Graduate Programs : MBA : Course Requirements : Foundation Courses
Foundation Courses
Foundation courses offer students without an undergraduate degree in business the opportunity to learn the basic elements of business prior to studying at the master's level.
For students who completed their undergraduate degree in business over seven years ago, the foundation courses offer an opportunity to refresh their knowledge and catch up on advances that have taken place in the different disciplines. The nine required foundation courses are listed below and are linked to the SF State Bulletin course descriptions.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BUS 776 | Data Analysis for Managers | 3 |
| BUS 780 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 782 | Information Systems for Management | 3 |
| BUS 783 | Economics for Managers | 3 |
| BUS 784 | Political, Social and Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BUS 785 | Financial Management | 3 |
| BUS 786 | Operations Analysis | 3 |
| BUS 787 | Marketing Management and Multi-National Operations | 3 |
| BUS 788 | Management Principles and Organizational Behavior | 3 |
Waiving Foundation Courses
Students who have earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration within the past seven years from an AACSB-accredited university, can automatically waive ALL 700-level Foundation courses. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in the last 60 semester units of coursework completed. An up-to-date listing of AACSB schools around the world can be found on the AACSB International website.
All other students who have taken and completed course work equivalent to any of the foundation courses at other institutions within the last seven years and earned a grade of B- or better, may be able to waive foundation courses. The following list is designed to help students determine whether they can waive any of the foundation courses. SF State graduate foundation courses are listed on the left, undergraduate equivalents are listed on the right and are linked to the SF State Bulletin official course descriptions. Match your undergraduate institution's course descriptions with SF State's as a guide to see whether they may be waived.
| Graduate Course | Equivalent Undergraduate Course |
|---|---|
| BUS 776 | DS 212 |
| BUS 780 | ACCT 100 |
| BUS 782 | ISYS 263 and ISYS 363 |
| BUS 783 | N/A |
| BUS 784 | BUS 682 |
| BUS 785 | FIN 350 and FIN 351 |
| BUS 786 | DS 412 |
| BUS 787 | MKTG 431 |
| BUS 788 | MGMT 405 |
Current Graduate Business students enrolled in our program may not take the undergraduate equivalency courses since they are classified as graduate students.
After a student is admitted to the program, transcripts will be reviewed by the Graduate Programs office to determine waiver of courses.
Students may also waive foundation courses during the semester by meeting with authorized faculty from each department during their regular office hours.
