Santa Clara University MBA Program: A Comprehensive Overview

The Santa Clara University (SCU) MBA program, offered by the Leavey School of Business, aims to cultivate leaders with a comprehensive understanding of business, economics, and social issues, equipping them to manage change in dynamic environments. The program is available both online and on campus, maintaining identical learning objectives and content across all platforms, ensuring a consistent educational experience.

Curriculum Design and Goals

The MBA curriculum is structured around several key goals:

Providing students with the essential skills and knowledge for successful careers in business.
Aligning with the Leavey School of Business's connection to Silicon Valley.
Offering strong content related to entrepreneurship, emerging technologies, and innovation in both new and established firms, blending theory and practice to facilitate the implementation of ideas.
Maintaining a commitment to the Jesuit ideals of ethics, integrity, and corporate and individual social responsibility.

Program requirements may integrate students from the MBA and other Master of Science programs. Instruction is delivered by the same faculty as the MBA program and under the same AACSB accreditation.

MBA Program Learning Objectives

Upon completing the MBA program at Santa Clara University, students will be able to:

Describe ethical dilemmas in business and articulate an ethically justifiable response using appropriate ethical frameworks. Evaluate these questions in the context of corporate social responsibility, stakeholders, and sustainability in modern business.
Assess global economic trends, international financial links, and key drivers of international trade and competition, and describe and analyze international differences in business environments.
Recognize and evaluate innovative business models and describe the paths for a successful start-up to evolve into a technology leader.
Write clear, well-documented, and effective memoranda and reports and prepare and deliver professional-quality presentations.
Work effectively in a team.
Select and apply appropriate analytical techniques, models, and frameworks to business decisions.
Summarize and analyze quantitative information using statistics and data visualization.
Integrate multiple business disciplines while evaluating business opportunities and challenges.

Program Outline

The MBA curriculum consists of 70 units across 14 core courses (44 units) and 26 additional units of electives. Students should plan to spend a minimum of 2 hours per unit each week on coursework outside of class. For example, a 2-unit course requires about 4 hours of study per week, while a 4-unit course requires about 8 hours.

Curriculum Clusters

The MBA curriculum is organized into two main clusters:

1. Core Business Knowledge (14 courses)

These courses provide students with foundational business knowledge and skills in accounting, economics, financial decision-making, ethics, marketing, business analysis, quantitative skills, communication skills, and effective leadership and operations management practices. The core courses are:

ACTG 3000 Financial Accounting (4 units)
ECON 3000 Managerial Economics (4 units)
FNCE 3000 Financial Management (4 units)
MGMT 3000 Leading People and Organizations (4 units)
MGMT 3050 Strategic Analysis (4 units)
MGMT 3060 Business and the Common Good (4 units)
MGMT 3200 Ethics for Managers (2 units)
MKTG 3000 Marketing Is Everything (4 units)
MKTG 3200 Doing Business in Silicon Valley (2 units)
MKTG 3700 Effective Business Communications (2 units)
ISBA 3000 Statistics & Descriptive Analytics (2 units)
ISBA 3100 Prescriptive Analytics & Decision Making (2 units)
ISBA 3200 Predictive & Business Analytics (4 units)
ISBA 3300 Operations Management (2 units)

2. Electives (26 units)

Elective courses allow students to deepen their understanding of domains relevant to their career and educational goals. These electives can be taken at any point during the program, provided that any necessary prerequisite coursework has been completed. Additionally, electives offer the opportunity to specialize in a specific area, potentially leading to a concentration. Any course affiliated with the MBA program, excluding those required by other program components, qualifies as an elective. As the program continues to evolve, new elective options are introduced periodically. Please note that not all elective offerings may be listed comprehensively, and the availability of specific electives may vary each academic year.

Independent Study

Students may pursue an independent study to fulfill elective requirements in either 2- or 4-unit formats, using course number 3698 associated with the relevant department (e.g., ISBA 3698, MGMT 3698). Students may take only one independent study course during their program, and it will be evaluated using the same grading criteria as standard courses.

To initiate an independent study, students must submit a comprehensive proposal at least one quarter prior to the start of the study. The proposal must first be reviewed and approved by the Faculty Advisor overseeing the study, then signed by the Faculty Director, Department Chair, Programs Director, and Assistant Dean. The Graduate Business Programs Office will register the student once the fully approved form and proposal are on file. The Faculty Advisor must be a full-time faculty member.

Read also: Explore Santa Clara University

GBP Anywhere

This program aims to enhance flexibility and course options for Online and Evening students. Students may take up to 16 units of electives through GBP Anywhere. Core courses are not a part of this program.

