Edward S. Ageno School of Business

The Ageno School of Business offers programs designed for working adults seeking to advance in their careers and achieve their life goals. We offer the widest range of interdisciplinary master’s degrees and certificates in the San Francisco Bay Area, in the most highly demanded business, technological, nonprofit and governmental areas, including business analytics, finance, human resources management, leadership, information technology management, management, marketing, public relations, project management, supply chain management, psychology and public administration. Our programs open the door to new leadership and service, helping students become life learners.

Using a learner-centered approach in a diverse and inclusive classroom, degree programs at the Ageno School of Business give students the hands-on knowledge and effective skills that make an immediate difference on the job. Through practical application, intensive case studies, desktop exercises, business simulations, in-depth study of business, and nonprofit and public management concepts, students learn skills that are in high demand in the global marketplace.

Relevant Education

Business and governments evolve, and so do we. The programs we offer are constantly updated to reflect current trends and practices, providing students with the most relevant know-how.

GGU offers three programs designed to hone innovative managerial and leadership skills: our Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs, our Master in Leadership, and our Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA).

The two different graduate business administration programs meet the needs of our busy, working students: our integrated MBA and executive MBA (EMBA). The integrated MBA program builds leadership skills throughout the program, provides an integrated perspective of management, and allows students to tailor the program to specific career interests and goals with many concentrations. Concentrations include business data analytics, entrepreneurship, project management and the option to design a concentration. The Executive MBA program provides mid-level managers and above with an opportunity to learn and develop the management skills that will enable them to excel in today’s competitive environment. With the cohort structure, student learning is shared and enhanced by the experiences of peers. Engaged mentorship by faculty and the program director also provides the necessary support for student success.

The Master in Leadership degree program is designed to teach students leadership skills that are critical to harnessing and directing the talents of a diverse workforce - critical skills such as adaptive decision-making, designing and leading complex change, and leveraging business data - plus soft skills that help influence decisions, build emotional intelligence, and bring out the best performance in employees. Coursework is based on extensive input from corporate partners, industry groups and leading scholars, and leverages the university’s decades-long successes in developing high achieving leaders in the innovative crucible of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Housed in the oldest public administration department in Northern California, the Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) degree program is designed to advance careers in public service, nonprofits, and governmental and community relations, and has concentrations in Urban Innovations and Law Enforcement & Security.

GGU offers a dedicated master’s degree in counseling psychology and one in industrial-organizational psychology. Students learn essential skills to help individuals and businesses thrive. In addition, our master’s degrees in finance, financial analytics, and financial planning give students the comprehensive knowledge and modern tools necessary to succeed in all aspects of the finance sector.

The information technology management and project management programs provide an integration of business and information technology to give professionals the flexibility to understand as well as manage the wide range of technology issues and tools that drive the contemporary enterprise.

The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) degree program presents students with an understanding of the many possibilities for applying data analytics to business problems. Data analytics, and the implications of this strategic discipline, give practitioners new opportunities for discovering insights that can support the strategic goals and decision making of the organization. Business Analytics has emerged as one of the most important and high demand tools used in business today.

GGU encourages students to participate in capstone projects and internship programs as a way to bring more professionally focused practice into their educational experience. By graduation day, students will have the needed preparation and confidence to succeed.

Students are also encouraged to bring work projects into the classroom or online discussion rooms for in-depth analysis and exchange, for the opportunity to receive assistance from peers, and a fresh perspective on the issues faced daily.

Quality and Convenience

We recognize that for students juggling the responsibilities of work, community service, family and school, time is very valuable. To meet the demanding schedules of working professionals, classes are conveniently offered online or in person in the evenings and on weekends. Students have the choice to complete their MBA or MS degree programs either all online, all in person, or a combination of the two.

Benefits

Faculty are practitioners who do what they teach.
Wide selection of relevant, professionally oriented bachelor and master’s degrees and certificate programs.
Flexible programs for working professionals: in-person, online, hybrid.

