You are in the official 2004-2005 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.

Graduate Business Program

The Craig School of Business
ROBERT C. HILL, Director
Peters Business Building, Room 183
(559) 278-2107

http://www.craig.csufresno.edu/mba/

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Master of Business Administration for Executives (M.B.A.)

Master of Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program is designed to provide professional education for managers of business, agriculture, education, government, and nonprofit organizations. The MBA program offers elective area courses in special areas of professional practice, such as agribusiness, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, human resouce management, international business, management information system, and marketing. We are committed to developing one of the top applied MBA Programs in the nation. As a result, your studies will be complemented by numerous opportunities to solve real world business problems through internships and team consulting projects.

Admission. The program is open to college graduates without regard to the area of undergraduate study. Applicants are expected to show intellectual promise to do well in the program, and upon graduation, to perform effectively as professional managers. Applicants must submit the following to be considered for admission into the traditional MBA program:

1. a completed California State University, Fresno Graduate Application form
2. a completed M.B.A. Program Application form
3. complete university or college transcripts
4. official record of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The GMAT requirement may be waived based on a recommendation by the school's Graduate Committee to the graduate director that the candidate has substantial work experience (minimum of 10 years) and significant managerial or professional experience (minimum of three years) and has successfully completed and individual interview. The terms "managerial or professional experience" are defined as follows:
   Managerial Experience: experience in work in which the primary duty includes overall responsibility for an enterprise, subdivision, department, or similar independent or quasi-independent organization. Duties typically includes such things as hiring and firing personnel, planning, discretion and judgment, and organizing and controlling work that substantially affects a major aspect of the organization's operations. Individuals with this level of responsibility usually have titles such as "manager," "director," "vice-present," "president," "Chief information officer," "chief financial officer," "chief operating officer," or "chief executive officer."
   Professional Experience: experience in work that requires advanced knowledge acquired by a prolonged course of specialized study and involved work that is predominately intellectual and varied in character. Examples would include medical doctors, dentists, psychologists, lawyers, and certified public accountants.

M.B.A. Degree Requirements

The M.B.A. is awarded to students upon completion of requirements in three groups of courses. These groups are generally completed in sequence. Students may not take Group II or Group III courses prior to the semester they complete their Group I requirements without permission from the graduate business director.

Group I
The following five courses or equivalent knowledge are required of non-business majors, business majors from non-Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, International (AACSB) business schools, or students who graduated from an AACSB Program more than seven years ago: MBA 200, 201, 203, 204, and 205. Some or all of Group I requirements may be waived on the basis of an evaluation of previous coursework.

Equivalent knowledge may be demonstrated through examinations offered two times each year (before the beginning of fall and spring semesters).

Group II (18 units)
These courses develop the core managerial skills for the M.B.A. candidate. Course topics include leadership and organizational behavior, management information systems, financial management, managerial accounting, marketing management, and the regulatory and ethical environment of business.
--- MBA 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, and 215 ---

Group III (18 units)
These courses allow the student to integrate the knowledge from Group I and II and specialize in specific subject areas. Students will select one of the following areas consisting of required and elective courses including MBA 279 and a culminating experience: agribusiness, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, human resource management, international business, management information systems, and marketing.

--- Areas and Culminating Experience ---
Select one of the following elective areas

Agribusiness
Required (9 units): AGBS 210, 250, 279
Electives (3 units): Choose from AGBS 230, 240, or 260
Culminating experience (6 units): Choose MBA 298 (Project) and 3 units from Group III
or MBA 299 (Thesis) and MBA 216

Entrepreneurship
Required (9 units): MBA 270, 274, 279
Culminating experience (9 units): Choose MBA 298 (Project) and MBA 272, and 273
or MBA 299 (Thesis), MBA 216, and MBA 272 or 273 as determined by the MBA director or his/her designee

