Freshmen Questions FAQ

The College of Business  (COB) at CSULB provides well-rounded curricula that prepare students for the competitive world of business. COB is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International(AACSB), which represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide, and is also continually rated as one of the Best Business Schools by Princeton Review. 
 

COB extends beyond the classroom through a variety of co-curricular activities. Our student organizations are award-winning and highly connected to our Corporate Partners. The Student Center for Professional Development provides students with the opportunity to gain leadership skills, fine-tune business etiquette and networking skills, establish internships, and create professional mentoring opportunities. Our students also have opportunities to put what they have learned into practice by competing in programs such as the Beach Investment Group (B.I.G.), Sunstone Innovation Challenge, Boeing Case Study Competition, and the International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition.

Yes. Applying via CalState Apply presents 8 major options for the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree: Accountancy, Finance, Management Information Systems,  International Business, Human Resources Management, Management, Marketing, and Operations & Supply Chain Management. 

Admission to COB will be to a “pre-major” status. To continue in your major option, you will be subject to meeting specific lower division course and GPA requirements that will indicate your ability to succeed and complete the major option. Please note that major options can be changed.

Business curriculum requires a higher level of quantitative reasoning/mathematical skills. Courses in English, Economics, Calculus, and Statistics will assist you. If you are able to take an Advance Placement course and pass the exam, you will receive college credit and may not be required to take such courses as English, Micro or Macro Economics, Business Calculus, or Statistics.

To be considered for first-time, first-year admission to CSULB, you must meet the following minimum requirements:

1. Complete each of the courses in the comprehensive pattern of college preparatory subject requirements with a grade of C or higher prior to high school graduation.
2. Graduate from high school by the end of the spring term prior to fall enrollment.
3. Have a minimum CSULB Index to be considered. The CSULB Index is the result of a formula that combines your achievement in high school college preparatory courses. Refer to CSULB Index for details of how this index is calculated.

The minimum CSULB Index to be considered for Fall 2023 CSULB first-time, first-year admission:

• Graduates of California high schools and other California residents:
  • ​2.5 GPA or greater in college preparatory subjects
  • 3,200 minimum CSULB Index for non-STEM majors
  • 3,600 minimum STEM Index for STEM majors (this is higher than the minimum for CSU systemwide eligibility)
• Other non-California residents:
  • ​3.0 GPA or greater in college preparatory subjects
  • 3,500 minimum CSULB Index for non-STEM majors
  • 3,600 minimum STEM Index for STEM majors (this is higher than the minimum for CSU systemwide eligibility)

Applicants will be admitted based on the Eligibility Index. Applicants who are considered “local” based on their high school of graduation or military status will be offered admission if they meet the minimum Eligibility Index required of the major (3,200 for COB). Other applicants will be ranked by their Eligibility Index and will be offered admission on a space-available basis in the major or college.

CSULB determines which first-time, first-year and transfer applicants will receive “local preference” for admission consideration based on their high school of graduation. The same geographic boundaries that have been historically used to determine local area high schools for freshmen remain in place. These are used to determine local preference for incoming transfers as well. As part of our commitment to provide access to veterans, CSULB gives local preference to all military veterans, regardless of their school of origin.

In addition, CSULB grants local preference to all students from alternative high schools if their primary residence where they are educated is located within the current boundaries of CSULB’s local area.

For a map and list of local area schools, please refer to Local Area Preference Admission Consideration. 

COB’s Center for Student Success (CSS) provides students with one-on-one advising from matriculation to graduation. The center’s main goal is to ease student transition, increase graduation rates, support students with career preparedness while at the same time providing a structure for timely graduation.

Through CSS, students receive advising services such as assistance with registration, major and General Education graduation requirements, degree/program planning, as well as guidance with studying abroad, requesting substitutions/equivalencies. In addition, students are provided with resources such as academic boot camps, Supplemental Instruction, mid-term/final study sessions, testing prep workshops and free tutoring to enhance educational potential.