You’ve Been Doing the Work. Now Get the Credential.

California Lutheran University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) is made for people who know they want more from their career and are ready to do something about it.

This program gives you the platform to transform your ideas into real outcomes and the skills to turn your potential into growth. Our professors know your name and your goals, your classmates push you to think bigger and the coursework draws from real companies and real decisions, in Southern California and beyond.

Build a Lasting Business Network

Great ideas and lasting connections tend to come from the same place: collaborating with people who are genuinely excited about what they are doing.

That’s the environment at Cal Lutheran. Professors are easy to get to know and invested in where you are headed. Classmates come from different industries and stages of their careers, and those relationships last well beyond graduation.

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To learn more about the Graduate Degree Programs offered by the Cal Lutheran School of Management and download a brochure, please fill out the form. You can also get in touch with an enrollment specialist directly by calling us at 805-521-9856.

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An MBA With Options

Online, on-campus and hybrid formats give you real flexibility. Five start dates throughout the year mean you begin when you’re ready. Most students finish in two years while working full-time.

“As a Cal Lutheran student, you are actually part of the community. You walk away feeling like you were part of something, rather than just taking part in something.”

Rosie Baker, Cal Lutheran MBA Alumna

Why Choose the Cal Lutheran MBA?

Customize With an Emphasis Area or Create Your Own

Choose from four emphasis areas – Finance, Information Technology, Sport Management or Marketing – or pick a general track if your goals cross disciplines. More about the emphasis areas.

Your Professor’s Network Is Your Network

Cal Lutheran MBA students have worked on actual client projects at companies like Amgen, visited companies such as Red Bull and Spotify, and sat across from CMOs and CFOs in class. You get that access from faculty and industry-leading employers. More about the MBA faculty.

Coursework Is Built Around Real Problems From Real Companies

Students have taken on client engagements, worked under NDA on projects for outside companies and competed against industry teams. If you are solving a problem at your job or launching your own business, it can become part of your coursework. More about the MBA curriculum.

A Business School in the Middle of Everything

Cal Lutheran is situated within a major biotech corridor, an active financial services industry and a growing entertainment sector. That regional access opens up internships and client projects for local students, and shapes the curriculum, faculty, and guest lectures for everyone. More about career opportunities.

Customization Options: MBA Emphasis Areas

You can work toward a general MBA or choose to earn an MBA with an emphasis area:

Students who choose an emphasis area can take their core courses online, with emphasis courses completed on campus in Thousand Oaks. General MBA students can complete all coursework online, on campus or through a mix of both.

Explore the MBA curriculum page for more details or download our program brochure.

What Will You Learn in the MBA Program?

The MBA consists of 39 credits for the general track and 45 if you add an emphasis area. You will complete nine core courses and choose electives that fit your goals. The emphasis area option includes a capstone.

Core Courses Include:

  • Enterprise Management, Organization and Strategy
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Business Ethics and Law
  • Marketing Management
  • Strategic Decision Making
  • Macroeconomics in the Global Economy
  • Leadership and Teamwork Essentials
  • Managerial Finance
  • Foundation of Business Analytics

See the full course list and curriculum info: Download our MBA brochure or explore the curriculum page.

MBA Program Outcomes

  • Development of management-ready skills through practical coursework
  • Networking opportunities with business leaders and alumni
  • Enhanced entrepreneurial thinking and decision-making abilities
  • Preparation for high-level management positions in various industries

Talk To Someone Who Knows the MBA Program

Our enrollment specialists are some of the best people to talk to when you’re considering Cal Lutheran’s MBA. They know the program deeply and they genuinely want to help you make the right call.

Call Us: 805-521-9856 or Request a Call

Graduates of our MBA program are leading change for companies in Ventura County, across California and around the world:

  • Amgen
  • Bank of America
  • Anthem, Inc.
  • Wells Fargo
  • Baxter International Inc.
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
  • County of Ventura
  • Merrill Lynch
  • Farmers Insurance
  • Ameriprise Financial Services
  • PennyMac Loan Services
  • Northrop Grumman
  • Verizon
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • J.D. Power
  • The Walt Disney Company
  • US Navy
  • General Motors
  • Raytheon
  • Blue Shield of California
  • and many, many more.

Who Is This MBA Program For?

The Cal Lutheran MBA is built for working professionals at any career stage who want broader business fluency, stronger leadership skills and a credential that opens doors across industries. Most students are balancing the program with full-time jobs and other responsibilities.

