Graduate Programs : Executive MBA : About
The Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) Program is designed to accelerate your career into executive management. You will learn and grow experientially along with a stimulating group of peers—a cohort of other working professionals whose experiences will add depth to the structured sequence of classes that make up the 22-month program. Our mission is to provide a high quality, respected, and fully accredited MBA program at the best value to working professionals.
Why Choose SF State's Executive MBA Program?
Value
The SF State Executive MBA Program is the most economical of all Executive MBA programs across the Bay Area, and perhaps the whole West Coast. This does not translate to any corresponding sacrifice in quality. Here you will find faculty members leading in their fields, an extremely diverse student body with varied business backgrounds, and a state-of-the-art Market Street location. Our program produces a long list of alumni who have advanced their careers garnering a substantial return on their investment.
Return on Investment
Current mean ROI after Graduation
Increase in Salary and Tuition
Return on investment = Current Salary minus Salary when starting EMBA divided by Total Tuition Cost.
View full size Return on Investment Graph (pdf)
The graph above illustrates the phenomenal return students receive on their investment in the SF State Executive MBA program. The trend line clearly shows that salaries of our graduates steadily increase after they have earned their MBA degree. Even those students who have graduated as little as two to three years ago have recouped half or all of their cost of tuition; thus having an education that paid for itself. Furthermore, students who graduated more than four years ago continue to be rewarded as each year passes. The monetary benefits are a result of the skills and knowledge taught in our program, and a result of the high quality of students we select into the program.
Faculty
Our highly qualified faculty were trained at top Ph.D. programs around the globe, including Carnegie-Mellon, Harvard, MIT, University of Michigan, Stanford, UCLA and UC Berkeley, among others. These tenured and tenure track faculty members are committed, first-and-foremost, to excellence in teaching. They are also scholars and researchers on the cutting edge of their specific disciplines.
Curriculum
The curriculum balances the art and sciences of management so you gain an understanding of both the theoretical backdrop for business, and learn to apply theory in diverse management situations. Courses are designed to give a comprehensive and relevant understanding of today's management environment. Case studies of actual business situations and guest speakers with specialized expertise are an essential part of the curriculum.
Cohort Structure and Student Profile
Students enter and exit the program with the same set of colleagues, and as such, develop a tight, supportive network of people from a broad cross section of Bay Area organizations. Cohort diversity provides an exciting mix of students that enroll in the same courses together making possible the development of a strong, positive learning community. Students in our cohorts explore and develop individual potential as well as learn to operate together in a suite of exciting course. We know form experience that cohort members invariably stay in touch long past graduation, supporting one another as they progress in their careers.
Your classmates will be drawn from diverse backgrounds, both professional and academically. Each cohort contains professionals from varying industries, and a number will have already obtained some other Master's diploma or a Ph.D. They will contribute practical insights and real-life issues that will enhance your learning experiences.
Accredited Program
Our program is accredited by the most respected business accrediting association in the world: the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This ensures that our program is periodically evaluated and is dedicated to continuous improvement of courses and faculty in teaching, research and professional service. San Francisco State University is also accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Students Oriented EMBA Staff
Once admitted to the program, the EMBA staff will administer all of your administrative needs. EMBA students need not worry about securing their own books because textbook costs are embedded in the program fees. Our goal is to provide a supportive environment so that you can concentrate on your courses and studies.
Class Hours and Location
EMBA cohorts meet two evenings a week on Tuesday and Thursday, or Monday and Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Generally, classes meet every week throughout the semester. Our schedule places extra break days during the semesters, typically around holidays, and students have the month of August off.
All EMBA classes are conducted at San Francisco State University's Downtown Campus, located at 835 Market Street, suite 550, San Francisco, CA 94103. The Downtown Campus, locates in the heart of the San Francisco Business district, is the home of the College of Business Graduate Programs. This state of the art facility ensures you will enjoy a productive and comfortable learning environment.
Course Requirements
For details see Executive MBA : Course Requirements.
Admissions
For deadlines, requirements, and class schedule, see Executive MBA : Admissions.
Resources
For prospective and current graduate student resources, including schedules, deadlines, requirements and forms, see Resources for : Graduate Students.
More Information
For more program information, see SFSU Bulletin 2009/10: Business Administration Graduate Programs.
