Spring 2025 Applications: OPEN

Spring 2025:

Applications open: August 1, 2024

Application deadline: December 1, 2024

Fall 2025

Applications open: October 1, 2024

Application deadline: May 16, 2025

We encourage early applications as applicants are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The College of Business has decided to waive the GMAT/GRE admission test requirement for the Online iMBA applicants.

For more information regarding admission requirements and get connected to current students, alumni, and faculty, please contact cobgraduateadmissions@csus.edu

Program Highlights and Costs

Accelerated Format

• 12-month program
• One course at a time (each course is 4 weeks long)

Flexible Scheduling

• 100% Online
• Classes are held on Fridays (3 - 7PM) and Saturdays (8AM - 2PM)

Cohort-based Learning

• Stimulating networking environment
• Group work

Outstanding faculty

• Scholar with industry experience
• Executive co-instructors & guest speakers

Quality Accredited Program

• AACSB accredited program
• Assurance of student learning

Program Cost

The total cost for the program is $825 per unit or $29,700. The program will be billed in installments per class and a fee schedule will be provided for you based on the admission term. Books and course materials are not included. The tuition is the same for California residents and non-residents. The Online iMBA program is not open to international students.

CSU Employees: The Online iMBA is considered self-support (i.e. Extended Education) and is not
eligible for the CSU Employee Fee Waiver and Reduction Program.

Financial AId

At this time, no merit scholarships are available to new students. The online iMBA program does not provide graduate assistantships.

Financial Aid is processed through the College of Continuing Education (CCE) and may be available for students pursuing the online iMBA degree. We recommend starting the financial aid process as early as possible by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). More information can be found through CCE"s website here.

A full list of scholarships available at Sac State can be found here. The Office of Graduate Studies may also provide additional opporutunities to pursue and can be found here.

Online iMBA FAQ's

What is the degree name on the diploma?
The online iMBA graduates earn an Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree upon graduation. There is no concentration or indication of an online program on the diploma.

Are foundation or prerequisite courses required?
No, all students will participate in two days of “boot camp” refresher classes (Statistics, Economics, Finance, and Accounting) which help participants prepare for the academic rigor of the Online iMBA curriculum.

What is the class schedule and asynchronous/synchronous work?
Each class spans 21 days with 15 asynchronous days and 6 synchronous days. The synchronous class time meets on Fridays from 3PM - 7PM and Saturdays 8AM- 2PM. Students are expected to attend online class meetings on Fridays/Saturdays.

How much is tuition and what is the payment schedule for tuition?
The online iMBA program is $825 per unit with a total of 36 units (12 classes). The total cost of the program is $29,700. Tuition payments are per class.Tuition is due 14 days after the class begins. A payment schedule for Spring 2025 with exact dates can be found here.

Is work experience required for admission?
Work experience is NOT required for the online iMBA program.

What if I don't meet the minimum 2.5 GPA requirement?
If applicants do not meet the minimum 2.5 GPA requirement, we suggest taking additional courses to boost your GPA above 2.5. The University will calculate your cumulative GPA using all college-level courses taken.

Do I need to submit official transcripts at any point in the application process? An official transcript sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies will be required if the applicant receives an offer of admission. Unofficial transcripts can be uploaded to the Cal State Apply portal during the application process. For a transcript to be considered official, it needs to arrive to our office in the original sealed envelope from the college/university of origin. Photocopies or opened transcripts are not acceptable.

Is Financial Aid available for the online iMBA program?
Yes, financial aid is available through the FAFSA process. Please visit the College of Continuing Education's website for more information regarding financial aid. At this time, no merit scholarships are available to new students. The online iMBA program does not provide graduate assistantships.

Minimum Qualifications

The College of Business has decided to waive the GMAT/GRE admission test requirement for the current application cycle.

Candidates are required to have:

• Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with a 2.50 overall GPA. Title V of the California Educational Code requires that MBA candidates must have earned a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA and an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution. Foreign undergraduate degrees must be evaluated as equivalent to a 4-year, U.S. bachelor's degree with a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA on a U.S. 4.0 scale. Please review additional information from the Office of Graduate Studies.
• Applicants with foreign documents must submit their transcripts for evaluation by one of the approved agencies. Please review the information from the Office of Graduate Studies.
• Applicants who earned a degree from an institution located in a nation where English is not the official language, or where the language of instruction at that institution was not English, must take the TOEFL or IELTS or PTE and receive a passing score: a minimum TOEFL of 550 (paper-based) or 80 (Internet-based), or an IELTS score of 6.5. Please review the information from the Office of Graduate Studies.

The COB reserves the right to admit fewer applicants than those meeting the minimum criteria. In limited cases, applicants who do not meet all the minimum admission criteria may be reviewed by the Admission Committee for the program, who may offer a ‘special admission’ recommendation to the Dean, or the Dean’s designee, for a final admission decision.

Online iMBA Application Dates and Deadlines

The Sacramento State Online iMBA program admits students for both the spring and fall semesters each year.

Spring 2025

Applications open: August 1, 2024

Application deadline: December 1, 2024

Fall 2025

Applications open: October 1, 2024

Application deadline: May 16, 2025

How To Apply

NOTE: You must complete the entire Cal State Apply graduate application and pay the $70 fee by the appropriate deadline to be considered an applicant to the program. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Download the MBA Instructions for the Cal State Apply Application as an example. Please note that the online iMBA program is listed under Sacramento Extension. Program Name: Business Administration (International) – Online.

Complete the online application via Cal State Apply. You must pay the application fee of $70 and press the "Submit" button to officially complete the application. Please note that the online iMBA program is listed under Sacramento Extension. Program Name: Business Administration (International) – Online.

