Business Administration, Graduate Level

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is an advanced degree in general business management. The David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at CSUN offers both a Full-Time Online MBA program as well as a Part-Time In-Person MBA program. The mission of the Nazarian MBA program is to prepare students for professional growth by integrating current business theory and practice with their own career experience. Both the online and in-person programs are designed for different accessibility. The online program for those who want to complete their degree in a full-time one-year accelerated format and the part-time in-person evening program for working professionals. Both MBA programs offer an interdisciplinary study that emphasizes analytical thinking, clear communication, effective teamwork, a global perspective and ethical practices. A spirit of collegiality among the students, faculty and business community is fostered through social and professional activities.

Full-Time Online MBA

The course load for Full-Time Online MBA students is 12 units per semester (two courses for the first eight weeks and two courses for the second eight weeks). In the summer term, students will enroll in 9 units for the completion of their program. Degree completion is one year (fall, spring, summer) for students with a bachelor’s degree in business-related disciplines.

Part-Time In-Person MBA

The average course load for Part-Time In-Person MBA students is 6 units per semester (two nights per week). With few exceptions, graduate courses are offered from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday evenings, along with occasional Saturdays in selected courses.

A. Admission to the Program

For admission, applicants must:

1. Meet the requirements of the University as listed in this Catalog.
2. File a formal application for admission and forward official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate university work by the semester deadlines. (See University requirements for applications.)
3. Applicants are generally required to supply GMAT or GRE scores as part of their application package. Under certain circumstances, an applicant may petition to waive the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or GRE (Graduate Record Examination) requirement. Waiver conditions are available at How to Apply to Nazarian MBA. If waiver conditions are not met, applicants submit an original GMAT or GRE score report as part of the department program application or to the Nazarian College MBA Program Office by the application deadlines. Scores are normally valid for five years. Please contact the MBA Program Office at mba@csun.edu for more information.
4. International students who do not have a bachelor’s degree from a university within the United States must submit scores from an accepted English Language Exam. The University accepts the TOEFL (minimum score of 213 computer-based), IELTS (minimum score of 6.5) or Pearson’s Test of English (minimum score of 58).
5. Complete the MBA Program Application and submit all required materials by the application deadline.
6. Provide a current resume with professional postbaccalaureate work experience of at least one year.
7. To be admitted to the program, applicants must have satisfied the minimum MBA admission standards.

B. Time Limit for Completion

Consult the Graduate Studies section of this Catalog for complete information. Please note that students must complete requirements for the degree within seven calendar years from the date of admission.

C. GPA Requirements

Full-Time Online MBA

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in all coursework attempted after admission to the program and must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in the MBA formal program (600-level courses). Students who fail to complete the first 12 units with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA will be disqualified from the program. Candidates who are on academic notice will not be permitted to enroll in the MBA Comprehensive Exam.

Part-Time In-Person MBA

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in all coursework attempted after admission to the program and must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in the MBA formal program (600-level courses). Students who fail to complete the first 15 units with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA will be disqualified from the program. Candidates who are on academic notice will not be permitted to enroll in the MBA Consulting Graduate Project.

D. Foundational Skills

For Full-Time MBA Online, students must complete foundational level coursework (e.g., ACCT 501, BLAW 508, ECON 500, FIN 502, SOM 591) at the start of their program. For Part-Time In-Person MBA, any foundational level coursework and other requirements must be met before completing more than 12 units of 600-level MBA coursework. In both programs students need to meet the minimum requirements for classified status, MBA students must have a 3.0 or higher GPA.

Full-Time Online MBA

Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in business from an AACSB-accredited school may have up to 15 units of foundation courses waived. Other applicants may be required to complete some or all of the 15 units of prerequisite foundation courses. Students must demonstrate proficiency in mathematics and statistics. Complete information is available from the Nazarian Graduate Business Programs Office. Applicants who apply to the MBA program will have their transcripts evaluated against the foundation courses listed below. Past coursework may or may not have included the equivalents for the prerequisite courses. If there are any deficiencies, students may be admitted to the MBA program, but the foundation coursework must be satisfactorily completed before the student will be advanced to classified graduate standing. Undergraduate course equivalents may be substituted only with the approval of the MBA director.

Part-Time In Person MBA

Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in business from an AACSB-accredited school may have up to 15 units of foundation courses waived. Other applicants may be required to complete some or all of the 15 units of prerequisite foundation courses. Students must demonstrate proficiency in mathematics and statistics. Complete information is available from the Nazarian Graduate Business Programs Office. Applicants who apply to the MBA program will have their transcripts evaluated against the foundation courses listed below. Past coursework may or may not have included the equivalents for the prerequisite courses. If there are any deficiencies, students may be admitted to the MBA program, but the foundation coursework must be satisfactorily completed before the student completes 12 units of MBA coursework. Undergraduate course equivalents may be substituted only with the approval of the MBA director.

Foundation Courses (15 units)

ACCT 501 Financial Accounting (3)
BLAW 508 Business Law (3)
ECON 500 Survey of Economics (3)
FIN 502 Managerial Finance (3)
SOM 591 Business Analytics Foundation (3)

E. Course Requirements

Up to 15 units of foundational coursework may be required in addition to the formal program (see section D above).

The formal MBA program requires 33 units including:

• 24 units of required core coursework (see section 1 below).
• 6 units of electives (see section 2 below).
• 3 units of a culminating experience (see section 3 below).

1. Required Core Courses (24 units)

BANA 607 Introduction to Business Analytics (3)
ECON 600 Economics of Strategy (3)
FIN 635 Corporate Finance (3)
GBUS 600 Analysis of Contemporary Organizations (3)
MGT 620 Organizational Behavior (3)
MGT 693 Strategic Management (3)
MKT 640 Marketing Management (3)
SOM 686 Operations Management (3)

2. Electives (6 units)

For both Full-Time and Part-Time MBA Programs:

A minimum 6 units of electives must be selected from the list of 600-level courses offered by the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics with approval of the Director of Graduate Business Programs. Students must satisfy prerequisite requirements for any courses selected.

3. Culminating Experience (3 units)

All CSUN master’s degree candidates complete a thesis, project or exam that serves as a culminating experience and that demonstrates a comprehensive mastery of the program’s content to earn the degree.

Full-Time Online MBA

Full-time Online MBA students satisfy this requirement through a comprehensive exam.

MBA Comprehensive Exam: GBUS 697G

The Comprehensive Exam is an individual exam. The exam consists of a case study and/or exam questions delivered through confidential and secure method(s). Students will be given a set amount of time to complete the exam and will submit analysis and/or answers in a written document. Guidelines, requirements and technical information are presented in an information session available in the course management system.

The exam is graded on a pass/fail basis. A candidate who fails the exam the first time is permitted a second attempt at the exam and must complete the exam within the subsequent two semesters. Failing the exam twice disqualifies the student from the MBA program.

Part-Time In-Person MBA

Part-Time In-Person MBA students satisfy this requirement through a graduate project, which the program calls the MBA Consulting Graduate Project.

MBA Consulting Graduate Project: GBUS 698A

The MBA Consulting Graduate Project consists of small teams of students performing comprehensive consulting projects under faculty supervision. The clients are selected and screened by the MBA program. Students are not permitted to conduct projects for their own employer or new venture.

Letter grades are awarded for the coursework. A grade of “C+” or lower will constitute a failing grade, resulting in disqualification from the MBA program.

Total Units Required for the M.B.A. Degree: 33