MBA and STEM MBA Curriculum
Note: Refer to designated chapters for curriculum details specific to the Masters of Science in Information Systems, Finance & Analytics, Business Analytics, Executive MBA, and Online Programs.
The Santa Clara MBA program is designed to develop leaders with a broad business, economic, and social perspective who are capable of managing change in dynamic environments. Students develop a breadth of understanding through coursework in accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, and operations management and information systems; and depth by concentrating electives in functional cross-disciplinary areas.
Program Design
The design of the curriculum was guided by several overarching goals:
Provide students with the skills and bodies of knowledge that support successful, fulfilling careers in business.
Alignment with LSB's primary point of distinction: Engagement with Silicon Valley.
Strong content related to Entrepreneurship and Innovation (in both new and established firms) and blending theory and practice to help students put ideas into action.
Commitment to the Jesuit ideals of ethics, integrity and corporate and individual social responsibility.
Overview of Curriculum
The Santa Clara MBA curriculum consists of 70 units across 14 core courses (44 units) and 26 additional units of free electives. While entering students have a recommended schedule for their first year, there is considerable flexibility in the pace and order in which courses are taken (with the caveat that all prerequisites must be satisfied before enrolling in a particular course). Please note that the Evening MBA and Online MBA programs follow the same curriculum and requirements.
The STEM MBA program follows the same 70 unit curriculum and course schedules as the MBA program and has been designated as a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and reflects a curricular focus on business skills with an emphasis on STEM applications. To complete the STEM MBA, a minimum of 12 elective units must be selected from the STEM-approved courses listed in the Data Science and Business Analytics concentration.
Schedules
During the fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters, 4-unit classes generally meet twice per week for ten weeks for 95 minutes per session. The 2-unit courses generally meet twice per week for five weeks covering the first or second half of a quarter. Some elective courses are scheduled for weekend sessions throughout the term. In all quarters, final exam periods are two hours.
Program Outline and Core Course Descriptions
Core (44 Units)
ACTG 3000. Financial Accounting
Introduces the roles, concepts, principles, legal requirements, and impacts of external financial reporting. Covers basic financial statements and the analysis and recording of transactions, with a focus towards interpretation of reported results. Studies the more common and significant transactions impacting firms. Prerequisite: None. (4 units)
ECON 3000. Managerial Economics
This course will introduce an economic foundation for managerial decisions. The course analyzes the economic behavior of individuals and firms and explores how their interactions in markets affect managerial decisions. Basic concepts of market, price elasticity, theory of consumer and theory of firm will be studied to incorporate economic theories in managerial decision making. How key managerial decisions are made in different industrial structures will be discussed. Prerequisite: OMIS 3202. (4 units)
FNCE 3000. Financial Management
This course provides an introduction to finance. It addresses the theory and practice of financial management and the generation and allocation of financial resources. The main objective is to provide a foundation in the basic concepts of finance, including the time value of money, cash and working capital management, the role of financial markets, portfolio theory, asset pricing, and the risk-return tradeoff, and to expand awareness of institutions and practices in business and finance. Prerequisite: ACTG 3000. (4 units)
IDIS 3700. Effective Business Communications
Intensive practice in forms of communication specifically for business settings, geared to the student's level of prior preparation. The focus will be primarily on oral communication and writing to support the oral communication. Emphasis on communicating complex issues and quantitative data to inform, advocate or persuade. Prerequisite: None. (2 units)
MGMT 3000. Leading People and Organizations
Provides students with theories, frameworks, and empirical research on the topic of leadership and team dynamics to help students enhance their own leadership capabilities. Topics include empirically-grounded models of leadership, importance of self-awareness in leadership, effective group & team dynamics, group decision-making, conflict resolution, and design thinking. Prerequisite: None. (4 units)
MGMT 3200. Ethics for Managers
This course is an introduction to business ethics that focuses specifically on the kinds of ethical issues that managers typically encounter. Course topics include the psychological factors that influence moral decision-making, normative approaches for dealing with ethical issues in management, and application of these concepts to cases describing real life ethical dilemmas managers have faced in a variety of organizational and environmental settings. Prerequisite: None. (2 units)
MGMT 3050. Strategic Analysis
