What Makes the CBE at Cal State LA Unique?
Our award-winning programs, faculty and staff come together just minutes from Downtown LA to offer students a unique educational opportunity. Both the college and university focus on developing Student Success, Community Engagement and a Collaborative Culture. This focus on developing excellence and giving back to the community distinguish the College of Business & Economics from other Southern California institutions. Here’s a sample of how we do it.
Award Winning Programs, Faculty and Staff
The College of Business & Economics is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), putting it in the top 5% of business schools worldwide. We are consistently highly ranked in numerous college lists including the US News & World Report Best Business Programs, The Diverse Top 100, and Washington Monthly College Rankings. Our faculty have won distinguished teaching and research awards from professional organizations and our staff has been honored numerous times within the University.
Student Success
CBE graduates are career-ready, armed with the knowledge and skills to succeed in today’s sought after business fields. Through our programs we offer specializations in forensic accounting, entrepreneurship, social media, information systems, health care management, and logistics as well as traditional business fields. Students can customize these programs to fit their career goals.
The college is continuously incorporating hands on learning and project-centered activities into all of its business programs. Through the Marshall Geller Golden Eagle Opportunity Fund finance majors obtain real-world experience by applying their investment and portfolio management principles to the management of the real money in the GEOF. Our students are working internships with Creative Artists Agency, JPL, Boeing, Southern California Edison, and many other corporations as well as major accounting firms.
Our students participate in over 15 award-winning student organizations and compete in industry-sponsored events and competitions throughout the year. Our honor societies offer opportunities for students in business (Beta Gamma Sigma) accounting (Beta Alpha Psi), and Economics (Omicron Delta Epsilon).
Our Advisement Center’s staff of full time professionals offer help with degree planning as well as academic advisement. The center serves as a “one stop shop” for all business students and offers one-on-one advisement, and connections to financial aid and other offices on campus. Our Placement Center provides internship and career placement opportunities and offers job placement skills training including resume building and interview workshops for CBE students.
Community Engagement
Both the college and university strive to link students with their community through civic learning, applied research and student success initiatives.
Our Economics Department’s annual Federal Open Market Committee Symposium brings representatives from the Federal Reserve and economics students together to discuss economic trends and simulate participating on the committee. The department also hosts a recurring Seminar Series inviting local economists to discuss current issues with students.
For the past ten years the VITA Program, sponsored by the Department of Accounting and the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, has offered electronic tax preparation and e-filing at no cost to low income taxpayers. This twofold program provides tax preparation services and financial education for the community, and service-learning and community-citizenship for the students.
The Professor for a Day series brings successful business alumni to campus to share their advice and wisdom with current students.
Collaborative Culture
Our students work collaboratively across departments and with local businesses. The College develops an atmosphere of collaboration both by example and by creating environments for learning and sharing.
Our faculty develop service learning projects to enhance students’ academic experience. Students frequently provide consulting services to local businesses as individuals or through class projects.