Admission Process

APPLICATION AND ADMISSION
Application for admission to the MBA program is simple. Complete the CSU graduate application at www.csumentor.edu. Two levels of review are completed: University and MBA program. Prospective students are notified of admission decisions at the completion of the MBA program review. We encourage prospective students with questions to call us or “drop-in” with questions. The CSUB Graduate Student Center in Dorothy Donohoe Hall is also an excellent resource for potential graduate students.

All domestic applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a four-year college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association. International applicants who attended non-US institutions are required by the University to provide a professionally evaluated transcript.

CSUB MBA Fees
The estimated total cost of tuition and fees for the CSUB MBA is less than $27,000. Non-accredited institutions in the region cost 1.5-2 times as much. Fees & tuition are subject to change without notice by the Trustees of the California State University.

Financial Aid and Scholarships
Financial aid is available for MBA students. Scholarships are also available. Interested students should contact the BPA student services office for availability and deadlines. www.csub.edu/finaid

Application Procedure
All MBA applicants must submit the following items:
  1. Submit graduate application and $55 application fee via www.csumentor.edu ;
  2. Two official transcripts from each college or university attended (international students must submit foreign transcripts in the original language and an English copy);
  3. An official GMAT or GRE score;
  4. A resume;
  5. Two letters of reference;

Send all MBA application materials (including sealed transcripts and letters of reference) as a complete package directly to the MBA Coordinator at the following address:

School of Business and Public Administration
Attn: Kathy Carpenter
9001 Stockdale Hwy., 22 BDC
Bakersfield, CA 93311-1022
International applicants must also submit:
  1. An official TOEFL or IELTS Score;
  2. Submission of a financial declaration and supporting documentation; and
  3. A professionally evaluated transcript that demonstrates prior education equivalence.

Note: Applicants whose preparatory education is principally in a language other than English must have a TOEFL score of 550 or higher (or 213 on computer-based, or 79 on internet-based exam, or minimum IELTS score of 7). Documentation must be in original form by the testing institution. Copies submitted by the applicant are not acceptable. Please note that despite a TOEFL score of 550 or higher, students whose English competency is deemed insufficient by the faculty may be required to take additional courses to improve communication skills in English before continuing with MBA courses.

Additionally a number of organizations are available to provide evaluation services of foreign transcripts. Click on the link to see the list of recommended evaluation agencies.

Evaluation of Foreign Transcripts

Admissions Pathways
The goal of the admission policy is the selection of those candidates who demonstrate high potential for academic and professional success. There are three admissions pathways into the CSUB MBA: Traditional Admission; Executive Experience; and National Certification.

Traditional Admission
This process is the traditional process relying on either the GMAT or the GRE on a sliding scale with GPA to determine admissions. There is a required minimum score of 500 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or 150 verbal and 144 quantitative on the Graduate Records Exam (GRE). The GMAT or GRE scores are used with GPA to compute an index score that is the primary component of the admissions decision. The index is computed as follows

      GMAT: (Undergraduate Major GPA * 200) + GMAT ≥ 1050

Students who achieve this index score will be granted classified admission into the program.

Students who meet the Classified Admissions standard but require program prerequisite courses will be required to complete the identified program prerequisite courses with a “B” or better (3.0/4.0) in every foundation course. Students not meeting this standard will be subject to dismissal.

Students who do not meet the GMAT or GPA standards for Classified Admission may be considered for Conditionally Classified Admission. Applicants who present an upper division GPA of 2.75/4.00 or a 450 GMAT (or equivalent GRE) will be evaluated on a case by case basis. There is no guarantee admission will be granted. If granted conditionally classified admission, the student must earn grades of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above in the first 12 hours of MBA coursework. Students not meeting this standard are subject to dismissal.

In rare instances, the applicant who has taken the GMAT but does not meet requirements may be considered for admission. Those who have previously been denied admission may present new information to be reconsidered. In either case, the applicant must petition, in writing, the MBA Admissions Committee, giving those reasons relevant to the situation that demonstrate the likelihood of success; the burden of proof is on the applicant.

Executive Experience
"Executive experience" is defined as including supervisory duties, management of a budget, or management of a set of accounts. It would need to meet all of the following criteria:
The work experience would need to be verifiable, an official job description will be required, and letters of reference from employers sponsoring the student are required.
    (GPA * 200) + (years of managerial work experience * 200) ≥ 1050

Each year of managerial work experience after five years of employment (post high school) is worth 200 points. No more than 2.5 years can be applied to the formula. The decision regarding the applicability of work experience must come from the MBA admissions committee.

Students who are admitted using this process will be Conditionally Classified. These students are required to earn grades of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above in the first 12 hours of MBA coursework. Students not meeting this standard are subject to dismissal.

National Certification
This admissions pathway recognizes professional certification/license in lieu of standardized testing. Acceptable certifications are administered by professional organizations with the twin goals of ensuring a high level of knowledge about, and to provide an incentive for the individual to maintain currency in, the relevant body of knowledge. To qualify, the license or certification would need to require an exam, work experience, and have ongoing continuing education requirements. The potential student must also be currently maintaining their license/certification. The following licenses qualify; others may apply but they would have to be approved by the MBA Admissions Committee.

      Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
      Certified Financial Accountant (CFA)
      Chartered (or Certified) Property and Casualty Underwriters (CPCU)
      Certified Liability Underwriter (CLU)
      Professional in Human Resource Management (PHR)
      Senior Professional in Human Resource Management (SPHR)

             (GPA * 200) + Acceptable License ≥ 1050


The potential student must be (1) maintaining currency on their license/certification, and (2) hold a Bachelor’s degree with an appropriate GPA. A current acceptable license counts for 500 points in the formula. Students who are admitted using this process will be Conditionally Classified. These students are required to earn grades of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above in the first 12 hours of MBA coursework. Students not meeting this standard are subject to dismissal.

Application Deadlines
The application deadlines are approximately as follows:
July 1 Fall Quarter
October 15Winter Quarter
January 15Spring Quarter
April 15Summer Quarter


Standardized Testing Information
The MBA program requires that you take either the GMAT or the GRE as part of the admissions process. The minimum GMAT score required regardless of GPA is a 500. For more information on the GMAT see www.mba.com. The minimum GRE scores are comparable. For more information on the GRE see www.ets.org.


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