Earn Your MBA at the University of California Riverside

Leading Thinkers Leading Growth

The A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of California Riverside is all about growth. Accredited by the AACSB, we are the program of choice for students, recruiters, and faculty members who wish to focus on how to identify and evaluate growth opportunities and how to launch and develop, as we all manage and sustain, those opportunities. AGSM faces the important growth markets of the future along the Pacific Rim, in Asia, and in South America. All of the growth industries of the future are in our backyard: biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology, communications, and health-care services. At AGSM, you are a part of a living laboratory in which you can see and experience firsthand the issues, opportunities, and problems associated with growth, you will also interact with one of the most diverse student bodies found in any university. Growth requires a willingness to embrace diversity – diversity in markets, diversity in the workforce, and diversity in the community. AGSM is also about personal growth; we challenge our students to grow as individuals, as leaders, as managers, and as contributors to community. We invite you to come grow with us.

Programs and Curricular Focus

At AGSM, students receive a thorough grounding in the fundamental concepts of business that lead them to explore elective areas specific to their future success. Among the faculty focuses and expertise are e-commerce, finance, marketing, accounting, supply chain management, information technology, and international business. The program also prepares students to excel in a competitive international environment. The curriculum stresses the interdependencies among functional areas, emphasizing the development of superior management skills based on strong theoretical foundation. Students learn how to integrate analytical techniques with practical skills to develop solutions. Teamwork and effective communication are underscored. The curriculum has six major components, including a communication workshop, core courses, electives, and internship and a capstone course. The core courses provide the foundation in analytical and managerial skills. While electives allow students to customize their MBA experience based on their individual interests. Students can choose electives from such different areas including accounting, finance, general management, marketing, international business, and management science/operations management. As part of the MBA program, students are required to participate in an internship. Students work with AGSM Career Services to choose an internship in their area of interest.

The Faculty

The A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management follows in the tradition of excellence and high academic standards of the University of California in attracting and recruiting renowned faculty members who represent excellence in their respective areas. Faculty members have doctorates from world-class universities and have published compelling research in top international journals in their fields.

Students and the MBA Experience

UC Riverside has a diverse student population that creates a dynamic learning experience. While some of the students enter the program directly out of college, the average student has about three years of work experience and is 27 years old. Students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and undergraduate studies, which enhance the MBA experience and the intellectual environment at AGSM. Significant emphasis is placed on teamwork, which is accomplished through study groups and team projects. MBA students learn to communicate, build relationships, and accomplish a shared objective with their teams.

AGSM does not have a strict full-time work experience requirement. We welcome applications from those who have limited or no work experience and are recent college graduates. As part of the MBA program, students are required to participate in an internship that enhances their learning and solidifies the management concepts taught in the classroom. Students who are working professionals can complete their internship requirement with their current employers.

Employment Opportunities

A full range of career planning services is offered through the MBA Career Services Office. Available services include on-campus interviews, career seminars and workshops, and individual counseling.

The University and Environs

The 1,200-acre Riverside campus of the University of California is conveniently located some 50 miles east of Los Angeles, within easy driving distance of most of the major cultural and recreational offerings in Southern California. It is equally close to the beach, the desert, and the mountains. UC Riverside is also a leader in infusing technology into the learning process. The California Digital Library connects the libraries of all UC campuses through the Internet. The award-winning GROWL allows students to take care of academic processes in a one-stop Web portal. Intel rated UC Riverside among the top twenty US university campuses for wireless computer accessibility.