School of Business and Public Administration, California State University-Bakersfield in Bakersfield, CA - California State University-Bakersfield in Bakersfield, CA

Academics

The school offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration (MPA), and Master of Science in Administration and Health Care Management (MSAHCM). Other programs include cooperative and work-study programs, foreign exchange, and internships. The strongest area of study is management. The most popular course is Strategic Management.

Forty-eight total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 15 elective credits. Required courses include:

Accounting for Decision Making
Seminar in Organizational Theory and Design
Seminar in Operations and Technology Management
Seminar in Marketing Management
Seminar in Financial Management and Policy
Seminar in Strategic Management
Seminar in Information Systems Management
Managerial Skills
Master’s Culminating Project

Required courses for the MPA include:

Public Personnel Management and Labor Relations
State, Local, and Intergovernmental Management
Graduate Survey of Public Policy and Administration
Public Management and Organizational Change
Public Budgeting
Seminar in Public Policy Analysis

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements by transfer of up to 13 quarter units of prior MBA coursework from an AACSB accredited institution.

Business students may take relevant nonbusiness courses in other departments. The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 1 year; maximum, 7 years. For students attending part time, the maximum is 7 years.

There are 11 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 90% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated well above average for Category IIA institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average business class size is 18.

Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 2.75, a GMAT score of 500, and GRE scores of 900. Most important admissions factors are GMAT results, grades in upper-level courses, and work experience. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for a recent class was 70; 30 were accepted; 20 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.3. Transfers are accepted.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, 2 transcripts, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee, and 2 letters of recommendation. Check with the school for application deadlines and fees.

Financial Aid

The school’s own financial statement is required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for in-state residents is approximately $1900 per year. Nonresidents pay approximately $6850 per year. On-campus room and board costs approximately $6700; books and supplies, $910; personal expenses, $2507; and other fees, $208, for an estimated annual total of $12,225 for in-state residents and $17,175 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing consists of on-campus facilities, which are of limited availability. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

Students

Forty-seven percent of a recent graduate business school class were enrolled full time; 73% had full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. Fifty-three percent were women, 21% were minorities, and 8% were foreign nationals. The average age at entrance was 35; ages ranged from 23 to 67. Three percent entered directly from undergraduate school; 5% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 80%, business; 10%, engineering; 5%, math and science; 2%, economics; 1%, liberal arts; and 1%, social sciences.