Finance
Required (6 units): MBA 230 and 279
Electives (6 units): Choose from MBA 231, 232, 233, 234, 289T (with permission from the MBA director)
Culminating experience (6 units): Choose MBA 298 (Project) and 3 units from Group III
or MBA 299 (Thesis) and MBA 216

General Management
Required (3 units): MBA 279
Electives (9 units): Choose from MBA 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 289T (with permission from the MBA director)
Culminating experience (6 units): Choose MBA 298 (Project) and 3 units from Group III
or MBA 299 (Thesis) and MBA 216

Human Resource Management
Required (12 units): MBA 240, 242, 243, 279
Culminating experience (6 units): Choose MBA 298 (Project) and 3 units from MBA 244, 245, 246, 247 or MBA 299 (Thesis) and MBA 216

International Business
Required (3 units): MBA 279
Electives (9 units): Choose from AGBS 240; MBA 231, 251, 261, 289T (with permission from the MBA director)
Culminating experience (6 units): Choose MBA 298 (Project) and 3 units from Group III
or MBA 299 (Thesis) and MBA 216

Management Information Systems
Required (3 units): MBA 279
Electives (9 units): Choose from MBA 250, 251, 252, 253, 289T (with permission from the MBA director)
Culminating experience (6 units): Choose MBA 298 (Project) and 3 units from Group III
or MBA 299 (Thesis) and MBA 216

Marketing Management
Required (3 units): MBA 279
Electives (9 units): Choose MBA 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 289T (with permission from the MBA director)
Culminating experience (6 units): Choose MBA 298 (Project) and 3 units from Group III or MBA 299 (Thesis) and MBA 216

Total (36 units)

Note: The university's graduate-level writing proficiency requirement is fulfilled by passing the writing component of MBA 210.

__________

* Required course in elective area.

M.B.A. Program for Executives. The on-campus MBA program for executives is administered by the Craig MBA program in the Craig School of Business and is an alternative path for the Master's in Business Administration. The program is one of about 150 in the Untied States designed especially to meet the needs of mid-career executives and the only one in Central California that is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Students in the program are required to have a minimum of ten years of work experience and three years of significant managerial or professional experience to ensure a wealth of practical knowledge is brought to the classrooms' discussions.

In addition to meeting the requirements for classified graduate standing and the basic requirements for the master's degree as set forth by the university's Division of Graduate Studies, students must complete the 36-unit program by taking predetermined courses in a predetermined pattern over a 17-month period. No transfer courses and no substitute classes are accepted.

To be considered, candidates must have the following:

1. A minimum of 10 years of business experience, at least three years of which involves significant managerial or professional responsibility
2. A completed application form, with the applicant's sponsor's signature
3. A minimum GPA of 2.5 in the last 60 units of education
4. A bachelor's degree (official undergraduate transcripts)
5. A current resume and a cover letter stating why the applicant is interested in this program
6. A personal statement that includes a statement of job responsibilities
7. Two letters of recommendation (one from a senior member of the sponsoring organization)
8. Recommendation of leadership potential by a panel of distinguished faculty
9. A nonrefundable application fee of $55 made payable to California State University, Fresno.

Students accepted for the on-campus MBA program for executives are fully matriculated in the university and meet all university requirements as established by the Division of Graduate Studies. (Please see the Division of Graduate Studies section of the university's General Catalog for detailed information on admissions, advancement, and graduation requirements.) For the convenience of students, however, courses are scheduled in a modular fashion on Fridays and Saturdays rather than the traditional semester time frame. The fee structure is also unique to the program and unrelated to the usual California State University, Fresno fee schedule. Students should contact the Craig MBA office or review the MBA program Web site at http://www.craig.csufresno.edu/mba for a program description, admission requirements, courses, calendar/class schedules, and fee summary.

The official program for all students in any one cycle, or cohort, is identical. (All students are in the "General Management" elective area.) Advancement to candidacy requires passing the writing requirement component of MBA 210 and at least 9 units with at least a 3.0 grade point average.

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