Graduate Business Programs
Statement of Purpose
Santa Clara University's Business School develops students of competence, conscience, and compassion who can provide leadership in technologically advanced and rapidly changing global environments. The development of competence is reflected in our commitment to teaching excellence and the scholarly research necessary to animate instruction and foster the creation of knowledge. The development of conscience is enhanced through an emphasis on reflective inquiry that is both professionally rigorous and ethically sound. Compassion is at the intersection of competence conscience, and is fostered through an appreciation of multiple perspectives and recognition of the human being as part of every equation.
Mission Statement of the Graduate Business Programs Office
The Santa Clara University Graduate Business Programs team strives to provide a transformative student-centered experience by being supportive, compassionate, and inclusive at all points in a student's educational journey. We aspire to create student success with opportunities to network with faculty, fellow students, and alumni. With collaboration across career, program, and admissions teams, GBP will enable students to be socially conscious, ethically minded, and those who understand how to lead themselves and others.
MBA Programs Learning Objectives
After completing the MBA program at Santa Clara University students will be able to:
Describe ethical dilemmas in business, and identify and articulate an ethically justifiable response, using appropriate ethical frameworks. Evaluate these questions in the contexts 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. Understand and describe the paths for a successful start-up to evolve into a technology leader.
Write clear, well-documented, and effective memoranda and reports. 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
MS Programs Learning Objectives
See program specific chapter.
Professional Orientation
The Graduate Business Programs at Santa Clara University are designed specifically to meet the needs and concerns of working professionals. To allow students to pursue their graduate business degrees while continuing their careers, classes are scheduled in the evening or on weekends. The curriculum blends instruction in theory with practical applications, enriched by faculty experts (who engage in state-of-the- art research or have deep industry experience) and students whose curiosity is informed by real-life organizational concerns.
Academic Standards
Santa Clara's Graduate Business Programs have a reputation for quality, providing both academic rigor and practical relevance. Admission standards are selective, as courses are demanding and both faculty and fellow students have high expectations, although the atmosphere is still collegial and not competitive. While the MBA and MS degrees are considered final professional degrees, we look to admit students focused on receiving an education, not simply a piece of paper, for their time and effort. Students should be prepared for an intensive course of study encompassing all the major functional and disciplinary areas and involving both quantitative and qualitative skills. Similarly, students pursuing an MS degree should expect rigorous and relevant coursework, but with a more narrowly defined domain. Regardless the program, students demonstrating curiosity, engagement, and a collaborative spirit reap the greatest benefits.
Accreditation
Santa Clara University was in the original group of MBA programs in 1961 accredited by AACSB International--the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The AACSB is the specialized accrediting organization that conducts periodic in-depth reviews of business schools to ensure that their curricula, faculty, and students meet the highest standards of excellence. Re-accredited in 2021, Santa Clara's program has consistently met the high standards of the AACSB. Less than 10% of the world's 13,000 business programs have earned AACSB Accreditation. Santa Clara is also accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Such regional accreditation is a prerequisite for the specialized program accreditation provided by AACSB International.
Student Body
Approximately 850 students are enrolled in the MBA and M.S. Programs. Entering MBA students represent a variety of undergraduate and graduate fields of study. MBA students, on average, have 8 years of work experience at time of admission. The average grade point average of entering MBA students is 3.3, and the average GMAT score is 620. This blend of academic backgrounds and work experience provides opportunities for enhanced learning both in and out of the classroom.
Many of our MBA students are working professionals -- people who work full time in local companies and take three to four courses each quarter. Students come from more than 500 organizations that comprise a list of Silicon Valley's most vibrant businesses. Additionally, many of our M.S. students are international students who add to the diversity of our community. Our Online Programs have students from over 10 different states enrolled in the program.
Alumni
Since 1961, more than 15,000 students have received their MBA or M.S. degrees from Santa Clara University. As one of the first MBA programs to be accredited by AACSB International, SCU's Leavey School of Business has been educating the next generation of leaders who shape our world for decades. Among our university alumni are more than 2,000 company presidents and senior corporate executives, many of them leaders in global technology companies. Our graduates have gone on to be leaders in Fortune 500 firms, startup and early growth companies, as well as in family and non-profit organizations. The high regard for the Santa Clara MBA and M.S. degrees also is reflected in the number of Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area companies that have a relationship with the university.
The Graduate Business Programs team offers various networking events throughout the year for and with alumni. These events are designed to provide opportunities to connect with fellow alumni, faculty, and staff, as well as provide lifelong learning forums. Leavey School of Business alumni actively participate in these networking events. They serve on information panels, welcome new alumni at commencement, host local reunions, share their stories with prospective students, and participate in coaching students through our professional institutes and clubs.
The Leavey School of Business is also proud to have an engaged MBA Alumni Advisory Board. The MBA Alumni Advisory Board focuses on key strategic initiatives that enhance our top ranked MBA Program. To learn more, visit the MBA Alumni Advisory Board website.
Leavey School of Business Office of Alumni and External Relations is located in the Dean's suite in Lucas Hall.
Phone: 408-554-4523
Email: business-alumni@scu.edu
What Sets Santa Clara Apart
Top ranked graduate business programs by US News & World Report, Poets & Quants, and Princeton Review.
Curriculum informed and shaped by the best practices, unique challenges, and distinct needs of forward-looking businesses in Silicon Valley and across the globe.
With more than 15,000 graduates since 1961, students and alumni leverage the strongest alumni network in the Bay Area to foster professional connections across industries and roles.
Flexible schedules with evening, weekend and online classes and office hours designed to meet the ever- changing needs of working professionals.
Distinguished faculty who are active scholars committed to excellence in teaching as well as thought leaders from the industry who deliver courses leveraging the most-up-to-date business practices.
Small class sizes ensuring strong, personal connections between faculty and students
Outstanding student body, most employed full-time at leading Silicon Valley firms, who are able to contribute to class discussion based on actual business experience
More than 450 years of Jesuit educational tradition, emphasizing analytical rigor and ethical inquiry
Stunningly beautiful and secure campus located in the heart of Silicon Valley--the most dynamic business region in the world.
A rigorous AACSB-accredited program that provides a solid grounding in all the major functional areas, plus exposure to the best theory, tempered by the lessons of practical experience.
An active advisory board consisting of distinguished CEOs and business leaders.