This course focuses on how managers position their businesses to create and sustain an advantage relative to rivals in the face of uncertainty, rapid change, and competition. Strategy involves understanding the utility of different choices and tradeoffs -- choosing what actions to avoid is as important as choosing what to do. As a result, the course covers a variety of tools, frameworks, theories and concepts for analyzing a firm's strategic position and the environment in which it is operating. By uncovering the factors that make some strategic positions strong and viable, students develop the ability to evaluate the effects of changes in resources and capabilities, industry forces, macro environmental forces, and technology on industry structure and firm behavior and, in turn, on a firm's opportunities for establishing and sustaining a superior position relative to rivals. Prerequisite: ALL core courses. (4 units)
*MGMT XXXX. Business and the Common Good (course in development at time of publication)*
Prerequisite: ALL core courses. (4 units) - This course is required for students that enter the program in Fall 2022 or later
MKTG 3000. Marketing Is Everything
Focuses on decisions faced by managers concerning market segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Covers concepts such as new product development, pricing strategies, distribution channels, customer relationships, and performance metrics within a strategic planning framework. Students apply these key concepts and frameworks to cases and to formulating a comprehensive marketing plan centered on sustainable profitability and capabilities. Cases cover various environments and industries, especially those of concern to Silicon Valley firms. Prerequisite: None. (4 units)
MKTG 3200. Doing Business in Silicon Valley
Introduces the Silicon Valley business ecosystem with a focus on how innovative new companies are launched, financed, and built into the next generation of market leaders. Includes the foundation for effective business communication. Prerequisite: None. (2 units)
OMIS 3000. Business Analytics
Business Analytics is the scientific analysis of data to make better business decisions. Students in this course will learn to use analytics platforms across a wide variety of applications such as marketing, finance, and supply chain management. They will become familiar with current technological environments for statistical/machine learning and visualization. Prerequisite: OMIS 3200 & OMIS 3202. (4 units)
OMIS 3200. Quantitative Methods
Introduces probability and statistical analysis, emphasizing applications to managerial decision problems. Discusses descriptive statistics, probability theory, sampling distributions, statistical estimation, hypothesis testing, and simple and multiple regressions. Additional topics may include exploratory data analysis, analysis of variance, and contingency tables. Prerequisite: None. (2 units)
OMIS 3202. Analytical Decision Making
This course covers how to rigorously formulate decision problems, understand mathematical optimization, deal with the uncertainties inherent in real business problems, while introducing computer-modeling tools like important Excel add-ons, R, Mathematica, CrystalBall, and \@Risk. Prerequisite: OMIS 3200. (2 units)
OMIS 3250. Analysis, Design, and Management of Enterprise Platforms
Introduces the information technology infrastructures that enable within and across firm operations, and the competitive advantages that information technology can offer various firms. Focuses on how firms effectively utilize information technology resources in their business models and operations. Prerequisite: OMIS 3200. (2 units) - This course is required for students that entered the program pre-Fall 2022
OMIS 3252. Operations Management
This course introduces how firms get the right products and services to the right people, in the right place, at the right time and cost. In addition to firms that provide physical goods, this course covers information-enabled, supply- demand matching networks like Uber and AirBnB that vastly reduce cost and increase convenience in operationally intensive industries. Prerequisite: OMIS 3200 & OMIS 3202. (2 units)
Required "Challenges in" Elective
Students are required to take at least one of the courses on the "Challenges in" elective list during their final quarter of the program. If pre-requisites and scheduling allows, students are able to take additional "Challenges in" electives as part of their free electives. These classes are case-style. These courses are numbered "3052" in various disciplines. Prerequisite: Taken in the last quarter of the program. (2 units)- This course is required for students that entered the program pre-Fall 2022
Free Elective Courses (26 Units)
Elective courses expand a student's knowledge in areas of particular interest or importance to the student's career and educational goals. Electives may be taken any time during the program, assuming the prerequisite coursework is complete. Electives can also be used to earn a concentration in a particular area. Any course offered in conjunction with the MBA program, with the exception of those otherwise required, is considered an elective. For descriptions of elective courses, please consult Chapter 12. New courses are continually being developed and all elective options may not be listed.
Independent Study
A student may elect to register for independent study to fulfill an elective requirement (2 or 4 units). Independent study courses are numbered 3698 (e.g., OMIS 3698, MGMT 3698, etc.). A student may take only one independent study course during their program. To obtain permission to register for independent study, students should prepare a complete proposal at least one quarter in advance of the quarter in which they wish to undertake the study. The proposal must be reviewed and signed by a tenured faculty member who thereby agrees to supervise and evaluate the study. The proposal is then reviewed by the department chair who must approve the proposal. The proposal must then be submitted to the Graduate Business Programs Office for final review. A signed copy of the proposal must be on file with the Graduate Business Programs Office before registration. An independent study is graded in the same manner as all other courses.
