The 5 Best Part-Time California MBA Programs
Despite the various challenges of doing business in California, the Golden State remains a powerful driver of business and tech innovation in the U.S. The state even outpaces Great Britain’s GDP in 2018, making it the world’s fifth-largest economy.
For business leaders looking to advance their careers in California without interrupting their current gig, a part-time MBA might be the optimal choice. Let’s take a look at the five best part-time California MBA programs.
5 Best Part-Time California MBA Programs
The UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Evening and Weekend MBA program was named best in the nation by U.S. New & World Report in 2019. This part-time MBA degree is typically completed in two-and-a-half-to-three years, affording students easy access to the Bay Area’s plethora of internship and employment opportunities. The experiential learning focus of the program ensures students have ample opportunities to take on hands-on projects as part of their studies. Tuition for part-time in-state students is $3,363 per credit and $3,363 per credit for out-of-state students.
The UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Fully Employed MBA Program (FEMBA) has been touted as “#1 in SoCal” for over 20 years by U.S. News & World Report. Anderson FEMBA students have three choices when it comes to the scheduling of their part-time MBA: Classes all-day on Saturdays, Tuesday, and Thursday evening classes, or the hybrid schedule, which combines online study with one weekend visit to campus each month. Participants can expect to spend two-and-a-half-to-three years to complete the FEMBA (with both accelerated and extended study options also available). FEMBA has a distinctly international focus, with a diverse student body, access to international study opportunities, and a required international project. Tuition is $42,420 per year.
The USC Marshall School of Business part-time MBA is ranks among the top 15 in the nation, according to U.S. News. The degree is designed specifically for early-career professionals and managers looking for a flexible schedule. The curriculum is divided into core business courses, all taken in the first year, then over 100 electives from which to choose. First-year MBAs can opt for one of two campuses in Los Angeles proper and just outside the city limits. The program duration is three years, and both accelerated and extended are available. With “deep roots” in Southern California and a global alumni network, part-time tuition is $1,912 per credit.
Santa Clara Leavey’s School of Business Evening MBA ranks in the top five part-time programs both among California state schools and national Jesuit schools. With evening classes twice per week, participants can expect to take two years to earn their MBA and must have at least three years of related work experience to begin the program. Located in Silicon Valley, Leavey offers students prime geographic access to tech companies for networking and employment opportunities. Part-time tuition is easily among the most affordable of the high-ranking CA schools, at $1,108 per credit.
The part-time MBA at UC Davis’s Graduate School of Management ranks in the top 9 percent nationally (28th overall). Students take Friday and Saturday classes at campuses in either Sacramento or the Bay Area and can choose between a two-year and four-year pace for their degree. The flexibility in location allows students the option of access to professional benefits of Bay Area or Sacramento. UC Davis also boasts an 83 percent first-year ROI following graduation. Tuition for part-time students is $1,520 per credit for in-state and out-of-state applicants.
Friday News Roundup – Northwestern Introduces New Classes, and More
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from this week, including new Northwestern classes for its MBA program.
NYU Stern Faculty to Share Expertise on Artificial Intelligence – NYU Stern News and Events
NYU Stern School of Business has announced that select faculty members will be available for speaking engagements, panel discussions or other knowledge sharing on the state of one of tech and business’ greatest forces: artificial intelligence.
According to a recent announcement, leaders in their various fields will be available for comment in articles, or for speaking engagements and discussions on AIs present and future. Information Systems Professor Vasant Dhar, an expert on machine learning in finance, has explored the question of how reliable AI is in the handling of personal finances, as well as AI in big data, healthcare, and education.
Professor of Economics Nicholas Economides, which seems a little too on the nose for an economic’s professors name, is available to share his knowledge on the inequality that tech culture can perpetuate, particularly in California’s IT sector. His research focuses upon how public policy accommodates changes in technology, and how the ebbs and flows of the tech sector affect workers disproportionately to owners and shareholders.
Other topics on which faculty members will contribute their expertise are the ethical concerns behind the use of AI; the possibilities behind AI and crowdsourcing; the legacies of certain innovators throughout history, and a look at how workforce policy has addressed the shifts of the sharing economy.
