Master of Science [M.S]/Master of Business Administration [M.B.A] [Information Systems and Technology] From Claremont Graduate University

Claremont Graduate University Master of Science (M.S.)/Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Information Systems and Technology is a dual master’s degree. It is three years, full time and in person in Claremont, California. CGU’s current MS Information Systems and Technology guidelines require a completed bachelor’s degree, while the dual-degree page directs applicants to admissions for programme-specific requirements. The explicit 76-unit cost breakdown gives calculated tuition of US$157,320 (INR 1.52 Crore), and Spring 2027 is the earliest future intake.

The programme combines technical information systems training with Drucker MBA management study, so it suits applicants who want to translate data, software or cybersecurity work into organisational decisions. Its six concentrations and applied research setting support focused technical development, but the three-year dual-degree structure creates a larger funding commitment than a single master’s degree.

• Students can focus on Cybersecurity and Networking, Data Science and Analytics, Geographic Information Systems, Health Informatics or IT Strategy and Innovation.
• IDEA Lab, Intelligent Systems Lab, Advanced GIS and Social Learning projects connect coursework with applied and academic research.
• The programme joins CISAT with the Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management in one degree plan.

Also Check: Claremont Graduate University course admission

CGU MS/MBA IS&T Fees and Living Costs 2027

The 2026-27 tuition schedule sets standard tuition at US$2,070 (INR 1.99 Lakhs) per unit. The dual-degree page applies that rate to 76 units, although other page sections display 64 and 65 units.

Use the 76-unit Cost & Aid breakdown for initial planning, then ask CGU to confirm the billable-unit plan before accepting an offer. The table separates tuition, application charges, deposits and international student costs.

Target-cycle fee context: The following amounts are for Summer 2026, Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 tuition rates and the 2026-27 fee schedule.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of USD 1 = INR 96.5372 as of 16 August 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

• The calculated tuition is US$157,320 (INR 1.52 Crore) before fellowships, living costs, visa charges or the application fee.
• The US$950 deposit (INR 91,710) reduces the first tuition bill, so it should not be added again as a separate programme charge.
• Six semesters are implied by the official three-year duration, but CGU should confirm the sequence because the page shows conflicting unit totals.

Cost of Living in Claremont for MS/MBA Students

CGU’s 2026-27 Cost of Attendance gives a 12 to 15 unit semester budget for standard programmes. The monthly equivalents below divide each official semester figure by 4.5 months, so they are planning calculations rather than university monthly quotes.

The official non-tuition items total US$19,753 (INR 19.07 Lakhs) per semester and US$39,506 (INR 38.14 Lakhs) for two semesters. Housing is a university budget estimate, not a guaranteed rent quote, and it remains separate from visa maintenance evidence.

A three-year planning illustration adds tuition to six semesters of non-tuition items, six international services charges and three annual health plans. The calculated total is US$281,247 (INR 2.72 Crore). This total excludes the application fee, visa fee and SEVIS fee, and assumes six semesters without rate changes.

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Key insight: The calculated three-year total reaches US$281,247 (INR 2.72 Crore) before aid, so confirm 76 billable units and fellowship terms with CGU before paying the deposit.

CGU MS/MBA IS&T Admission 2027

Admission requires a completed bachelor’s degree, official transcripts and a complete CGU application. The dual-degree page does not publish a minimum GPA, work-experience threshold or management entrance-test requirement.

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test is optional under CGU’s current MSIST guidelines. This means applicants can submit scores when they strengthen an otherwise weaker academic record, while the dual-degree page directs applicants to admissions for variant-specific rules.

CGU’s current requirements list a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, but no India-specific percentage or 10-point CGPA conversion is published. Indian applicants should therefore submit complete transcripts and ask CGU to confirm the equivalency of their degree before relying on eligibility.

Confirmed academic requirements: The table uses CGU’s current MSIST application guidance because the MSIST-MBA page instructs applicants to contact admissions for current dual-degree guidelines.

The university’s current MSIST application guidelines list the US$80 application fee (INR 7,723) and require official testing agency scores when English proficiency applies. The dual-degree page does not state a separate interview rule, so applicants should confirm that point with both programme contacts.

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English Language Proficiency for CGU MS/MBA 2027

Direct entry requires IELTS 7.0 with no subscore below 6.5, TOEFL 5 on the new scale or 95 on the old scale, PTE 66 or Duolingo 125. CGU accepts a waiver when an applicant’s prior degree was taught primarily in English with supporting documentation.

TOEFL means Test of English as a Foreign Language, and CGU publishes both its post-January 2026 1.0 to 6.0 scale and its older 0 to 120 scale. Use the scale printed by CGU and your score report rather than converting one version into the other.

Indian applicants who fall below direct-entry scores may be considered for CGU’s International Scholars Program (ISP) Pathways route after academic admission. ISP means International Scholars Program, and it adds structured academic-English preparation before graduate coursework.

