Enrollment: 269
Average GMAT: 560.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 460-690
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.30
Regular Application Deadline: 05/01
Rolling Admission: Yes
School Type: Public
Average Age: 29.00
Average Work Experience (months): 84
Student Faculty Ratio: 22:1

Part Time Program: Yes
Evening Program: Yes
Executive MBA Program Offered: No
Total Faculty: 34

Students Say - Academics
"California State University-Northridge's greatest strengths are its diverse student population, its understanding of the educational needs of the surrounding community, and its commitment to students' educations," MBAs in this "affordable" Los Angeles graduate program tell us. Students, predominantly full-time employees attending the school in evenings in order to improve their promotability, appreciate that the program is "inexpensive and designed to get you through your degree quickly." They also benefit from the fact that "CSUN has a great reputation for producing great MBA graduates. The school is well respected in the area as well as [in] the defense industry."
CSUN's MBA program offers electives in accounting, economics, entertainment, finance, information systems, international business, management, and marketing. MBAs enjoy "an open work environment" in which "fellow students are not extremely competitive, which creates a good learning environment." They also respect how the program's leaders are "driven to expand the curriculum to be state-of-the-art while also adding value to the degree by recognizing alums' and students' accomplishment on a regular basis. There is a passion for business at this school that I did not expect." This passion permeates the classroom, where "teachers are friendly and excited about what they do," although students warn: "The quality of the professors has a wide variety. Some are great, extremely effective, and impactful; others are not engaging, don't seem interested in teaching, and are not effective."
CSUN stresses a "relevant curriculum" through such innovations as its entertainment industry concentration. The program is "self-directed," meaning that students have some flexibility in sequencing their coursework. While students agree: "For the money, it can't be beat," they also recognize some shortcomings inherent to state funding. One wishes that "the state would stop cutting the budget so much." Others concede that the program "lacks some of the extras that private and better-funded schools enjoy "and yearn for such perks as "an option to travel abroad as a cumulating experience project-many of us work for multinational companies" and "more extensive use of online collaborative learning in a global business-related framework."

Students Say - Admissions
Admission to the CSUN MBA program is competitive. Applicants are expected to have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 during their final two years (60 semester credits/90 quarter credits) of undergraduate work and to reach at least the 50th percentile rank on all sections of the GMAT. A minimum of two years post-undergraduate professional experience is acceptable, although three to five years is the preferred length. Applicants whose native language is not English must earn a minimum score of 213 on the computer-based TOEFL. CSUN requires all students without an undergraduate business degree (or equivalent coursework) to complete five foundation courses. These can be completed in an accelerated one year pre-MBA certificate program, but are not required for admission.

Students Say - Campus Life
"CSUN is a commuter school, so many people live outside campus" and "don't spend much time here." A typical student describes the routine: "I attend class twice per week for lectures and communicate via conference calls or weekend meetings with fellow students. It's a fairly typical commuter college experience." Even those who only visit for classes appreciate the campus's "easy access to cafes and restaurants for when you don't have time to stop for dinner" and recognize that "the campus has made good efforts to make space available in the library and other buildings for students to meet when they are required to do group work." Those who choose to immerse themselves in campus life tell us that the experience is "exceptional. The school has a tremendous amount of student-related activities and accommodations. As an alumnus of CSUN's undergraduate program, I am very proud to be a member of the community."
CSUN MBAs are "inquisitive and genuine for the most part, and looking for new career paths or networking opportunities. Many intend to continue working where they are after graduation." They tend to be "laid-back and open-minded-i.e., not brutally competitive-which is perfect for the mid-career person looking to enhance his skill set." They are also "very encouraging to each other. We have study groups and are always willing to help each other. Everyone has different backgrounds, and we're able to learn from each others' experiences."

Students Say - Careers
The Career Center at California State University-Northridge serves the entire undergraduate and graduate student population. Counselors there offer workshops in interviewing, resume writing, and job search strategies. The office arranges on-campus interviews and alumni meet-and-greets, and it also maintains a database of job listings. Students tell us: "There are monthly speakers from the community who are business leaders. They are informative about what to expect in future job pursuits." Professors, likewise, can be a useful source of job leads and advice. Otherwise, the school is currently largely absent from counseling and placement activities, focusing its efforts on undergraduates (a new MBA Career Services Program will launch in Fall 2009). The vast majority of MBAs here are not actively looking to leave their current employers, so the school's lack of career resources is not a major inconvenience to them.

California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Los Angeles

More at PrincetonReview.com