Concentrations
Santa Clara University's MBA program has a general management perspective but also provides an option for students to complete a concentration. Pending completion of all required courses, the awarded concentration will appear on the student's official degree transcript. It does not appear on the student's diploma.
A student is required to declare their intended concentration during or before the term in which they reach 52 completed program units. The concentration declaration form can be found on the Student Services website.
Concentrations require at least 12 elective units in a specific area, and coursework completed outside of Santa Clara University does not satisfy concentration requirements. See below for more information.
Data Science and Business Analytics Concentration
Faculty Coordinator: Tao Li
Learning Objectives
Develop critical thinking skills for strategic evaluation and implementation of current data science (and big data) paradigms, including problem definition. Understand and acquire technical expertise in various quantitative fields such as statistics, econometrics, calculus, optimization, and software paradigms (e.g., R, Python, Databases/SQL, Tableau, etc.), that underlie various analyses undertaken by corporations Learn how to build models (theoretical, statistical and econometric) to characterize business situations, develop strategies, and use these models to analyze business problems. Students will learn to collect, verify and use data to achieve enhanced business decisions, and present value-added strategies to senior management.
Requirements
12 units from a combination of the courses below:
Entry-level courses with no prior business analytics prereqs
MSIS 2X03/OMIS 3366 - Database Management Systems: Fundamentals of SQL - 2 units
MSIS 2X07/IDIS 3802 - Data Analytics with Python - 4 units
MSIS 2X02 - Math for Finance & Analytics - 4 units (Requires Calculus)
FNCE 2409 - Econometrics - 2 units (Requires a background in stats and R programming. Confirm reqs with instructor.)
MKTG 3588 - The Analytics of Optimal Pricing and New Product Decisions - 4 units (ECON 3000)
MKTG 3597 - Marketing Analytics - 4 units (MKTG 3000)
OMIS 3374 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence - 4 units (OMIS 3000 + prior programming experience)
OMIS 3385 - Supply Chain Analytics - 2 units (OMIS 3200)
Require at least one course from above as a prerequisite
OMIS 3367/MSIS 2X13 - Database Management Systems: Development, Design & Administration - 2 units (OMIS 3366/MSIS 2X03)
MSIS 2X34 - Natural Language Processing - 2 units (IDIS 3802/MSIS 2X07)
OMIS 3490/MSIS 2508/MSIS 2431 - Machine Learning - 4 units (ECON 3000 + IDIS 3802/MSIS 2X07)
MSIS 2627 - Big Data Modeling and Analysis - 4 units (OMIS 3366/MSIS 2X03 + IDIS 3802/MSIS 2X07)
OMIS 3392/ECON 2509 - Econometrics with R - 4 units (ECON 3000 + OMIS 3200 + MSIS 2X02)
FNCE 3489 - Mathematical Finance - 4 units (MSIS 2X02 or prior coursework in linear algebra, calculus-based probability, and multivariate calculus. Confirm reqs with instructor.)
FNCE 2404 - Intro to Time Series - 2 units (FNCE 2409 OR ECON 2509)
FNCE 3483 - Applied Time Series Analysis - 2 units (OMIS 3000 + OMIS 3392/ECON 2509)
Require at least two from above as prerequisites
MSIS 2636 - Deep Learning - 4 units - (OMIS 3490/MSIS 2508/MSIS 2431)
MSIS 2X37 - Reinforcement Learning - 2 units (OMIS 3490/MSIS 2508/MSIS 2431)
FNCE 2408 - Analytics of Finance (Panel Data) - 2 units (FNCE 2400 or FNCE 3000, FNCE 2409 and R programming)
Marketing Concentration
Faculty Coordinator: Desmond Lo
Learning Objectives
Describe and apply current and evolving marketing frameworks to both high tech and non-high tech environments. Integrate marketing processes with other traditional business elements to develop creative strategies and plans to further institutional objectives. Utilize marketing concepts and approaches to optimize customer satisfaction and contribute to societal well-being
Requirements
12 units of any graduate level MKTG elective courses.
Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation Concentration
Faculty Coordinators: Jennifer Woolley (Management)
Learning Objectives
Develop an analytical framework for evaluating new business opportunities. Review special operating problems of new enterprises including the problems of survival in the early years, maintaining growth in an orderly fashion, and maintaining momentum as the firm approaches maturity. This involves developing and integrating an understanding of the accounting, finance, marketing, operations and management issues that start-ups face. Identify the unique entrepreneurial challenges faced by startups in high-technology sectors of the economy--these include infotech, biotech and clean tech. This involves reviewing the salient characteristics of these sectors, identifying the key strategic issues associated with them, and providing tools/frameworks to address these challenges. Provide an opportunity for students to evaluate their own abilities and goals in regard to small business opportunities. A minimum of 12 units is required for this concentration
Requirements
- MGMT 3802 - Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Innovation (4 units)
The remaining 8 units may come from any of the below courses:
FNCE 3460 - Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Restructuring (4 units)
FNCE 3480 - Emerging Company Finance (2 units)
FNCE 3481 - Emerging Company Finance II (2 units)
FNCE 3482 - Business Valuation (4 units)
MGMT 3504 - Innovation in Silicon Valley (4 units)
MGMT 3543 - Global Food, Startup Culture and Climate Change: A Look Forward (4 units)
MGMT 3548 - Social Benefit Entrepreneurship (4 units)
MGMT 3718 - Venture Capital Essentials (2 units)
MKTG 3569 - Small Business Entrepreneurship (4 units)
MKTG 3572 - Product Management - Concept to Execution (4 units)
MKTG 3590 - Go-to-Market Strategy (4 units)
MKTG 3592 - Internet Marketing and eCommerce (4 units)
MKTG 3728 - Social Media Marketing (2 units)
MKTG 3801- Social Media Marketing (4 units)
OMIS 3391 - Accelerating Innovation: Procure, Partner or Invest (4 units)
Finance Concentration
Faculty Coordinator: Meir Statman (Finance)
Learning Objectives
Know the valuation of financial securities such as stocks, bonds, options and futures, and their financial markets Apply finance in corporate settings, such as the choices of investment projects and their management. Apply finance in investment settings, such as the construction of investment portfolios. Know the links between finance and other business functions such as marketing and operations.
Requirements
12 units of any FNCE graduate level elective courses
Food Entrepreneurship
Faculty Coordinator: Gregory Baker (Management)
Learning Objectives
Explain the unique characteristics of the food and agricultural industries
Demonstrate an understanding of the basic food industry segments and value chains
Identify how socio-economic trends and technological progress provide emerging food industry opportunities
Survey the institutions, policies, laws, and regulations that are relevant to the operation of food and agribusiness firms
Explain food branding strategies and the foundational principles of new product development as applied to food products
Demonstrate an understanding of the techniques and practices used by successful food industry innovators and entrepreneurs to discover and develop new opportunities
Apply innovation strategies to the analysis of firms and segments in the food industry
Requirements
Three, four-unit courses are required to complete the curriculum. Currently, only the three numbered courses, below, are offered in the MBA program, and, ideally, all students completing the concentration in Food Entrepreneurship will complete all three to ensure that they have a broad perspective of the industry. Almost all students are in the program for at least two years and most students take longer. Each of the three courses has been offered at least once every two years, so students will have the opportunity to take all three courses during their time in the MBA program. All courses will be offered at least every other year, except for the independent study course, which would be available every quarter.
MGMT 3540 - Food Industry Management (4 units)
MGMT 3541 - Strategy Development in Food & Beverage Industries (4 units)
MGMT 3543 - Global Food, Startup Culture and Climate Change: A Look Forward (4 units)
MGMT 3698 - Food Entrepreneurship Independent Study
Leading Innovative Organizations Concentration
Faculty Coordinator: Kelly Patterson (Management)
Learning Objectives
Apply a systems-based approach to leading innovative organizations, demonstrating an understanding of key concepts from organizational behavior, organizational theory, and leadership
Apply these conceptual frameworks to the composition and evaluation of organizations, teams, and individual contributors, for the following purposes:
Developing interpersonal competencies that facilitate collaboration within and across organizational subunits
Creating strategies for organizational change in dynamic environments
Requirements: Minimum of 12 units
- MGMT 3512 - Leadership of Dynamic Organizations (4 units)
The remaining 8 units may come from any of the below courses:
MGMT 3516 - Organizational Politics (2 units)
MGMT 3526 - Strategic Talent Management (2 units)
MGMT 3532 - Managerial Communications (4 units)
MGMT 3538 - Leading Teams and Projects (4 units)
MGMT 3544 - Strategic Business Negotiations (4 units)
MGMT 3545 - Healthcare Management and Innovation (4 units)
MGMT 3546 - Spirituality and Business Leadership (4 units)
MGMT 3551 - Coaching for Leadership Development (2 units)
MGMT 3565 - Understanding and Embracing DE&I at Work (2 units)
MGMT 3801 - Management Consulting (4 units)
Individual Studies Concentration
Students may propose an individual studies concentration, subject to the approval of a faculty advisor. The proposal must show why the planned coursework will enhance a student\'s career objectives or intensify an area of inquiry not offered by the existing concentrations.
