Twitter / X, Salesforce, Uber, Dropbox, and Square—they’re just some of the big names that have built San Francisco’s tech sector into the goliath it is today.
San Francisco County is synonymous with innovation. Most recently, AI has become the industry darling, with San Francisco staking a claim on some of the most promising advancements in machine learning and becoming a national leader in the process. Now know as the AI Capital of the World, San Francisco is where you’ll find eight of the nation’s top 20 generative AI firms.
Everyone knows San Francisco is where art, culture, and natural beauty come together to make the Embarcadero waterfront at Pier 7, Jackson Square, and Baker Beach places that people flock to. But it’s also where fortunes are made and the greatest success stories ever told come straight from the mouths of tech-industry titans.
Tech-based companies demand leadership that’s confident working in environments where competition is fierce, and where the only sure thing is that technology is shaping a job market of tomorrow that’s going to look a whole lot different than it does today.
Whether pitching to angel investors trying to get in on the next big AI startup, taking on C-suite corporate roles, or venturing out into the wild world of a new entrepreneurial endeavor, you’ll find that San Francisco’s go-getters often have an MBA in the back pocket.
Quality MBA programs create ethical business execs who bring steady, reliable leadership to the organizations they build and run. And as it turns out, San Francisco creates some of the best MBA programs in the world.
The Bold Plan to Revitalize Downtown Backed by Big Players in the SF Business World
There’s no sugar-coating the fact that the COVID pandemic took its toll on San Francisco’s commercial districts. Cancelled leases, empty storefronts, and reduced foot traffic became a regular sight post-COVID in some of San Francisco’s most popular commercial corridors, including Union Square and the Financial District.
These massive, economic engines have been responsible for bringing in billions in tax revenue for the city, so even a modest dip can result in major disruptions to the region’s economic health.
But exciting efforts are underway to revitalize the area and begin transforming vacant districts into tourist and commercial business destinations once again.
In March 2024, Mayor London Breed launched a Roadmap to San Francisco’s Future, a comprehensive plan for reviving the downtown area and ensuring that the city remains a dynamic global destination. The Roadmap outlines no less than nine strategies for accomplishing the city’s goal, including improving transportation, public safety, and clean streets; working to advance workforce and business development; and nurture the area’s arts and culture scene.
One of the major programs includes transforming old commercial space into new residential opportunities. Mayor Breed set a goal of welcoming at least 30,000 new residents and students in San Francisco’s downtown region by 2030 and transforming the region into a mixed-use destination. This goal includes converting some five million square feet of office space into 5,000 housing units. That would mean nearly 10,000 new residents would inhabit the historic city center.
To make this happen, Mayor Breed adopted a Commercial-to-Residential Adaptive Reuse Program in 2023 that, among other things, waves more than a dozen code requirements needed to make downtown conversion projects a reality. And Breed’s 2024 Proposition C ballot measure also waves real estate taxes for commercial-to-housing conversion projects of up to five million square feet.
This massive overhaul of San Francisco’s downtown region also includes major projects like the transformation of the United Nations Plaza in 2023 to include a new skate park and recreation hub… the Powell Street redesign plan in June 2024 that transformed the promenade to better serve retailers, residents, and visitors… and the announcement of a future outdoor recreation area that will serve the East Cut neighborhood.
And in December 2023, no less than 14 companies in sustainability solutions gathered to launch a new initiative aimed at revitalizing the downtown scene. Called the “Yes SF” initiative, companies like Citi and Salesforce are partnering with the city of San Francisco and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce to assist companies who plan to open up business in San Francisco.
Why San Francisco Has Some of the Best Online MBA Programs and Campus Options in California
Technology is a natural fit for San Francisco County, thanks to a highly skilled workforce and major investment in the tech startup ecosystem. In 2023 alone, San Franciso companies scored about $34 billion in VC funding – that’s more than any other market in the world.
The transfer of technology is alive and well in San Francisco County, spurring the creation and growth of countless companies. According to the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, the city itself is home to more than 300 IT firms and employs some 71,000 skilled IT pros.
The foundation here is primed for success. San Francisco’s GDP accounts for nearly a quarter of the total economic output of the entire Bay region, making it among the fastest growing regional economies in the nation. The city is a hub for international trade and financial services, and its life sciences cluster is among the largest in the world.
World-class research universities in San Francisco County may produce their share of IT professionals, but you’ll also find a bevy of MBA grads coming in hot. Trailblazers in the tech sector are creating the enterprises that demand MBA grads who can lead them. It’s a truly symbiotic relationship that bodes well for both business leaders and tech mavens.
Accredited Online MBA Programs and Campus Options in San Francisco and Throughout San Francisco County
There are plenty of reasons to consider San Francisco County for your MBA program. Nationally ranked business schools like San Francisco State’s Lam Family College of Business and the University of San Francisco’s Masagung Graduate School of Management play host to MBA programs of nearly every size and shape. In addition to offering MBA program specializations like finance, international business, business analytics, and HR management, many of today’s programs are offered in convenient, online and hybrid formats to accommodate the busy lifestyles of today’s business professionals.
In addition to the traditional MBA program for the emerging leader, San Francisco County universities often offer a variety of programs for professionals at different points in their careers. Case in point: San Francisco State University alone is home to four MBA programs: MBA for Executives MBA for Biotech Professionals, MBA Flexible, and MBA Fast-Track.
A growing number of MBAs come with a STEM focus, a popular option that provides students with an in-depth examination of technology management and operations – a good fit in a tech-driven region like San Francisco County.
Most MBA programs today ensure a well-rounded and thorough course of education for today’s business students. Schools that have gone through the trouble of having their MBAs vetted for specialty accreditation through one of the three business school accrediting bodies— the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), or the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE)— submit to an additional layer of vetting. Specialty accreditation is a clear indicator that the MBA has met high standards aimed at ensuring faculty qualifications, rigorous curriculum, and academic support for the best student outcomes. While each accrediting body vets programs according to their own predetermined set of points, accreditation through any one of the three independent bodies signifies that the program has met or exceeded generally recognized industry standards for quality.
San Francisco State University
Lam Family College of Business
San Francisco, CA
Website
- MBA for Biotech Professionals (online, hybrid)
- MBA for Executives (online, hybrid)
- MBA Flexible (online, hybrid)
- MBA Fast Track (online, hybrid)
- Accreditation: AACSB
University of San Francisco
Masagung Graduate School of Management
San Francisco, CA
Website
- Full-Time MBA (Business Finance, Management Consulting, Customer Success and Insight) (on-campus)
- Online MBA (online)
- Executive MBA (on-campus)
- Part-Time MBA (currently on hiatus)
- Accreditation: AACSB
Golden Gate University
Ageno School of Business
San Francisco, CA
Website
- MBA (Adaptive Leadership, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, HR Management, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Information Technology Management, Marketing, Project Management, Public Administration, Custom) (online, hybrid)
- Executive MBA (hybrid)
- Accreditation: AACSB
University of the Pacific
Eberhardt School of Business
San Francisco, CA
Website
- MBA (Business Analytics, Finance, Leadership, Healthcare) (online, with two, on-campus residencies)
- Accreditation: AACSB