Lucas College and Graduate School of Business


The Lucas College and Graduate School of Business is one of San Jose State University's schools and colleges. Lucas College is the largest Business school in Silicon Valley with firms in the area employing more of its graduates than from any other university in the United States. 80% of graduates are employed in the Valley. In 2025, Poets&Quants For Undergrads recognized the school as the #1 ranked public undergraduate business school within the California State University system and a top 100 undergraduate business program in the nation. In 2010, the school appeared in Forbes' ranking of the top 20 "Colleges that will make you rich".
WWW sjsu.edu/cob

History

The college was founded as the Department of Commerce in 1928, with the mission statement of " this department one which will attract not only those who especially desire business proficiency as a vocational objective but also teachers who have been notably lacking in clerical accuracy and are thereby handicapped when confronted with blanks and schedules for official data". The department was organized by four teachers, led by Elmer H. Staffelbach, and only two areas of study were offered, secretarial training and accountancy.
By 1950, the Department of Commerce had grown to a staff of 40 that supported 7 majors and had a student body of 1,528, nearly a fifth of the entire student body.
The school became accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business in 1967.
In 2006, the school was renamed in honor of Donald Lucas and his wife Sally Lucas. Donald graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing in 1957. Sally graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree in 1959. Donald created the Lucas Dealership Group and the Lucas Trust Ventures, which focused in the business of automobiles and real estate, respectively. Both companies have several locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The college was named after the couple for their generous donation, history of philanthropy, and successful careers in Business and Education.

Academics

The Lucas College and Graduate School of Business serves over 6,000 students, consists of six departments and offers 29 types of degrees.
Departments and Concentrations:
  • Department of Accounting and Finance
  • * Concentrations: Accounting, Finance, Accounting Information Systems, Corporate Accounting and Finance
  • School of Global Innovation and Leadership
  • * Concentrations: Entrepreneurship, Operations and Supply Chain Management, International Business
  • Department of Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management
  • * Concentration: Hospitality, Tourism & Event Management
  • Information Systems and Technology
  • * Concentration: Management Information Systems
  • School of Management
  • * Concentrations: Human Resources Management, Management
  • Marketing and Business Analytics
  • * Concentrations: Marketing, Business Analytics
Graduate Degrees and Certificates offered through the Lucas Graduate School of Business:
  • MBA
  • MS in Accounting and Analytics
  • MS in Financial Analytics
  • MS in Taxation
  • MS in Transportation Management]
  • Nine Graduate Academic Certification Programs

Admissions

The Lucas College of Business has the same requirements as the whole university. San José State is objective for most applicants, where it primarily decides applicants based on GPA, SAT/ACT, and the rigor of classes taken during one's secondary school. State residency and graduating from a high school in the Santa Clara County are factors as well. Applicants who pose unique, personal circumstances may be given a different outlook on their application if and only if they apply to the Educational Opportunity Program at San José State.

Rankings

Facilities

  • Business Tower
  • Boccardo Business Complex

Centers and Institutes

  • Accounting Advancement Center
  • Center for Banking and Financial Services
  • Global Leadership Advancement Center
  • The High Technology Tax Institute
  • The Institute for People and Performance
  • Mineta Transportation Institute
  • Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship
  • Silicon Valley Center for Operations & Technology Management

Student Organizations