Master of Science in Leadership with Concentration in Individualized

at Golden Gate University USA

The Golden Gate University (GGU) MBA program will advance your leadership skills and business knowledge using an activity-based learning approach. Faculty members are seasoned professionals in their respective fields and will prepare you to lead in today's complex business environment.

GGU's MBA program builds your business acumen, leadership skills, and contextual knowledge throughout the practical degree design. It provides an integrated perspective of management, and allows you to tailor the program with one of several concentrations to meet your professional interests and goals. Concentrations include business analytics, entrepreneurship, project management and even the option to design your own.

Since launching the MBA program more than half a century ago, GGU has pioneered evening and online programs for working professionals to achieve their career objectives. You can proceed at your own pace in deciding how many courses to take in a given trimester and study fully in-person, completely online or a combination of both.

Students in the program come from the San Francisco Bay Area, the United States and more than 50 countries around the world. With our location in the heart of San Francisco's thriving business community, strong connections to Bay Area business leaders, and a distinguished community of more than 70,000 alumni, the educational experience and the networks available to you are unparalleled.

Gain Cutting-Edge Leadership Skills

Golden Gate University’s breakthrough leadership programs are based on extensive input from corporate partners, industry groups, leading scholars, and leverage the university’s decades-long successes in developing high achieving leaders in the innovative crucible of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Learn From Instructors Who Teach What They Do

Courses are taught by instructors who also work in some of the Bay Area’s largest and most successful organizations. They bring cutting-edge knowledge from the field to the classroom, teaching skills that are immediately applicable to the real world.

Future-Proof Your Career

The pace of change across industries is quickening. New technologies are disrupting established businesses at an accelerated rate. We are operating in an ever interconnected global world. Jobs once performed by professionals will soon be automated or outsourced. What was certain today well may be uncertain tomorrow. Are you prepared for how management and leadership will evolve as a result?

Marketing Concentration Concentration

Often considered the central discipline of business, the challenges and practices of marketing are evolving along with the changes in the contemporary business environment. This concentration prepares students to succeed in the marketing function inside a wide variety of organizations. Fundamental and advanced marketing principles, strategies, and tactics in an increasingly digital world are covered.

Gain Cutting-Edge Leadership Skills

Golden Gate University’s breakthrough leadership programs are based on extensive input from corporate partners, industry groups, leading scholars, and leverage the university’s decades-long successes in developing high achieving leaders in the innovative crucible of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Learn From Instructors Who Teach What They Do

Courses are taught by instructors who also work in some of the Bay Area’s largest and most successful organizations. They bring cutting-edge knowledge from the field to the classroom, teaching skills that are immediately applicable to the real world.

Future-Proof Your Career

The pace of change across industries is quickening. New technologies are disrupting established businesses at an accelerated rate. We are operating in an ever interconnected global world. Jobs once performed by professionals will soon be automated or outsourced. What was certain today well may be uncertain tomorrow. Are you prepared for how management and leadership will evolve as a result?

Project Management Concentration

This concentration is designed for the student who must be able to apply data analytics tools and techniques to information that the organization can use for strategic decision-making. Students taking this concentration will be introduced to specialized analytics tools and technologies.

The Master of Science in Accounting Data & Analytics (MSADA) bridges advanced accounting concepts with data analytics, and will equip students with essential skills and knowledge to compete in the evolving realities of the profession. The MSADA develops students’ understanding of accounting and analytics’ concepts beyond theory through practical application positioning students to become leaders in their field. Students will explore the use of innovative technologies and business automation processes to increase operational effectiveness and efficiencies to drive better decision-making.

In the MSADA and certificate programs, students can gain essential skills that in-demand accounting professionals need in today's data-rich environment. The MSADA offers concentrations in CPA applied accounting, advanced analytics for accountants, essentials of leadership, or taxation. The Advanced Analytics for Accountants Concentration is a STEM-designated degree program.

Plus, graduate certificates are available in Accounting Data & Analytics, Accounting Foundations, Advanced Analytics for Accountants, and CPA Applied Accounting.

This MSADA program satisfies the 150-hour education requirement to become a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and the CPA Applied Accounting Concentration offers live instruction to guide students through the CPA exam.