Learning Objectives
The Individual Studies Concentrations (ISC) program has been established to meet the needs of students who wish to design a concentration with academic content and perspective not provided by currently available concentrations.
Students who want to pursue an ISC should begin by scheduling a meeting with the Graduate Business Programs Office to obtain a list of instructions regarding administrative details.
Requirements
In addition to fulfilling the Graduate Business Core requirements for the MBA, students wishing to design an ISC must complete the following concentration requirements:
Have a minimum 3.0 grade point average
Submit a Petition for Admission to the Graduate Business Programs Office for review and approval. The petition must be submitted within 1 quarter of declaring the Independent Studies Concentration. The petition should include:
A clear, logical, and conceptually refined description of the proposed program
A well-developed argument, supported by appropriate evidence, showing that no existing concentration can meet the student's educational objectives
A plan of study listing courses, seminars, internships, etc., that meets the student's educational objectives and fulfills the requirement of 12 units of academic credit required to fulfill the concentration requirement
The name of a faculty sponsor.
Global Business Perspectives
The Santa Clara MBA program recognizes the increasing importance of obtaining an international perspective on business and society. Students are exposed to multinational business issues and multicultural perspectives in many of the required courses. MBA students have the option to participate in an elective study abroad course - Global Business Perspectives (IDIS 3695) during their time in the program. Recent study abroad locations have included Brazil, China, Vietnam, Germany, New Zealand, Turkey, India, and Canada. The course is offered each Winter and Summer term and Leavey School of Business faculty lead all trips.
Global Business Perspectives is an intensive course examining the contemporary and dynamic global business environment. The course provides intensive first-hand experience of global markets and products, leading to action and engagement, while students observe the challenges of overcoming cultural and local factors working against globalization. Students will analyze the global context of business and the human impact at hand, while practicing the skills to address such issues in Silicon Valley and abroad.
IDIS 3695 Learning Objectives
Upon completion of a Global Business Perspectives course, students will be able to:
Recognize, classify and express different cultural patterns of significance to business and commerce
Compare and contrast the social, legal, and political aspects of international business environments
Evaluate the business risk facing US organizations operating abroad and foreign organizations operating in the US
Express and evaluate ethical issues associated with global business, through analysis and reflection
Application Requirements
Global Business Perspectives enrollment is through an application process. Students must complete an application and meet all requirements to be considered for a course.
Note: Students will be charged a registration deposit only if the application is accepted. Deposit is non-refundable unless the program is canceled, in which case any unudes deposit monies may be eligible for refund.
Participation Requirements
All students are expected to meet the following requirements at the time of application, as well as throughout the period leading up to and including the designated Global Business Perspectives course:
Minimum of two quarters residency in the MBA program
Cumulative GPA of 3.0
Good standing within the University
Participation Limitation
Students may participate in a maximum of two Global Business Perspectives courses in their MBA program.
Payment
Students are responsible for submitting payment of all travel-related administrative fees prior to the travel component.
Withdrawal from Program
Students who no longer wish to participate in a Global Business Perspectives course must notify the Graduate Business Programs Office in writing and will be responsible for the non-refundable deposit. Students also may be responsible for travel-related administrative fees depending on the timeliness of the notification to the travel component. Students agree to be charged the non-refundable deposit at time of application.
Course Cancellation
The Graduate Business Programs reserves the right to cancel a Global Business Perspectives course at any time due to low enrollment and other circumstances beyond the control of the University, including but not limited to unforeseen Acts of God. If this should occur, any unused portion of the deposit may be refunded.
