, finance, financial services, general business, real estate, information systems, management, or marketing), students must meet the following criteria:

Complete with a grade of C (2.0) or better: ACCTG 201 , ACCTG 202 ; ECON 101 , ECON 102 ; FIN 240 (or an approved business law course); MIS 180 ; MATH 120 (or an approved calculus course or an approved three-unit finite mathematics course); RWS 290 (RWS 290 is not required for the accounting major); and either STAT 119 or ECON 201 . These courses cannot be taken for credit/no credit (Cr/ NC);
Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;
Have a cumulative GPA of 2.9.

Students who meet all requirements except the GPA may request to be placed on the waiting list. While all spaces are usually filled by eligible students, if there is room in the program after all the fully qualified students have been accommodated, students will be admitted from the waiting list in GPA order. Contact the Center for Student Success in the Fowler College of Business, 619-594-5828, or https://business.sdsu.edu/undergrad/advising for more information.

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

Graduate Information

Associateships

Graduate teaching associateships and graduate nonteaching associateships in business administration are available to a limited number of qualified students. The graduate degree may also prepare students for a teaching career. Applications and additional information may be secured from the departmental offices of the Fowler College of Business.

General Information

The Fowler College of Business offers graduate study leading to the Master of Business Administration degree, Master of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial and Tax Planning, Master of Science degree in Accountancy, Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity Management, Master of Science degree in Finance, Master of Science degree in Information Systems, and Master of Science degree in Global Business Development. The college also offers a concurrent program with the College of Arts and Letters leading to both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and a concurrent program with California Western School of Law leading to a Master of Business Administration degree and Juris Doctor degree. The Fowler College of Business is accredited by AACSB International-the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

The major goal of the Master of Business Administration degree is to prepare students with diverse academic backgrounds for entry into general management positions in business and not-for-profit enterprises. The primary purpose of the Master of Science degree in Business Administration is to provide a foundation for technical and executive careers in the management of specific functional and professional areas.

The objective of the Master of Science degree in Accountancy is to prepare students for careers as professional accountants in financial institutions, government, industry, nonprofit organizations, and public practice. The basic conceptual knowledge of accounting and business can be obtained through an undergraduate degree or by otherwise meeting the prerequisites for the M.S. degree in Accountancy. The program offers the opportunity for greater depth of education by allowing students to concentrate their education in courses of specialized study in accounting.

The Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity Management is intended to equip business professionals with the current knowledge and technical skills needed to develop organizational cybersecurity plans and risk management strategies, as well as manage the execution of those strategies. Additionally, the program targets cybersecurity technology professionals interested in advancing their careers into management.

The Master of Science degree in Information Systems is designed to prepare students for careers in technical practice, with a focus on areas such as databases, networking, security, and software. Alternatively, a pathway in information strategy- learning how to enhance competitiveness through smarter and faster decision-making, improved productivity, and process integration with business partners-is available. Students may also pursue a pathway blending both information strategy and technical practice.

The Master of Science Degree in Global Business Development (MSGBD) is intended for those who seek to establish or accelerate a career in international business with an emphasis on global sales and business development. The program is designed to equip graduates with a solid understanding of the global business environment, a specialized skillset related to international sales, and the ability to deliver data-driven solutions designed to grow business internationally.

The Master of Science Degree in Finance is intended for students who aim to integrate technological proficiency with financial expertise to pursue careers in finance in both private industries and public sector organizations. The program is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to analyze financial data and effectively manage financial risks.

Close contacts with large and small firms, both local and national, enhance the business student’s education. The generous cooperation of local business and government organizations provides opportunities for research and field study for graduate students. The continued professionalization of the business executives’ responsibilities has created many opportunities for students with an advanced degree in business administration.

All students considering graduate work in business are advised to seek further details from the Graduate Programs Office in the Fowler College of Business, 619-594-8073, prior to applying for admission.

Admission to Graduate Study

Admission to the college’s graduate programs is competitive. Several factors are taken into consideration in the admission decision, and only the top applicants are accepted. These factors include the applicant’s previous academic performance, the quality of the previous universities attended, the field of undergraduate study, management experience, and the written Statement of Purpose. Scores on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are not required for Graduate Admission. References that validate experience will also be considered.

Students applying for admission should electronically submit the university application available at http://www.calstate.edu/apply along with the application fee. The Five Steps to Apply are described at https://business.sdsu.edu/admissions/graduate.

All applicants must submit admissions materials separately to SDSU University Graduate Admissions and the Graduate Programs Office in the Fowler College of Business.

University Graduate Admissions

The following materials should be submitted as a complete package directly to:

Graduate Admissions
Enrollment Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-8225

Official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) from all postsecondary institutions attended;
- Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance.
- Students with international coursework must submit both the official transcript and proof of degree/diploma. If documents are in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
Proof of English Proficiency (if required)
Regardless of citizenship status, all graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants applying to SDSU from an international institution where the medium of instruction was not English, must submit one of the following as proof of English proficiency to my.SDSU: TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, or PTE.

Students should submit the following materials electronically to Fowler Graduate Programs through the Interfolio System. Instructions available at https://business.sdsu.edu/admissions/graduate.

Statement of Purpose;
Curriculum vitae or resume;
Letters of recommendation (one or two letters depending on the Program);
Students must answer all Interfolio Checklist Questions.

Master of Business Administration Degree for Executives

No new students are being admitted to this program until further notice.

Faculty

Faculty assigned to teach in Business Administration are drawn from departments in the Fowler College of Business.