Contact

For further information about the Edward S. Ageno School of Business, please contact:

Edward S. Ageno School of Business
Golden Gate University
536 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-2968
Phone: 415-442-6500
Email: biz@ggu.edu
Website: www.ggu.edu/admissions/graduate/schools/ageno-school-of-business/

Graduate Business Programs

The Edward S. Ageno School of Business offers relevant programs in our continuing effort to help working adults prepare for today’s competitive, rapidly changing global marketplace. With high-quality, in-depth instruction from practicing professionals, students will be able to apply what they learn today in the workplace tomorrow. We offer graduate degrees in business administration, business analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, financial analytics, accounting data & analytics, human resource management, information technology management, leadership, marketing, psychology and public administration, as well as several graduate certificates. In addition, our Master of Business Administration degree allows students to focus on an area of special interest with large choice of concentrations.

Degrees

Business Administration
Because today’s companies want managers who understand technology, know how to lead and can motivate their work forces, these abilities are regularly emphasized throughout GGU’s business administration and management programs. To succeed, students will need skill sets that help them stay current over time in this rapidly changing arena. The evolving global marketplace of today is highly competitive; it demands a new kind of executive. Students will develop a deep grounding in business theory along with first-rate leadership skills, technological sophistication, a keen understanding of human behavior and the ability to motivate - not dominate - coworkers. GGU’s business administration programs are designed to make our graduates leaders who stand out in a crowd.

Business Analytics
The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) degree program presents students with an understanding of the many possibilities for applying data analytics to business problems. Data analytics, and the implications of this strategic discipline, give practitioners new opportunities for discovering insights that can support the strategic goals and decision making of the organization. The discipline has grown so fast that it is impossible to address all of its elements, so this degree should be viewed as a “toolkit” of statistical and analytic theory, processes, tools and techniques, which can be integrated into the business depending on the discipline and needed outcomes.

Finance
Finance experts are among the most valued employees in any corporation. Many CEOs trace their academic and professional roots back to finance, a reflection of the strategic perspective that this discipline provides. Whatever the student’s intended destination in the rapidly changing world of finance, from investments and portfolio management to corporate strategy and financial services, GGU’s finance curriculum delivers the tools necessary for success in their career. Today’s financial experts increasingly depend on the sophisticated analytical techniques that are an integral part of our courses. Our goal is to help students develop the creative decision-making skills that they will need to move ahead in the global, technology-based world of finance. With our emphasis on professional-practice education, we offer an unwavering focus on how they can be better managers.

Financial Analytics
The Master of Science in Financial Analytics is a specialized, technical program that provides in-depth exposure to the principles and practices of corporate finance and business analytics. Analytics is used to evaluate and explain financial decisions regarding firms’ investment and long- and short-term financing strategies by applying financial theory, quantitative decision-making tools, and analytical methods. The primary objective of the program is to ensure that graduating students acquire the specialized skills and knowledge that they will need to add immediate value to their organizations in their roles as financial analysts. This program is a STEM-designated degree program.

Financial Planning
Those who are considering careers in financial planning will enjoy thinking about the extraordinary advantages of this profession. These include flexibility in hours and working conditions, excellent compensation, and strong and growing demand for planners’ services (providing, as a result, outstanding employment opportunities). These advantages are widely acknowledged and help to ensure that financial planning always ranks near the top of surveys on the most desirable jobs. But the profession offers several other appealing qualities that are less often mentioned but perhaps even more significant to its practitioners: the opportunity to use their talent and education to make significant positive changes in their clients’ lives; and the intellectual and emotional satisfaction that comes from blending technical, quantitative and analytical abilities with highly developed skills in communication, psychology and human relations. GGU’s graduate financial planning degrees and certificates will help them to cultivate those skills and abilities. Golden Gate offers one of the oldest and most highly regarded financial planning programs in the country. For those already in the profession, our program is designed to take their established careers to a higher level; and for those just entering the field, we will prepare them to launch a successful and rewarding new career.

Human Resource Management
The effective, strategic use of human resources is critical to business success. Business profitability requires increasingly versatile skill sets that are regularly updated. Companies need innovative and creative employees. Employees need companies that make effective use of their talents and abilities. Global teams need to interact and work across cultures to attain competitive advantage. GGU’s leading-edge human resource management program is carefully structured to give students the foundation and in-depth training they will need as a human resource or people manager. Through our innovative curriculum, students gain a thorough, hands-on understanding of what is happening in the marketplace; why it is happening; what the future trends may be; and how to positively affect the leading and managing of people in a changing, global business setting.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Industrial-Organizational Psychology equips graduates to spearhead a variety of initiatives including identifying and improving employee training, evaluating internal problems, conducting market research, and increasing productivity by improving employee relations. The skills students acquire throughout their course of studies prepares graduates to assume leadership roles in industrial-organizational psychology in small, medium and large organizations in a variety of fields - technology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, entertainment - or work at global consulting firms.