Most students come from across Southern California, from Ventura and Los Angeles Counties to the Santa Barbara region, and take advantage of the program’s regional employer connections in biotech, financial services and entertainment.

It’s also for people who want a real community alongside the credential. Cal Lutheran is intentionally smaller and more personal than many other MBA degree programs. Professors learn your name and classmates become long-term connections.

Ready to join us? See our admissions checklist and start your application.

Career Outcomes: What Can You Do With an MBA?

The MBA is one of the harder degrees to summarize with a single job title list, because it can serve leaders across nearly every industry and function.

Data does show a clear earnings impact. The median starting salary for MBA graduates is $120,000, compared to $69,320 for those with a bachelor’s degree alone. (Source:Graduate Management Admissions Council).

That’s also roughly 25% higher than the median earnings for master’s degree holders overall (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

The roles below can give you a sense of some of the opportunities and outcomes of an MBA, both for professionals who are earlier in their management careers and those looking to move into senior leadership.

Our students can go into these careers:

Job Title
Without MBA
With MBA

Management Analyst
$105,300
$129,800

Financial Manager
$127,900
$150,300

Marketing Manager
$143,200
$166,700

Human Resources Manager
$110,500
$151,300

Operations Manager
$80,300
$120,100

Consultant
$109,400
$112,100

Information Technology Manager
$142,200
$198,400

Salary data sourced from Lightcast Labor Database.

Find out more about what an MBA can do for your career.

Events That Build Your Business Readiness

The School of Management runs a full calendar of events that put students in the room with entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders. Here are three signature events we offer:

  • Entrepreneur Speaker Series: Hear directly from experienced entrepreneurs and leave with contacts worth keeping.
  • Executive Fireside Chats: Attend intimate, limited-seat events that put you in meaningful conversation with C-suite executives and industry leaders.
  • New Venture Fair: Pitch your business ideas to a panel of expert entrepreneurs and win cash prizes.
  • PRiME Competition: Present projects tied to global sustainable development goals in a competitive showcase.

See all of our upcoming School of Management events.

Frequently Asked Questions: MBA Degree

Yes. According to a GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey, U.S. MBA graduates command a median starting salary of $125,000, roughly 75% higher than those who only have a bachelor’s degree.

We look closer at the power of an MBA in this article.

An MBA is a broad management credential that covers core business areas like strategy, finance, marketing, operations, and leadership.

An MS in Management is a more specialized program focused on operational leadership and interpersonal communication.

  • If you want a full business foundation that covers strategy, finance, marketing, operations, and leadership, the MBA is the right fit. It’s built for professionals who want broad management fluency and a credential that signals broad readiness across industries.
  • If you already have expertise in another field, like engineering, health care, the sciences, or the arts, and want to add management and operational skills in a shorter amount of time, the MS in Management may be a stronger choice.

If you want help figuring out which is right for you, talk with an enrollment specialist at 805-521-9856.

Most students finish the degree in two years, taking two courses per term. And yes, you can take the program part time. In fact, that’s the default for the MBA, since most students are balancing work and other responsibilities. The program is built with that in mind.

Cal Lutheran MBA students have access to our university-wide Career Services office, which includes career counseling, workshops, interview prep and a job and internship board with over 200 weekly listings from a network of 20,000-plus employer contacts. These resources are available to current students and stay open to alumni.

The School of Management also runs its own networking programs, including the Entrepreneur Speaker Series, the New Venture Fair, the PRiME Competition and Business School on Rails. Beyond formal programs, professors actively introduce students to executives for jobs, internships and advice, and the Steven Dorfman Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship supports students with business ideas they want to develop alongside their coursework.

You can browse our Career Services page or see what events are coming up on our events page.

The general MBA can be completed online, on campus in Thousand Oaks or through a hybrid mix.

Three of the four emphasis areas (finance, marketing, and sport management) require on-campus attendance for emphasis electives, while the IT emphasis is available fully online. See the curriculum page for more details.

Yes, Cal Lutheran offers a variety of funding options from internal and external sources. These include:

  • Scholarships
  • Grants
  • Credit reductions
  • Veterans benefits
  • Employer discounts

Visit our financial aid page for detailed information. You can also talk with an enrollment specialist at 805-521-9856 to discuss funding your education.

You’ve been doing the work. Here’s what comes next:

Explore on your own: Download a brochure, see the curriculum or review admissions requirements.

Talk with someone who knows the program: An enrollment specialist can answer questions and help you figure out if this is the right fit. Call 805-521-9856 to talk one-on-one.