Graduation Requirements, Curriculum and Concentrations for MBA degree

If you have questions about an individual course, please check the course syllabus and/or contact the professor directly. If you have questions about the applicability of a certain course to your goals, please contact your program manager or the graduate advisor, Joseph Chen.

MBA Degree Requirements

• Be exempted from, or pass with a grade of C- or better, all required courses.
• Successfully complete a minimum of 72 quarter units.
• Complete at least six quarters in graduate residence (or equivalent), excluding Summer terms.
• Satisfy the capstone requirement by receiving a grade of B- or better in 440, 440S or 440V, or passing the course with a lower grade and also passing the comprehensive exam.
• Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Additional requirements for students entering summer/fall 2021 or later*:

• Demonstrate English-language proficiency requirement (details below).
• Complete 36 units of courses designated as STEM courses.

Additional Degree Notes

• Official MBA degree requirements posted here. 
• No more than eight units of courses with Satisfactory grades may be applied to the 72-unit requirement without the written approval of the Academic Director.
• A candidacy form must be submitted by the appropriate quarterly deadline.

Required Core Courses

To find the required course numbers for your program, login in to RaPS and navigate to the degree tracker. 

Required Course Names:

• Financial Accounting
• The Individual and Group Dynamics
• Organizational Strategy and Structure
• Markets and the Firm
• Data Analysis for Managers
• Marketing Management
• Financial Theory and Policy
• Managing for Operational Excellence
• Articulation and Critical Thinking
• Integrated Management Project or Simulation

Online MBA students must also complete (or be exempted from):

• 438V Quantitative Tools for Business prior to enrolling in 202AV, 400AV and 403AV.
• 4 units of courses that fully meet in person; typically met by attending two 2-unit in-person Residential courses (MGV 490A).

*Additional requirements for students entering summer/fall 2021 or later:

• The MBA Programs at UC Davis meet designation as a STEM-degree by requiring half (36 units) of courses designated as STEM courses. Core offerings comprise 28 to 30 units toward this requirement, and students must choose among STEM-designated elective courses to earn an additional 6 to 8 units. Online MBA Students take MGV 438V, Quantitative Tools for Business, which contributes an additional 4-units towards satisfying this requirement.
• Students who have not obtained a previous degree at an approved English-medium institution or demonstrated English-language proficiency through an appropriate exam (e.g. TOEFL) are required to complete appropriate English-language courses, as described in the policy Graduate Student Course Requirements – English as a Second Language.

If you have any questions, please contact your Program Manager or the GSM Registrar.

Areas of Concentration

You have the option to pursue a general management study or to choose a functional concentration guided by a suggested series of elective courses. Most students choose functional concentrations such as:

• Business Analytics
• Entrepreneurship/Innovation
• Finance/Accounting
• General Management
• Marketing
• Organizational Behavior
• Strategy
• Technology Management

Click here for concentrations and relevant course information.

Candidacy Instructions & Diplomas

MBA Program Candidacy

Deadlines for 2023-2024

Completion of Degree	Forms due to Program Manager
December 2023 (end of Fall 23)	September 4, 2023
March 2024 (end of Winter 24)	December 4, 2023
June 2024 (end of Spring 24)	March 8, 2024
September 2024 (end of Summer 24)	May 24, 2024

• All information must be legible.
• Signatures: Only your signature is required.
  (Signature from the dean will be obtained by the GSM Registrar when you have completed your degree.)
• Forms should be submitted no earlier than three weeks prior to the posted deadline. Forms received any earlier will be returned to students.

Diplomas

• Diplomas are available 18-20 weeks after the end of the quarter in which you completed your degree requirements.
• Diplomas are disbursed via the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) not the GSM.
• Complete the Diploma Mailing form (PDF) and submit it with the diploma mailing fee or receipt to OUR. Carefully review and follow the instructions for payment under “Payment Options” on the bottom of the form. This form should be submitted at least a month prior to the diploma distribution date listed here.

Concurrent Degree Students

The GSM will accept up to 12 units of coursework from your other degree toward our 72-unit degree total. These "shared" units must be approved in advance. Please see the GSM registrar for details.

The exception is the MBA/JD. See details below:

MBA/JD Joint Degree

Required Courses:
400A - Financial Accounting
401A - Individual and Group Dynamics
401B - Organizational Strategy & Structure
402A - Markets & the Firm
403A - Data Analysis for Managers
404 - Marketing Management
405 - Financial Management & Policy
452 - Production & Operations Management
468 - Articulation & Critical Thinking
440 - Integrated Management Project

Notes: Joint MBA/Law students may not take 215 or 264 for credit toward the MBA.
Minimum GSM units required: 57 MBA units. 10-semester units of law coursework will count toward the MBA.