International students may enroll in one online course per quarter as long as they are registered for a minimum of 6 units of in-person classes. This option is not available during their first quarter of attendance and does not apply to core courses required by the program. In their final quarter, international students must be enrolled in at least one on-campus course and cannot take only online courses. F-1 visa holders are also required to be enrolled in a minimum of 8 units each quarter. For the most current information, or if you have any questions or concerns about online course eligibility, registration requirements, or visa implications, please consult your academic advisor and the International Student Scholars.

Online MBA Career Requirement

To support career growth and professional advancement, all online graduate programs at SCU require students to meet with a career coach at least once as part of the graduation requirements. This engagement is designed to help students foster a relationship with the Graduate Business Career Management Service Team early on in their program, allowing them to take full advantage of the career resources available to them both during and after their time at SCU.

These resources include workshops, career coaching sessions, resume reviews, and career reflections. The goal is to ensure that students are well-prepared for their future career and that they have the tools to navigate the job market successfully, both as a student and as an alumni. While enrolled, students can complete these requirements at their convenience, but they must be finished by their final quarter to be eligible for graduation.

In addition to meeting with a career coach, Online MBA students are also required to complete the following:

First Intensive Reflection, which is part of the MGMT 3000 course
Mid-Point Reflection related to Career
Final Intensive Reflection, which is part of the MGMT 3050 course
Silicon Valley Professional Dashboard

Concentrations

Santa Clara University's MBA program offers a broad perspective on business management, while also allowing students the option to specialize through concentrations. Upon successful completion of all requisite courses, the chosen concentration will be reflected on the student's official degree transcript, though it will not be noted on the diploma.

Students must declare their desired concentration before petitioning to graduate. To ensure they have time to complete any required coursework, students are expected to declare their concentration before reaching 52 units. Concentrations declared after a graduation petition has been submitted will not be accepted.

Concentrations require a minimum of 12 elective units within a specific area of focus. Coursework undertaken outside of Santa Clara University does not fulfill concentration requirements.

Data Science and Business Analytics Concentration

Faculty Coordinator: Tao Li
Learning Objectives: Students will develop critical thinking skills for the strategic evaluation and implementation of contemporary data science and big data paradigms, starting with effective problem definition. They will gain a strong technical foundation in quantitative fields such as statistics, econometrics, calculus, optimization, and essential software tools (e.g., R, Python, Databases/SQL, Tableau), which underpin various corporate analyses. The curriculum emphasizes learning how to build theoretical, statistical, and econometric models to characterize business situations, develop strategic insights, and analyze business problems. Furthermore, students will learn to collect, verify, and utilize data to drive enhanced business decisions and effectively present value-added strategies to senior management.
Requirements: 12 units from a combination of the courses below:
- ECON 2509 Econometrics with R (4 units)
- ECON 3430 Game Theory and Strategic Behavior (4 units)
- FNCE 2404 Intro to Time Series (2 units)
- FNCE 2409 Econometrics (2 units)
- FNCE 2408 Analytics for Finance (Panel Data) (2 units)
- FNCE 2489 Mathematical Finance (4 units)
- MKTG 2505 Data Science in Marketing (4 units)
- MKTG 3588 The Analytics of Optimal Pricing and New Product Decisions (4 units)
- MKTG 3597 Marketing Analytics (4 units)
- MKTG 3738 Introduction to Data Science in Marketing (2 units)
- ISBA 2400 Math for Business & Analytics (4 units)
- ISBA 2401 Data Analytics with Python (4 units)
- ISBA 2402 Database Management Systems: Fundamentals of SQL (2 units)
- ISBA 2403 Machine Learning with Python (4 units)
- ISBA 2404 Dashboards with Tableau (2 units)
- ISBA 2405 Prescriptive Analytics (4 units)
- ISBA 2407 Database Management Systems: Development, Design & Administration (2 units)
- ISBA 2411 Natural Language Processing (4 units)
- ISBA 2412 Data Visualization (2 units)
- ISBA 2413 Big Data Modeling and Analysis (4 units)
- ISBA 2414 Deep Learning (4 units)
- ISBA 2415 Reinforcement Learning (2 units)
- ISBA 2416 Applied Cloud Computing (2 units)
- ISBA 2418 Machine Learning with Finance (4 units)
- ISBA 2416 Artificial Intelligence (4 units)
- ISBA 2431 Supply Chain Management (4 units)
- ISBA 2431 Global Supply Chain Management (2 units)
- ISBA 2435 Supply Chain Analytics (2 units)

Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation Concentration

Faculty Coordinators: Jennifer Woolley (Management)
Learning Objectives: Students pursuing this concentration develop a strong analytical framework for evaluating new business opportunities. They examine the unique operational challenges faced by startups, from initial survival through sustained growth and maturity, integrating essential knowledge of accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and management. The coursework also covers the distinct entrepreneurial hurdles within high-technology sectors like infotech, biotech, and clean tech, analyzing their key characteristics and strategic issues while providing relevant tools and frameworks. Ultimately, this concentration offers students a chance to assess their own capabilities and goals concerning small business opportunities.
Requirements: A minimum of 12 units is required for completion.
- MGMT 3802 Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Innovation (4 units)
- The remaining 8 units may come from any of the below courses:
  - FNCE 2460 Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Restructuring (4 units)
  - FNCE 2480 Emerging Company Finance (2 units)
  - FNCE 2481 Emerging Company Finance II (2 units)
  - FNCE 2482 Business Valuation (4 units)
  - MGMT 3504 Innovation in Silicon Valley (4 units)
  - MGMT 3548 Social Benefit Entrepreneurship (4 units)
  - MGMT 3549 Legal Fundamentals for Entrepreneurs (4 units)
  - MGMT 3550 IP Strategies for Tech Start - Ups (2 units)
  - MGMT 3554 Developing Your Creative Mindset (4 units)
  - MKTG 3569 New Business Ventures (4 units)
  - MKTG 3572 Product Management - Concept to Execution (4 units)
  - MKTG 3592 Internet Marketing and eCommerce (4 units)
  - MKTG 3728 Social Media Marketing (4 units)

Finance Concentration

Faculty Coordinator: Meir Statman (Finance)
Learning Objectives: The Finance Concentration equips students with a strong understanding of financial security valuation, covering stocks, bonds, options, and futures, as well as the dynamics of their respective financial markets. Students will learn to apply financial principles within corporate settings, focusing on critical investment project selection and their ongoing management. Furthermore, the coursework explores the application of finance in investment contexts, specifically in the strategic construction of investment portfolios. Finally, students will gain insights into the crucial interconnections between finance and other essential business functions, such as marketing and operations, fostering a holistic understanding of organizational management.
Requirements: 12 units of any FNCE graduate level elective courses. Core FNCE or any non FNCE courses may not be used to satisfy concentration requirements.

Leading Innovative Organizations Concentration

Faculty Coordinator: Sandy Kristin Piderit (Management)
Learning Objectives: This concentration emphasizes a systems-based approach to leading innovative organizations. Students will develop a strong understanding of core concepts from organizational behavior.

The Online MBA Program

Designed to help turn ordinary professionals into Silicon Valley Professionals (SVPs), the Online MBA program curriculum is based on innovation and responsibility. Students will have the opportunity to learn online from the same professors who teach in the on-campus MBA program. Throughout their SVP Journey, students will be able to track their progress with the Silicon Valley Professional dashboard. This integrative portfolio lets participants coordinate their elective courses and co-curricular experiences with their professional goals and invites them to reflect on their professional development during the program.

Online MBA students may take elective courses on campus that are not currently offered online, providing more flexibility and increasing the number of electives available each term. A maximum of 16 units of elective courses may be taken on campus, and no core Online MBA courses may be taken on campus.

On-campus elective courses will have a limited number of spaces allotted to online students, so register as soon as possible to take advantage of this opportunity.

Online Learning Platform Features

The innovative learning platform allows students to access their coursework from their computer, tablet, or smartphone. The online learning platform features:

A mobile app for on-the-go access from any connected device
Live video and audio capabilities that enable students to get to know their classmates
Automatic progress tracking via our engaging SVP dashboard
Easy access to your grades, so you always know where you stand
Direct access to professors

The Online MBA program curriculum at Santa Clara consists of a mixture of 4-unit, 10-week courses and consecutively taught 2-unit, 5-week courses.

STEM MBA Program

The STEM MBA program adheres to the identical 70-unit curriculum and course schedule as the standard MBA program. Department of Homeland Security as a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program, signifying its emphasis on business acumen intertwined with STEM applications. Graduation requirements for the STEM MBA entail choosing a minimum of 12 elective units from the roster of STEM-approved courses specified within the Data Science and Business Analytics concentration.

The STEM MBA curriculum consists of 70 units across 14 core courses (42 units), one required elective (2 units), designated data science and business analytics electives (12 units), and 14 additional units of free electives. While entering students are recommended a particular schedule for their first year, there is considerable flexibility in the order in which courses are taken (with the caveat that all prerequisites must be satisfied before enrolling in a particular course). STEM MBA students have the option to take courses via our Online Programs platform to provide more flexibility and to make more elective choices available each quarter.

STEM MBA Program Admissions Pathway

The Leavey School of Business offers a preferred and expedited admissions pathway to alumni who qualify. Students who have graduated from the Leavey School of Business with a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher or SCU alumni who have earned a STEM degree with a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher will be waived of the GMAT/GRE requirement for the Evening MBA and fast-tracked through the admissions process.

Finance and Aid

Federal and Private Loans

The University Financial Aid Office can help in locating and applying for these types of aid.

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