MBA Anywhere Program
The SCU Anywhere Program allows students to take electives, on-campus or online, from another Master's program. This applies to the Evening MBA, Online MBA, Online MS in Marketing, Online MS in Finance and Analytics, and Online Business Analytics Programs. The SCU Anywhere Program will offer greater flexibility and course availability for all Online and Evening MBA students. Students may take up to 16-units of elective credit in another program. Tuition fees will be based on the student's original program.
Evening MBA students must complete an online student success seminar before they begin their first online course. Students will have access to the online student success seminar approximately 4 - 6 weeks before the course begins. Online courses are asynchronous, structured with weekly modules, and students login at their convenience to complete their coursework. For all courses, Module 0 provides an overview of each course (including the syllabus) and opens the Friday before the first day of instruction. Students may access the full course beginning on the first day of class. Online courses will take place at http://onlinelearning.scu.edu/. If you encounter technical difficulties, call 833-822-2276 or email mba@scu.edu.
Online students must use a separate Camino tile for on-campus courses. Do not access it via https://onlinelearning.scu.edu. Instead, access it through the Camino tile via SCU's Single Sign-On Portal.
Curricular Practical Training
Santa Clara University offers international students with F-1 immigration status in the MBA/MSBA/MSIS/MSFA programs the opportunity to engage in Curricular Practical Training in accordance with Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulations.
To be eligible to participate in CPT, students should contact the Global Engagement Office. Eligible students will be manually enrolled by their program office.
MBA students may take a maximum of four 1-unit CPT courses during their time in the program. Course unit allowances are:
IDIS 3797: Curricular Practical Education is designed for your initial term of internship and is non-repeatable (maximum of 1 unit)
IDIS 3798: Extended Curricular Practical Education is designed for additional terms in which a student works an internship and is repeatable twice (maximum of 3 units)
Graduate Transfer Credit
Graduate transfer credit may be granted if specific requirements are met. A maximum of two courses (up to 6 quarter units) of graduate credit from another AACSB-accredited master's program may be transferred for either required or elective courses if the course was:
Open to graduate students only
Completed by the student with the equivalent of a B or better grade
Part of an incomplete master's degree program when taken no more than six years prior to application to the SCU master's program AND is Considered by the Graduate Business Programs Office to be functionally equivalent to a course or combination of courses offered by Santa Clara's master's program.
Graduate transfer credit is granted on a course-by-course basis. No credit will be given for coursework done elsewhere while in a SCU master's program without prior approval. This restriction does not apply to students participating in the Jesuit Transfer Agreement.
Prerequisites
Before registering for electives, students are responsible for ensuring that they have completed all the prerequisites. Prerequisites for each course are listed in the course descriptions in this bulletin. Course prerequisites are reviewed annually by the academic departments.
Although not explicitly stated in the description of individual courses, when a course is named as a prerequisite, then its prerequisites also are included by reference, and all prerequisites must be satisfied before a student can enroll.
Ecampus, the Web-based registration system, does not allow enrollment in any class or onto any waitlist if the prerequisites for that course have not been completed successfully. The system recognizes current enrollment in prerequisite classes at the time of registration. Course instructors cannot waive prerequisites.
Note: Graduation will not be approved until all prerequisites, required courses, and other requirements of the program have been fulfilled.
Graduation Petition Process
In order to graduate, all MBA students must complete and submit an online Petition to Graduate. The information provided in the petition will be used to order and mail the diploma and list all graduates' names in the SCU commencement book. If this data changes after the petition has been submitted, students must contact the Graduate Business Programs Office.
To be eligible to graduate, Graduate Business students must complete:
All required coursework with passing grades specific to the year in which they began the program
The required number of units specific to the year in which they began the program
The program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
AND, not have any I or N grades on their transcripts
Deadlines to submit a Petition to Graduate are listed in the Graduate Business Academic Calendar. Students that complete their MBA degree in August, December, March or June will be eligible to participate in the June Commencement activities.
Commencement "Early Walker" Eligibility
SCU hosts one graduate Commencement ceremony each year, at the end of the Spring term. As a courtesy, the MBA Programs Team offers graduates who have a limited number of course units left to complete their degree, to walk in the Commencement ceremony before their degree is completed. To be eligible a student must meet all of the following criteria:
Have 10 or fewer course units remaining at the end of Spring term
Have completed a Summer Petition to Graduate form
Be in good academic standing
An "early walker" request form will be distributed to eligible students during Winter term.