The MBA program in the College of Business and Public Administration at Cal State San Bernardino (CSUSB) offers one of the nation's top graduate programs in entrepreneurship! Ranked #4 in a 2006 survey of the top graduate programs in US by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine, Cal State's entrepreneurship program has a strong applied focus that will involve you in a wide variety of experiental learning opportunities (everything from starting a real business during your time in the program to developing business plans for local entrepreneurial companies to assessing the commercial potential of emerging technologies funded by the university's technology venture fund) and actively involves the local business and entrepreneurial community to interact with students as mentors, guest lecturers, and adjunct faculty.
Overall, the graduate entrepreneurship program at CSUSB teaches entrepreneurship as a process, where you will be prepared to take your education and experience into a wide variety of venues including new venture creation, corporate environments, and nonprofit and public sector settings. The underlying lesson is that entrepreneurship is a mindset and a process, and can be utilized in a number of different and diverse settings throughout your life. In essence, CSUSB's entrepreneurship curriculum finds an appropriate balance that provides the appropriate principles and theoretical foundations but is also rich with real life examples and lessons from the years of entrepreneurial experience of the faculty, students, and local entrepreneurs.
Courses offered in the MBA in Entrepreneurship Program (major courses only - core courses for the MBA program are not listed here):
REQUIRED COURSE OPTIONS
Entrepreneurship and New Ventures (MGMT 621)
Study of the entrepreneurial process from a behavioral and developmental perspective. Review of theoretical and empirical literature as a foundation for analyzing case studies of successful entrepreneurs. Focus on managerial challenges for new and growing companies with special emphasis on the entrepreneurial personality, leadership, ethics, motivation, goal setting, group dynamics, and organizational design.
Piloting the New Venture (MGMT 623)
Study of the exploration process for new venture concepts. Focus on examining the tools and processes involved in developing a new venture, including formulation of a sustainable business model, performing a comprehensive feasibility analysis, and concept testing.
New Venture Planning & Strategy (MGMT 625)
Interdisciplinary study of the policies, strategies, and planning processes involved in entrepreneurship. Integrates important technical and innovative considerations with traditional managerial theories to establish a modern approach to the development of business plans, strategies and policies for new ventures.
ELECTIVES
New Venture Resource Requirements (MGMT 545)
Examines the strategies and techniques employed by entrepreneurs to identify and access critical resources. Special emphasis on marshalling internal and external resources such as advisors, board of directors, social networks and other key tangibles and intangibles.
Managing a Growing Business (MGMT 547)
Study of the basic strategy and tactics to manage growing enterprises while still maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit. Examines the role of management decision making, management control systems, short- and long-run planning, and entrepreneurship in managing growing companies.
Entrepreneurial and Venture Finance (FIN 622)
An overview of the financial and investment of entrepreneurial firms. Focus is on financial and investment strategies available to entrepreneurial firms and the criteria for selecting the appropriate strategy.
Business Law for Entrepreneurs(MGMT 620)
Critical analysis of the impact of administrative law and policy on entrepreneurial decision-making and strategy. Integrates legal, political, regulatory and ethical issues encountered by entrepreneurs.
Marketing for Entrepreneurs (MKTG 624)
An in-depth study of entrepreneurial and small business marketing strategies and techniques. Examines how start-up small businesses develop and implement innovative marketing techniques. Provides alternative insights to the conventional approaches of large businesses.
Entrepreneurial Information Management (INFO 623)
Explores the use of current personal computing technology upon entrepreneurial organizations and management. Topics will include e-commerce, web-based business strategies and computer software used by entrepreneurs.