Academics
Students looking for the biggest “bang for the buck” will appreciate California State University, Long Beach. Although “tuition and fees have gone up every semester, what we are getting in return is still a great deal,” at least “compared to other universities.” There are many reasons to choose Cal State in addition to its affordability. “The campus is conveniently located, parking is good and the resources (database subscriptions, computer equipment) provided are excellent.” Also popular with students are the small program and class sizes, which make it “easy to get to know many of your classmates throughout your stay.” At CSULB, “classmates are invested in the education experience.” “Fellow students are fun to work with and bring different experiences helping to enrich discussion.” There are “many foreign students” in the graduate program who help to provide an “international business focus” during classroom discussions. International students appreciate the opportunity to “take advantage of their experiences” at Long Beach.
Finding a program that meets individual needs at CSULB is easy to do. There are “many options for working folk,” including a “Saturday only program” which is a twenty-threemonth long lock-step cohort. The three basic options include the Saturday MBA, the Self-Paced Evening MBA, and the eighteen-month Daytime Accelerated MBA. A good majority of students fit into the part-time category, and these commuters appreciate the school’s ample parking and location in the “convenient” city of Long Beach. A current student describes it as “one of the most beautiful and diverse cities in the country.”
Generally, students attend CSULB for its “smaller classes, good choice of different programs, [and] great location.” One student says the school and its programs are “definitely growing by leaps and bounds.” Another student who is a military veteran says, “The VA program here is the best of any school I have seen.” Overall, students should come away from the school with “strong academics” as well as a “great sense of a real life business experience.”
Many students also find the cohort system as one of the school’s “greatest strengths.” Although at times it may create some “isolation” from the rest of the campus, it does a great job of unifying peers within one’s group, allowing students “time to develop relationships and strengthen our network,” which is “almost impossible when your classmates change every session.”
Getting help on campus is a positive experience as well. “The administration and faculty are very accessible and diverse.” Students say that administrators “are fantastic in keeping students informed and getting them involved.” Students’ opinions about the faculty vary, yet many feel that “professors are very helpful and always have open lines of communication.” Some say that although their academic and professional knowledge is well respected, their ability to teach effectively covers a “wide range.” Also, some students consider it a disadvantage that not all professors “have extensive real-world experience.”
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