San Diego State University, Graduate School of Business Admission
San Diego State University, Graduate School of Business Undergraduate Program
San Diego State University, Graduate School of Business Application

The Facts

San Diego State University is a rather large, public institution located in the appropriately titled town of San Diego, California, and has a total undergraduate and graduate population of over 31,640 students. The university's Graduate School of Business, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to approximately 700 graduate business students. About 55% of the currently enrolled students have already had an average of 5 years of full-time professional experience, a factor the admissions committee takes into serious consideration when reviewing applications. As a result of this fact, the average age of enrollment is around 28, however, ages range from 22 all the way up to 48. Approximately 18% of currently enrolled students enter the school directly from their undergraduate education, and about 10% of students already have a graduate degree of some sort. The Graduate School of Business at SDSU is perhaps best known for is emphasis on case method and international entrepreneurship, in order to prepare students for managerial positions in the world of business. The schools offers graduate degrees in the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Business Administration (MSBA), Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA), as well as a doctoral program in law (MBA/JD) with California Western Law School, and a joint degree in Latin American studies. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of accountancy, entrepreneurship, financial and tax planning, international business, as well as information systems.

Admission to San Diego State University's Graduate School of Business is extremely competitive among those who apply; last year, over 800 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 335 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 200 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.3, and an average GMAT score of 602. The admissions committee requires that all applicants have a minimum undergraduate GPA of at least a 2.75 as well as a minimum GMAT score of at least 540. Students are able to start graduate course work in either the fall or the spring, and students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis.

SDSU's Graduate School of Business has 80 full-time faculty members, all of whom hold a doctorate degree. The school is also home to 12 part-time faculty members, of whom 80% hold a doctorate. The average business class has about 30 students, and most faculty members teach an average of 9 credit hours.

Placement Services

The Graduate School of Business has rather extensive placement services; last year, an impressive 132 companies actively recruited on campus, 68% of which were national corporations. The majors most in demand by these companies were marketing, finance, financial senior management, as well as information and decision systems. Over 80% of the most recent graduating class were able to find jobs within three months of receiving their degree.

What's Good

"There are a lot of choices in both courses and degrees; they do a good job of catering to a wide range of specialties."

"The faculty is great; they are really dedicated to this school and to their students."

"There are always amazing companies recruiting on campus. It's certainly nice to have them come right to you."

What's Bad

"I sometimes feel like there are too many peripheral requirements to get out of the way before you can get to your actual area of interest."

"Some professors aren't very accessible; it can be hard to get questions answered outside of class."

"The administration seems to be far more concerned with the undergraduate students in terms of practical issues."

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