Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA)

The program includes 10 courses in the following areas:

• Business Intelligence
• Data Mining
• Database Management in Analytics
• Programming Skills and Tools for Business Analysts
• Business Applications of Multivariate Methods
• Business Applications of Machine Learning
• Research Project in Business
• 3 Elective Courses (potentially eligible for earning a Graduate Certificate after completing a 3-course concentration in these areas: Accounting, Enterprise Cybersecurity, Enterprise, Information Systems, Ethics & Compliance, Ethical Artificial Intelligence, Finance, International Business & Global Leadership, Marketing in the Digital Economy, or Sustainable Business)

For details and listing of courses, see SF State Academic Bulletin.

As part of the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program, students complete a data analytics project—with the guidance of a client in a partner company and an MSBA faculty mentor—to reach maturity in data-driven decision making.

Our MS in Business Analytics graduate students can help you with your data analytics project.

The Lam Family College of Business is honored to work with over 120 tenure-track and adjunct faculty who are committed to excellence in teaching and innovation. As scholars and practitioners of their specific disciplines, our outstanding faculty provide participants with a relevant and challenging curriculum.

Admissions Criteria

• Four-year bachelor's degree or equivalent
   
• 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
   
• Two letters of recommendation from supervisors or professors
   
• GMAT or GRE Test. 
  • GMAT: An average overall test score of 580, with a Quantitative score of 45 and a Verbal score of 27, and a minimum Analytical writing score of 4.5 is required.  A lower Analytical writing score may be accepted for conditional admission, in which case the admitted student must take the approved writing course after joining the program.
  • GRE Test: An average test score of 155 on the Quantitative and 150 on the Verbal sections of the test and a minimum Analytical writing score of 4.0 is required. A lower Analytical writing score may be accepted for conditional admission, in which case the admitted student must take the approved writing course after joining the program.
  • MSBA applicants may waive the GMAT or GRE test if at least one of the following conditions is met (applicants will instead be invited in for an interview and a 45-minute writing examination): 
    • 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

• Foreign language test is required of all applicants who have earned their undergraduate degree from a country where the official language is not English. One of the following tests taken within the past two years are accepted:
  • TOEFL Internet Based Test score of at least 88 (or 570 on PBT)
  • IELTS score of at least 6.5
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) academic overall score of at least 59 (minimum scores updates as of Fall 2019)
     
• Prerequisite courses for the MSBA program are DS 776 (Data Analysis for Managers) and ISYS 782 (Information Systems for Management) completed from an accredited college, within the past 7 years, with a grade of a B- or higher (subject to faculty review for course equivalency). Applicants are eligible to apply without the prerequisite(s) and may be conditionally admitted to the MSBA program contingent on completing DS 776 and ISYS 782 by the end of their first semester in the program.
   
• The DS 776 pre-requisite may be completed prior to joining the program by taking an introductory statistics course at a community college. Prospective applicants are encouraged to take such a course from an accredited college or university. Online certificate courses do not fulfill the prerequisite requirements.

Application Information

The  application deadlines are:

Fall Admission:

• Round 1: January 15
• Round 2: March 15
• Round 3: May 1 (fall application deadline)

Spring Admission:

• Application Deadline: October 1

Tuition

Tuition and fees are subject to change. For a detailed itemization of tuition, fees and payment deadlines, see the Bursar's Office.

The total estimated tuition costs for completing the MSBA degree are:

• $13,000/year (or $26,000 in total for CA Residents)

or

• $17,500/year (or $35,000 in total for Non Resident or International Students)

Visit our admissions page for tuition and fees, application deadlines and financial aid information.

Apply Now

We admit students on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early. To ensure your application is successfully submitted, visit the application steps checklist.

MSBA FAQ

Visit the MSBA section of our admissions FAQ.

Contact Us

Contact the Graduate Business Programs office at msba@sfsu.edu or call (415) 817-4300.

Estimated Program Costs (Tuition/Fees)

MSBA (CA resident): $28,000

MSBA (non-resident of CA): $37,000

* All tuition and fees are subject to change.