Information Technology Management
The convergence of people, business processes and technology is the driving force in business today. In the 21st century, business and information technologies are increasingly interdependent in creating value across the enterprise. These realities put a premium on professionals whose education provides both theoretical and applied skills. The MS ITM curriculum is grounded in the four foundational components of IT: 1) software, 2) infrastructure, 3) network/communications, and 4) data. Instructors with extensive field experience at some of the Bay Area’s top companies present courses that address strategic application of the foundation while integrating emerging technologies, e.g. unstructured data analytics, cloud services, virtualization, mobile platforms and social media. By graduation, students will have an in-depth knowledge of IT systems and the skills to effectively manage their use in support of business objectives.

Leadership
The need for strong organizational leadership skills has never been greater. Adaptive and nimble leadership is required to succeed in our rapidly changing global marketplace. Not only must leaders confidently get work done through others, they must work effectively in a team environment, and make effective, data-based decisions in the face of uncertainty. They must be strategic thinkers able to inspire and motivate others to a shared vision, and also able to quickly pivot and constantly drive innovation as market conditions change. Those who are unable to quickly adjust will be replaced by those with the tools, ability, and strategic mindset to thrive in a complex, uncertain environment. The MS Leadership program is designed to equip individuals with the skills, knowledge, and mindset to manage and lead others in order to build high performing organizations, with the opportunity to specialize in a set of four courses to enhance one’s career.

Marketing and Public Relations
The increased pace of business today has changed the rules about how organizations communicate with their markets. GGU’s Marketing and Public Relations Department monitors the developing trends in the marketplace and the concurrent changes in marketing education they make necessary. In that way, we provide students with a first-rate marketing education that’s both cutting-edge and grounded in the strong foundation skills they must have to compete in today’s business environment. Students will learn to identify issues relating to international marketing and technology, and create new solutions to them. We offer a range of courses so students can develop a deeper level of expertise in a number of marketing areas. Through case studies of real-life problems, students develop analytical and communication skills while learning marketing classes along with acquiring marketing concepts for business in the 21st century.

Psychology
The study of psychology prepares individuals for some of today’s top employment opportunities. As businesses have come to recognize the importance of teamwork, good leadership and organizational flexibility, the need for psychologically-trained professionals has increased. Throughout society, there is also a growing demand for counselors, therapists, mediators, consultants and other psychologically-oriented professionals. GGU’s psychology degrees are unique in their flexibility and their emphasis on the real-world application of psychological theory. We offer degrees and certificates that allow our student to customize their degree to match their existing experience and the future trends of the workplace.

Project Management
The Master of Science in Project Management degree program meets the need for focused graduate study in this growing discipline. Business leaders are becoming more aware that project alignment with organizational goals will increasingly drive business value. Students will graduate with project management skills that emphasize the need for an integrated relationship with business function areas. Our degrees and certificate in project management provide formal training that prepares graduates to manage local, outsourced and global projects. Attention is paid to developing “soft skills,” which are needed for success in working in and among the multiple and diverse communities within the business organization.

Public Administration
The real-world, ethical practice of public service is an art as well as a science. Today’s successful leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors serve with intuition, creative problem-solving abilities, resilience, core values of inclusion, diversity, equity, justice, as well as communication and engagement skills. Since the 1960s, GGU has offered a public administration degree program of exceptional quality and academic rigor for the working student. The only Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) program in the San Francisco Bay Area, GGU’s EMPA prepares the student for leadership and service roles in government and nonprofit agencies as well as public policy and community relations departments in large corporations. This program delves into real-time best practices in public policy and administration making students results-oriented and accountable contributors to city, state and federal government, nongovernmental organizations and international institutions. Some EMPA students have won prestigious awards, such as the Presidential Management Fellowship, the California Capital Fellowship, the National Security Fellowship, and the NASPAA Batten Competition. Since 1973, GGU has been a National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) institutional member and has Pi Alpha Alpha (public administration international honors society) and International City/County Management Association chapters.