Advanced Analytics For Accountants Concentration

This concentration is designed for accounting and tax professionals who seek to use analytics to improve strategic planning and decision-making. Students will expand their knowledge of data analytics through the practical application of business tools increasingly used in the accounting profession. Building upon the topics covered in the introductory course on data analytics for accountants, students will gain key skills utilized in the analysis and communication of business accounting data. Topics covered in this concentration include statistical analysis through the utilization of programming languages Python and R; relational data bases, data-mining, and business intelligence systems; and effective communication through the use of visualization tools. This program is a STEM-designated degree program.

In the MSADA and certificate programs, students can gain essential skills that in-demand accounting professionals need in today's data-rich environment. The MSADA offers concentrations in CPA applied accounting, advanced analytics for accountants, essentials of leadership, or taxation. The Advanced Analytics for Accountants Concentration is a STEM-designated degree program.

Plus, graduate certificates are available in Accounting Data & Analytics, Accounting Foundations, Advanced Analytics for Accountants, and CPA Applied Accounting.

This MSADA program satisfies the 150-hour education requirement to become a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and the CPA Applied Accounting Concentration offers live instruction to guide students through the CPA exam.

Taxation Concentration

A customizable graduate degree concentration designed to prepare CFP-certificated students for success in taxation.

Students who undertake the concentration in taxation will gain expert knowledge of taxation practices and policies. Paired with tax courses are a number of finance classes, which will provide students with a solid base in financial analysis and planning. Paired together, these course offerings allow graduates a firm grasp of both finance and taxes, so that they can implement a financial plan and understand exactly how taxation factors into all the varied aspects.

The Master of Science in Business Analytics 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.

The MSBA is relevant to multiple audiences, including: the business manager charged with using data analytics to derive value from data and/or leveraging analytics teams to get that value; the subject matter expert (SME) in a business discipline charged with using analytics on the job; the budding business analytics data scientist requiring understanding of a myriad of data analytics tools from which to draw, and the IT professional responsible for supporting the analytics infrastructure and addressing issues of data security, privacy and ethics. Students completing the MSBA will have earned 39 units including three units of graduate statistics.

The Master of Science in Business Analytics 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.

The MSBA is relevant to multiple audiences, including: the business manager charged with using data analytics to derive value from data and/or leveraging analytics teams to get that value; the subject matter expert (SME) in a business discipline charged with using analytics on the job; the budding business analytics data scientist requiring understanding of a myriad of data analytics tools from which to draw, and the IT professional responsible for supporting the analytics infrastructure and addressing issues of data security, privacy and ethics. Students completing the MSBA will have earned 39 units including three units of graduate statistics.

Management Concentration

The Management concentration is designed for aspiring and current managers who are charged with using data analytics to derive value from data and for leveraging analytics teams to achieve that value. Emphasis in on applying soft skills to meet these needs.

The Master of Science in Finance is a specialized, technical program providing in-depth exposure to the principles and practices of corporate finance and investment management. The main objective of the program is to provide the specialized knowledge needed to add immediate value to your organization as a financial manager or investment adviser.

Located in the heart of San Francisco's Financial District, Golden Gate University provides networking and internship opportunities through its 68,000-strong alumni network and relationships with the local financial community.

The MS in Finance program has been certified by the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute as a University Affiliation Program. This membership signals to employers that the MSF curriculum is closely tied to the practice of financial management, and helps to prepare students for the CFA exams.

The MS in Finance does not attempt to provide the broad overview of business that is typical of an MBA. Instead, it focuses on the specific areas of compelling interest to financial managers, security analysts, corporate bankers, and portfolio managers. This degree is intended for students who have made a professional commitment to this key business discipline, and who are interested in equipping themselves with a comprehensive array of analytical tools and techniques.

