Frequently Asked Questions

Below are frequently asked questions for domestic and international students regarding MBA program offerings at Cal State East Bay's College of Business and Economics (CBE).
To learn more about the 3 MBA programs, we encourage you to attend an interactive virtual information session.
For questions regarding the MBA with Concentrations program, contact the CBE Office of Graduate Programs at cbe_grad@csueastbay.edu.
For questions regarding the 1-Year Intensive or Global Innovators MBA's, please contact the self-support team.
Request Information

MBA with Concentrations

  • An undergraduate degree with a 2.5 Grade Point Average (or equivalent)
  • Applicant must also rank in at least the twentieth percentile on both the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the GMAT.

1-Year Intensive MBA

  • An undergraduate degree with a 2.5 Grade Point Average (or equivalent)
  • TOEFL/IELTS for international students
  • Applicants with less than 5 years of work experience— GMAT required
  • Applicants with 5 years or more work experience— No GMAT required

MBA for Global Innovators

  • An undergraduate degree with a 2.5 Grade Point Average (or equivalent)
  • TOEFL/IELTS for international students
  • Applicants with 5 years or more work experience— No GMAT required

See our full information page on How to Apply for an MBA.

  1. See if you qualify.
  2. Attend an Info Session.
  3. Schedule your 1 on 1 interview.
  4. Apply online.

Before you apply:

Because certain MBA programs can only accommodate 35 students each year, the application process is a bit different than other programs. You must FIRST complete a personal interview with the MBA program director(s). Remember: personal interview BEFORE applying. Applications submitted by students who have not completed a personal interview will not be reviewed.

To earn a personal interview, we ask that you attend an info session. Your attendance will help answer your questions and help us determine your eligibility. If you are eligible, we will work with you to book a personal interview. Please note that submissions to the Request Information Form are not reviewed immediately. Interviews for this program are typically conducted between December and May and reviewed around this time.

For California Residents:

  • The spring semester application period is from August 1 to November 1. Official transcripts are due by November 30.
  • The Fall Semester application period is from October 1 to June 1. Official transcripts are due by July 1. 

For International students:

  • The spring semester application period is from August 1 to October 1. Official transcripts are due by October 15.
  • The Fall Semester application period is from October 1 to May 1. Official transcripts are due by May 15. 

For additional information, see the Office of Admissions and the Office of International Admissions.

Domestic students may be eligible for financial aid. To determine your eligibility, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at Cal State East Bay.

Domestic applicants for the MBA with Concentrations or 1-Year Intensive MBA with 5+ years of working experience should discuss their eligibility for a GMAT waiver during their personal interview, where the applicant’s working resume and academic background are addressed.

For the MBA for Global Innovators program, the GMAT is not required but optional. 

 

You may raise your GPA by taking additional courses at either a Community College or a University.

MBA with Concentrations:

Monday-Friday evenings from 6-10 pm, with occasional Saturday classes at the Hayward campus. Program starts in August during the Fall Semester, or January during the Spring Semester. Summer classes are not offered.

 

1-Year Intensive MBA:

Fridays and Saturdays, from 9 am to PM. All courses take place at the Oakland Center. Program starts in August during the Fall Semester.

 

MBA for Global Innovators: 

Saturdays and a few Sundays. All courses take place at the San Ramon Valley Conference Center. Program starts in August during the Fall Semester.

 

MBA courses are not offered at the Concord campus.
Please note that scheduling and location are subject to change with advance notice.

We do not currently offer online courses.

(For the MBA with Concentrations)

No, you may not test out of either Math or Statistics. These courses must be taken before or as soon as possible after you are admitted to the program.

MBA with Concentrations:

Students may complete the program in as little as eighteen months or up to five years. The majority of students complete the program in two years.

 

1-Year Intensive MBA:

The program is three semesters, one year, and runs from Fall through Summer semester the following year. You will “officially” graduate in August.

MBA for Global Innovators: 

The program is 4.5 semesters, 18 months, and runs from Fall through mid-March the following year. You will “officially” graduate at the end of Spring semester in May.

MBA with Concentrations:

Up to 5 courses per semester.

 

1-Year Intensive MBA and MBA for Global Innovators: 

All class-meeting dates and a detailed course calendar are distributed at the beginning of the program in order to accommodate for professionals with busy work schedules.

It may vary by subjects and students. In general 3 to 5 study hours to every class contact hours are expected per week. Each 3 hour course requires 9 to 15 hours of study hours to do well.

MBA with Concentrations:

$28,000 for California residents, and $45,000 for out-of-state and international students.

 

1-Year Intensive MBA:

$32,780* for California residents, out-of-state, and international students.

MBA for Global Innovators: 

$39,600* for California residents, out-of-state, and international students.

*Starting in Fall 2023.
Application fees and textbook costs are additional fees.


No. MBA programs are open to students with any bachelor’s degree. We simply encourage a 2.5+ undergraduate GPA.


No. In order to earn the MBA degree, members of the One-Year Intensive MBA program are required to complete and pass all courses offered in the MBA curriculum, regardless of past coursework.

The 1-Year Intensive and Global Innovators MBA programs are offered at a different campus with a different schedule, in order to accommodate for the completion of the program. By providing designated class schedules, or, students are able to satisfy the requirements necessary to earn an MBA degree from California State University, East Bay in the set time frame.

Students who complete all components of the MBA program while maintaining an average GPA of 3.0+ will earn a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from California State University, East Bay’s AACSB accredited College of Business and Economics with the following designations:

1-Year Intensive: MBA in General Management 

MBA for Global Innovators: MBA in Global Innovation

MBA with Concentrations: MBA in Analytics for Managers, Finance, General Management, Human Resources Management & Organizational Behavior, Operations and Supply Chain Management, or Strategy and Innovation concentration.

For International Students

No, unfortunately we do not offer conditional admissions into any of our Graduate Programs.

The TOEFL score varies, depending on what type of exam you take. For the paper-based exam, the minimum score is 550, for the computer based exam, the minimum score is 213 and for the Internet based exam is 80. The minimum score for the IELTS is 6.5.

Any information regarding Visa issues, we recommend you speak with the International Admissions Office. More information can be found here, or you may reach them at (510) 885-7571.