For more on potential faculty engagements on the topic, read here.
UC Davis Graduate School of Management Professor Weighs in on Stock Buybacks – Yahoo! Finance
University of California, Davis Graduate School of Management professor Paul Griffin recently weighed in on corporate stock buybacks for Yahoo Finance.
A recent op-ed piece for the New York Times by Senator Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders criticized the practice for its marginalization of citizen stock traders in favor of corporations by increasing the value of shareholders’ stock options. In certain situations, however, buybacks have an unfavorable effect on stock prices.
Historically, during buybacks for large corporations such as Xerox and General Electric, stock devaluation has been the unfortunate end result. UC Davis’ Griffin notes, “The initial response generally positive, [shares] get a little bump in price. Then people start thinking more about what’s going on here, how a firm is performing on an economic basis rather than managed number basis.”
Few company’s damaged itself through stock buybacks more than General Electric, which bought $40 billion of its own stock (15 percent of its entire market) share. In 2016, the company’s individual stock price was valued above $30, but now consistently is sold between $7-10 per share.
Among the other companies that have landed in Yahoo! Finance‘s “Hall of Shame” are Viacom, GM, IBM, General Electric, and Sears.
Read here for more on corporate stock buybacks.
New Courses at Kellogg Will Focus on Shifts in Global Business – Northwestern Kellogg News & Events
Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management has announced 12 new courses that will explore the evolution of global business trends.
“To address the ever-evolving professional development needs of our students, it is a top priority to continually innovate our MBA curriculum … We’ve incorporated a mix of experiential learning, diverse intellectual perspectives and emerging business topics in our latest course offerings.” says Michael Mazzeo, Senior Associate Dean of Curriculum and Teaching.
Among the new course offerings are Blockchain Technology, Digital Assets and the Future of Finance, Corporate Entrepreneurship: Organization Design for Disruption, Leadership Ethics and Empathy, and The Right Stuff: Principles Behind Successful Careers.
Kellogg’s Curriculum Committee, which is comprised of seven faculty members from each of the school’s department, reviewed and approved the new courses via a detailed process that ensures the relevance and breadth of the coursework. To learn more about the new courses, read here.
Habitat for Humanity CEO Speaks at Fox on the Challenges of Non-Profit Fundraising – Fox School of Business News
Temple University’s Fox School of Business‘ Board of Fellows recently gave a presentation on issues pertaining to non-profit fundraising for an audience of MBA students.
Featured guest speaker Christine O’Connell, CEO of Habitat for Humanity, presented the challenges inherent in raising money for non-profit entities learned from her over twenty years of experience. “There is never enough money,” O’Connell says, “and there is entirely too much need. To put that need into context, 800 people call us a month. We are [only] building twelve houses a year and repairing 100.”
O’Connell focused upon the importance of maintaining strong relationships with donors, and of treating each donor with equal respect. Six figure donations, she believes, should be received with the same level of gratitude as smaller amounts. ““You gotta make a connection with people,” O’Connell says, “… You gotta create empathy, and you have to have people feel and know that they are empowered and that their gift counts.”
“[O’Connell] presents Habitat in such a way where she hones it down and says this is how you can help, by supporting this organization and talking about the breadth and depth of what they do, not just that they do it,” said Ellen Marshall, an advisor for Fox Management Consulting and Strategic Clarity Advisors and longtime fundraiser for non-profits.
Read more on O’Connell’s talk here.
Credit Card Company for Emerging Markets Wins Sloan’s Startup Competition – MIT Sloan News
A credit card company for emerging markets won this year’s “MIT Sloan Accelerate 100K Entrepreneurship Competition.”
The company, Duo, is aiming to help the millions of small and mid-sized Latin American businesses that lack credit. In Mexico, businesses that are less than two years old are not granted credit, which lands many of them in massive amounts of debt.
Duo co-founder Hugo Lopez-Velarde, (MBA ’20), winner of this year’s “MIT Sloan Accelerate 100K Entrepreneurship Competition.”