You can choose to earn this degree entirely online or through a combination of online and in-class courses that are taught by the same professors and present the same material as the traditional format.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MS in Finance program will have the knowledge and skills to:

• Evaluate and explain financial decisions regarding the firm’s investment and long- and short-term financing strategies by applying financial theory, quantitative decision-making tools, and analytical methods.
• Apply economic analysis to the firm’s decision-making, taking into account the impact of markets, institutions, and international trends on these decisions. Understand whether or to what extent a financial market satisfies the conditions of an efficient market.
• Define and measure business and financial risk. Describe the relationship between risk and return, and distinguish between expected and required returns. Explain how risk affects the valuation of real and financial assets, and describe techniques for managing risk.
• Evaluate the corporate governance structures of firms and examine the interactions, from a governance perspective, among firm management, financial markets, and stakeholders.
• Describe and evaluate the ethical implications of financial decision-making and financial practices, assess alternative recommendations for solutions to ethical financial problems, and offer appropriate resolutions to those problems.

The Master of Science in Information Technology Management program is designed for business professionals who want to advance their careers in positions such as Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and IT Manager. Classes are taught by professionals who also work in the field at major companies in the Bay Area. A dynamic classroom environment helps to teach real-world skills for the strategic application of IT — including cutting-edge applications of technologies such as business analytics, mobile, cloud services, and social media.

Thrive in a Changing Tech Environment
Contemporary Information Technology (IT) managers are organizational leaders who bridge and integrate the worlds of business and IT. They engage business leaders in the ongoing and innovative application of information technologies that enable business success and have the skill sets to function in a complex discipline with many facets.

Build High-Level Skills
The Master of Science in Information Technology Management (MS ITM) program was designed by faculty with experience in leading-edge technologies to develop professionals suited for the top positions in the IT management field. The degree meets the needs of the modern management-level technology professional responsible for the planning, budgeting, design, integration, and deployment of strategic enterprise technologies and programs that contribute to the business organization's success.

The Master of Science in Business Analytics 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.

The MSBA is relevant to multiple audiences, including: the business manager charged with using data analytics to derive value from data and/or leveraging analytics teams to get that value; the subject matter expert (SME) in a business discipline charged with using analytics on the job; the budding business analytics data scientist requiring understanding of a myriad of data analytics tools from which to draw, and the IT professional responsible for supporting the analytics infrastructure and addressing issues of data security, privacy and ethics. Students completing the MSBA will have earned 39 units including three units of graduate statistics.

The Master of Science in Business Analytics 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.

The MSBA is relevant to multiple audiences, including: the business manager charged with using data analytics to derive value from data and/or leveraging analytics teams to get that value; the subject matter expert (SME) in a business discipline charged with using analytics on the job; the budding business analytics data scientist requiring understanding of a myriad of data analytics tools from which to draw, and the IT professional responsible for supporting the analytics infrastructure and addressing issues of data security, privacy and ethics. Students completing the MSBA will have earned 39 units including three units of graduate statistics.

Marketing Concentration

The Marketing concentration is designed for aspiring and current marketing professionals who are charged with using data analytics to derive value from data and for leveraging analytics to achieve that value

The Master of Science in Accounting Data & Analytics (MSADA) bridges advanced accounting concepts with data analytics, and will equip students with essential skills and knowledge to compete in the evolving realities of the profession. The MSADA develops students’ understanding of accounting and analytics’ concepts beyond theory through practical application positioning students to become leaders in their field. Students will explore the use of innovative technologies and business automation processes to increase operational effectiveness and efficiencies to drive better decision-making.

In the MSADA and certificate programs, students can gain essential skills that in-demand accounting professionals need in today's data-rich environment. The MSADA offers concentrations in CPA applied accounting, advanced analytics for accountants, essentials of leadership, or taxation. The Advanced Analytics for Accountants Concentration is a STEM-designated degree program.

Plus, graduate certificates are available in Accounting Data & Analytics, Accounting Foundations, Advanced Analytics for Accountants, and CPA Applied Accounting.

This MSADA program satisfies the 150-hour education requirement to become a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and the CPA Applied Accounting Concentration offers live instruction to guide students through the CPA exam.

Taxation Concentration Concentration

This concentration is intended to meet the needs of those who have studied accounting and wish to further specialize in the field of taxation. By requiring an extensive focus on taxation, this concentration develops significant tax knowledge as part of a program that includes creation of a strong accounting foundation. The concentration courses are in tax research, federal income taxation, and property transactions.