How to be a SFSU MBA Admit

Becoming a SFSU MBA admit is not automatic. The MBA program at San Francisco State University is selective. Although the SFSU MBA is not the most selective MBA program in the Bay Area, it is among the more selective programs. Nevertheless, by following these steps you can greatly improve your chances of becoming a SFSU MBA admit.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Take the prerequisite courses for the MBA program. They are
   
   1) Waived by an undergraduate Business Administrations degree from an AACSB accredited school from within the last seven years
   
   OR
   
   2) Take basic competency courses at SFSU in business writing, math, and statistics. These courses need to be taken through SFSU's College of Extended Learning rather than the main SFSU campus program.
   
   OR
   
   3) Pass waiver exams at SFSU for business writing, math, and statistics.
   
   OR
   
   4) For the writing portion, get a 5.0 or above on the GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA).

2. Take foundation courses in business. This is not required but taking these courses can reduce your time to graduation significantly. Many of these courses can be taken at a community college, online college, or elsewhere. The foundation course requirements are waived for bachelor's degrees in Business Administration from the last seven years. Foundation courses can be waived on a a-la-carte basis.
   
   The foundation courses are:
   - financial accounting
   - managerial accounting
   - computer applications and information systems for managers
   - economics
   - political, social, and legal environment of business
   - operations analysis
   - marketing management
   - management principles and organizational behavior
   
   If you take any of these courses beforehand, you must have a grade of B- or higher and have taken the courses in the last seven years. Make sure you keep the syllabus and the course description so that you can show them during the MBA foundation waiver sessions to SFSU MBA officials.

3. Take the GMAT score. SFSU's MBA program is selective and you should score at least a 570, which is the entering class average.
   
   Because the SFSU MBA program is selective, you may need to take a GMAT preparation course to make sure you score at least the class average and make yourself competitive for being a SFSU MBA admit. In addition, a 5.0 score on the GMAT AWA section of the GMAT waives the business writing requirement.

4. Hold a 3.0 GPA in one of the following:
   
   1) 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA
   
   OR
   
   2) 3.0 undergraduate GPA in the last 60 semester units taken.
   
   The entering class had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.3. You should have an undergraduate GPA above the 3.0 minimum to be competitive for admissions. If your GPA is much lower than the average or doesn't meet the 3.0 minimum GPA, you should take additional undergraduate courses at a community college, online college, or elsewhere.

5. Get the following employment related items:
   
   1) At least 3 years of full time employment. 3 years is the incoming class average.
   2) Write a resume.
   3) Assemble letters of recommendation from your supervisors and management team that address your suitability as a SFSU MBA admit.

6. Apply for SFSU MBA Admissions on the CSU Mentor web site by the deadline (Fall - April 1st or Spring - October 1st). All of the previous steps should have already been completed (eg. not just in progress).