Duo co-founder Hugo Lopez-Velarde, (MBA ’20) says, “In Mexico, corporate cards are uncommon—often, business owners use personal cards and take on credit on behalf of their businesses … This is the first step for next-generation financial products for companies in Mexico.”
Duo users will not only be free of personal debt, but they will also establish credit history. Duo’s card also boasts an analytics dashboard that will allow business owners to manage spending.
Runners-up focused upon emerging technologies in healthcare. The startup Encora created a therapeutic wearable wristband that alleviates hand tremors in neurodegenerative patients. Hikma Health designed customized data systems for healthcare providers who are treating the Syrian refugee population.
Accelerate 100K’s winner and runners up were chosen based upon audience votes, and will advance to Sloan’s Launch competition this spring. Read more about Accelerate’s winners and about Launch here.
Stanford Salutes Fallen Alum, and More – San Francisco News
From new courses to lasting tributes, San Francisco business schools have had no shortage of headlines in recent weeks. Here are some of the biggest stories out of the Bay Area.
A Lasting Tribute to Jack McDonald — Stanford Newsroom
Nearly 500 Stanford Graduate School of Business faculty, alumni, and associates recently held a two-part celebration in remembrance of John “Jack” McDonald, who passed away earlier this year. McDonald, BS ’60, MBA ’62, Ph.D. ’67, taught more than 10,000 MBA and Executive Education students during his 50-year career.
Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne was among faculty members to speak during the event, highlighted McDonald’s legacy at Stanford.
“Today is a reminder of what a powerful role faculty play in the lives of our students – both while they are on campus, and for the rest of their lives,” Tessier-Lavigne said. “Jack exemplified that influence and impact, across generations.”
After the speakers, Highland Hall, one Stanford’s student housing buildings, was officially renamed to Jack McDonald Hall, while and the GSB Common to the Stanford Investors Common. McDonald Hall, along with the Schwab Residential Center, makes it possible for all first-year MBA students to live on campus if they so choose.
You can read more about McDonald’s legacy and the ceremony here.
In Big Data Course, MBAs Learn How to Second-Guess an AI — Haas News
A new story from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business highlights a new course offered to MBAs, “Big Data and Better Decisions.” Co-taught by Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Kolstad and economist Paul Gertler, the class covers topics in advanced data science. The instructors hope that their course will help ingrain a question-the-status-quo mindset in their students so that they can then bring these data-driven initiatives to their organizations.
“There’s a growing need within companies for MBAs trained in data analytics,” Gertler said. “This class is designed to prepare students to be part of the modern labor force and leaders of industry.”
You can lean more about Kolstad, Gertler, and the new courses here.
Alan Taylor Speaks at Nobel Symposium on Money and Banking — UC Davis News
UC Davis Graduate School of Management professor Alan Taylor recently delivered an address on the “indebtedness of governments, firms, and households” at the Nobel Symposium on Money and Banking. Taylor expressed how learning from past mistakes that lead to the recent Great Recession are key in ensuring the same meltdown doesn’t happen again.
“Understanding how and why private debt crises predictably occur with consistent patterns and grave collateral damage is to my mind the big unsolved research question today in macro(economics),” he said during his address.
You can watch the entire lecture below:
Should You Get an MBA in Los Angeles or San Francisco?
Although Los Angeles and San Francisco are technically part of the same state, Northern and Southern California have long co-existed as opposite poles on the same spectrum; SF is Oscar to LA’s Felix, to use an extremely relevant analogy.
Finding An Affordable San Francisco MBA
Students pursuing an MBA have a lot to look forward to upon graduation: More job opportunities, an extensive network and the skills to navigate the changing marketplace. Unfortunately, many MBA students also leave school weighed down by debt, and unable to freely start their careers. Particularly for students living in cities like San Francisco, one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. to live, finding an affordable program is a top priority. That’s why we’ve laid out the most affordable San Francisco MBA programs.
The Best San Francisco Part-Time MBA Programs
Not every MBA candidate can manage a full-time degree program. So many business school students continue to work throughout their studies, balancing a job and graduate school through a part-time MBA program. Many of these programs take place in the evenings and on weekends, allowing for flexibility along with continued professional growth. Continue reading…
