Graduate Business Admission Criteria

Criteria and information found on this page applies only to the MBA, MS in Business Analytics, and the MS in Accountancy (MSA) programs. See MS in Quantitative Economics for its own admissions criteria.

(All content on this page has been updated as of October 2023.)

The admissions committee reviews an applicant's overall qualifications and takes the following requirements into consideration:

• completion of a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree from a recognized university
• grade point average: final GPA of bachelor’s degree, or the last 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of college coursework completed, must be at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Or earned a master’s degree with a 3.0 GPA. Applicants with GPA between 2.75-2.99 may be admitted on an exceptional basis.
• statement of purpose
• résumé (full time work experience is recommended)
• two letters of recommendation from supervisors and/or professors
• GMAT test: the verbal, quantitative, integrated reasoning and writing scores will be reviewed. A minimum analytical writing score of 5.0 is required on the GMAT. A lower analytical writing score may be accepted as conditional admission and student must take a writing course after joining the program.
• or GRE test: The admissions committee accepts the GRE test in place of the GMAT. A minimum analytical writing score of 4.5 is required on the GRE test. A lower analytical writing score may be accepted for conditional admission and student must take a writing course after joining the program. (MS in Business Analytics applicants may refer to the MSBA program for specific criteria).

Applicants who demonstrate outstanding professional experience, but do not meet some of the above criteria, may still be admitted into the program, conditional upon completing additional requirements that will be listed in the admissions offer.

GMAT/GRE Test Waiver

MBA and MSA applicants may waive the GMAT/GRE test if at least one of the following conditions is met:

• Minimum 3.0 GPA with five or more years of full-time, professional work experience
• Completed an undergraduate degree in business from AACSB-accredited school with a cumulative 3.0 (or higher) GPA
• Completed doctoral or master's degree from a recognized/accredited program

Applicants will instead be invited for an interview and/or a 45-minute writing examination. 

Please note that the GMAT/GRE waiver is not automatically granted to applicants. If you wish to apply for a GMAT/GRE waiver based on meeting one of the above-specified conditions, you must fill out this Waiver Request Form after submitting your application for admissions through the Cal State Apply site.  

GRE Test Waiver

MSBA applicants may waive the GRE test if at least one of the following conditions is met:

• Minimum 3.0 GPA with five or more years of full-time, professional work experience
• Completed an undergraduate degree in business from AACSB-accredited school with a cumulative 3.0 (or higher) GPA
• Completed doctoral or master's degree in quantitative area from a recognized/accredited program

Applicants will instead be invited for an interview and/or a 45-minute writing examination. 

Please note that the GMAT/GRE waiver is not automatically granted to applicants. If you wish to apply for a GMAT/GRE waiver based on meeting one of the above-specified conditions, you must fill out this Waiver Request Form after submitting your application for admissions through the Cal State Apply site.  

A foreign language test is required of all applicants who have earned their undergraduate degree from a country where the official language is not English. Any of the following tests taken within the past two years are accepted:

• TOEFL Internet Based Test minimum score of 88
• IELTS score of at least 6.5
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) minimum academic overall score of 59
• Duolingo English Test minimum score of 120*

*Our admissions department strongly recommends that applicants take the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE English Test. Applicants should only submit Duolingo English Test scores if none of the other examinations are available to them.

Students who feel they may need additional English language skills training may consider studying first at San Francisco State University’s American Language Institute (ALI) 

At ALI, students have the opportunity to improve:

• lecture listening
• note-taking
• oral presentation
• academic advancement in reading and writing skills

In addition, students become better oriented with the American educational system. Attending the ALI program is strongly recommended if students have not met the GMAT verbal or TOEFL requirements, or to improve their English proficiency and academic skills in preparation for graduate studies.