Required Supplemental Documents/Components of the Cal State Apply Application:

• Request for two (2) letters of recommendation: Applicants will enter name and an email request will automatically be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Please advise your recommender to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out. Recommenders can complete the Online iMBA Recommendation Form or write their own letter and upload directly through the email portal. Please see page 27 of these instructions for more details on the recommendation submission process.
• Statement of Career Objectives (approx. 1 page): This statement should include a description of your long- and short-term career goals, and the ways in which you believe the Online iMBA degree will help you to achieve them. You may also mention the curriculum and online accelerated format of the program to emphasize why this program is a good fit for you.
• Current resume

Copies of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, other than Sacramento State sent electronically to gradtranscripts@csus.edu or hard copy to:

Office of Graduate Studies
California State University, Sacramento
Riverfront Center, Room 215, MS 6112
6000 J St.
Sacramento, CA 95819

All transcripts must be received by the application deadline. For students graduating in Fall 2024, please request official transcripts to be sent. You will need to request a second set of transcripts once you have graduated and your degree is conferred.

• Applicants with foreign documents must submit their transcripts for evaluation by one of the approved agencies. Please review the information from the Office of Graduate Studies.
• Applicants who earned a degree from an institution located in a nation where English is not the official language, or where the language of instruction at that institution was not English, must take the TOEFL or IELTS or PTE and receive a passing score: a minimum TOEFL of 550 (paper-based) or 80 (Internet-based), or an IELTS score of 6.5

Need help?

Review the slides from the recent Online iMBA information session and Application Tips

Download the MBA Instructions for the Cal State Apply Application as an example. Please note that the online iMBA program is listed under Sacramento Extension. Program Name: Business Administration (International) – Online.

Watch MBA Application Tips Workshop Recording as an example.

An email will be sent to you approximately one week after you submit your Cal State Apply application. The email will come from the University Office of Graduate Studies and contains instructions on how to create a SacLink account and Sac State email address.

Online iMBA Academic Curriculum

Online iMBA curriculum focuses on international business management and global mindset. Course descriptions can be found in the current Academic Catalogue.

After the orientation event to introduce faculty, staff, and cohort members, students will participate in two days of “boot camp” refresher classes (Statistics, Economics, Finance, and Accounting) which help participants prepare for the academic rigor of the Online iMBA curriculum.

Note: IMBA 213 is the Graduate Writing Intensive (GWI) course that fulfills the first step of your Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). To complete the first step of the Graduate GWAR, all graduate students must earn a grade of B or higher in the required GWI course. More information can be found in the Graduate Student Guide.

Schedules and Calendars

Fall 2025 Program Calendar and Course Schedule

Spring 2025 Program Calendar and Course Schedule

Fall 2024 Program Calendar and Course Schedule

Spring 2024 Program Calendar and Course Schedule

Fall 2023 Program Calendar and Course Schedule

Current & Admitted Student Information

• Financial Opportunities
• Financial Aid
• Biz Grad Career Services

Contact Information

Faculty Director

Dr. Jessica Bagger
Director of MBA Programs
baggerj@csus.edu
(916) 278-7133

Prospective Students & Admissions

Pheng Yang
Graduate Programs Analyst
cobgraduateadmissions@csus.edu
(916) 278-5767

Current Students & Academic Advising

Serena Hoffman
Academic Advisor
johnss@csus.edu
(916) 278-6391

Graduate Programs Office

Current Students: cba-grad@csus.edu
Prospective Students: cobgraduateadmissions@csus.edu

Executive Director of Graduate Programs

Maleeha Khan
maleeha.khan@csus.edu

Mailing Address

California State University, Sacramento
College of Business - iMBA
Tahoe Hall, Room 1020
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819-6088

MBA Degree Learning Goals

Students will have certain capabilities (knowledge, skills, abilities) that result from your business degree program. At the Sacramento State, we call these capabilities learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are measured and analyzed through a broad range of assessments, from class assignments to standardized exams, to provide assurance of learning in the degree program. From time to time, the College of Business (COB) or your instructors may ask or require you to participate in assessments. We use the information from assessments to reinforce what is working or to make changes to support student learning and success. For example, we may revise curriculum or hire additional staff and faculty to support the needs of our students. We document how our students perform and the actions that we take to continuously improve. This process helps to enhance the student experience and maintain our external accreditation with AACSB International. Speaking of accreditation, less than 5% of business schools worldwide are accredited by AACSB and thus this elite accreditation contributes greatly to the COB reputation. We hope that when you are asked to participate in assessment activities that you will accept the invitation and put your best effort forward.

Goal 1: Applied Business Knowledge: Master, integrate, and apply business knowledge and skills to current, practical, and important contexts and situations.

1.1 Apply concepts, skills, and tools to impact practical, real-world business situations.

Goal 2: Leadership and Strategy: Effectively accomplish organizational goals in collaborative dynamic environments.

2.1. Formulate strategies and engage organizations to improve organizational effectiveness for long-term sustainability and competitive advantage.

Goal 3: Effective Business Communication: Effectively communicate in a variety of business settings using appropriate techniques.

3.1. Communicate in an organizational setting using appropriate oral and written formats for various purposes.

Goal 4: Integrative Analysis and Problem Solving: Address business situations in novel ways through reason and holistic analytical thinking.

4.1. Address business situations from multiple business functional areas to perform quantitative and qualitative analyses for effective decision making and innovative problem solving.

Goal 5: Global Business Context: Identify the significance of ethics, legal regulation, economics, social responsibility, cultural diversity, and global issues for planning and decision making.

5.1. Evaluate and adapt organizational and individual responses to diverse regulatory systems and ethical environments.

5.2. Assess and change organizational responses to international economic systems and intercultural environments.