• Schedule IELTS or TOEFL early enough to send official scores before the 15 November 2026 international deadline.
• Applicants claiming an English-medium waiver should obtain a university letter identifying English as the primary language of instruction.
• Applicants below direct entry should price the ISP Pathways tiers at US$2,000 each (INR 1.93 Lakhs each) before accepting an offer.

For the current English and transcript rules, review the CGU international applicant requirements before submitting scores.

Tip for Indian students: Check the 6.5 IELTS component floor separately from the TOEFL scale. Obtain written dual-degree confirmation before paying the application fee.

CGU MS/MBA IS&T Application 2027

The application plan is priority-first: Spring 2027 has a 1 November 2026 priority deadline and a 15 November 2026 international final deadline. CGU says priority submission supports maximum consideration for admission and fellowships.

CGU’s current application page states that decisions arrive within one month, but it does not publish an exact decision date for this dual degree. Submit a complete file before the international deadline because the final date is the last date intended to allow international enrollment processing.

CGU MS/MBA Application Deadlines for International Students

International deadline context: CGU publishes dates without a clock time or timezone. The application portal controls the cutoff, so Indian applicants should verify the timestamp shown inside the portal before submission.

Because the programme lists Spring, Summer and Fall starts, applicants can select the intake that best fits transcript completion and visa preparation. Spring 2027 is the first future cycle, while Summer and Fall provide later dates if the November file cannot be completed accurately.

• Use the Standard Application for CGU master’s programmes and pay the US$80 fee (INR 7,723) after reviewing the dual-degree requirements.
• Upload the statement of purpose, two recommendations, resume, official academic records and English evidence in one complete file.
• Submit by the priority deadline when fellowship consideration matters, then retain the portal confirmation and submitted-document record.
• Ask the MSIST and Drucker admissions contacts to confirm the 76-unit plan, because the programme page displays conflicting unit totals.

CGU’s application process is faculty-led in the proposed area of study, which makes the statement of purpose especially important for this dual degree. Explain how a specific technical concentration supports the management problems you want to solve, rather than presenting two unrelated study plans.

Use the CGU application steps and deadlines page to verify the portal timestamp before submission.

Application tip: Treat 1 November 2026 as the working Spring 2027 deadline. Use 15 November 2026 only as the final international cutoff after every document and score is verified.

CGU MS/MBA IS&T Scholarships 2027

CGU publishes funding routes for international students, but it does not publish a target-cycle award amount or separate scholarship deadline for the MSIST-MBA dual degree. The practical funding plan is therefore to apply by the priority deadline and request the award terms in writing.

CGU’s current funding page says fellowships are merit-based, department-recommended and tied to 12 to 16 units per semester. Awards can continue through required coursework when satisfactory academic progress is maintained, but the award level is not guaranteed by the published institutional percentage.

Funding routes currently named by CGU: These options differ by eligibility and application route, so Indian applicants should not treat conditional employer or employee benefits as general scholarships.

CGU reports that more than 85% of students receive some fellowship funding, but that institution-level statistic is not a course-specific award probability. Request the exact amount, renewal conditions, eligible units and payment timing before using an award in the INR 2.72 Crore planning budget.

• Submit the Spring 2027 application by 1 November 2026 when maximum fellowship consideration is a priority.
• Ask CGU whether the 76-unit dual-degree plan changes the unit load used to calculate fellowship support.
• Keep the full tuition and living-cost budget available until a written award specifies its amount and renewal conditions.
• Applicants relying on employer support should obtain the signed guarantee before registration because partial coverage leaves the personal contribution due on schedule.

The International Scholars Program Pathways route is preparation funding rather than a scholarship. Its Tier 1 and Tier 2 fees are each US$2,000 (INR 1.93 Lakhs), and CGU states that fellowships cannot be applied to those fees.

Use CGU’s current fellowship guidance to confirm the award language in the offer letter. CGU’s current dual-degree page also identifies an Esri partnership, but it does not publish a cash value for employee scholarships.

Scholarship reality: Funding is possible but not quantified for this dual degree. Apply by 1 November 2026, then decide after CGU confirms the award against the 76-unit fee plan.

CGU MS/MBA IS&T Salary 2027

The programme’s ROI is high-risk to underwrite from published evidence. The calculated three-year cost is US$281,247 (INR 2.72 Crore), while CGU publishes no course-specific salary, offer rate or cohort employment report.

ROI means return on investment. A payback period cannot be calculated responsibly because the missing graduate outcomes would determine the income side of the comparison.

• CGU names Google, Wells Fargo, DirecTV, City of Hope, UC Riverside and IBM as alumni destinations; request recent dual-degree outcomes because this is not a placement rate.
• The 76-unit structure and three-year duration create a longer funding exposure than a single master’s degree, so model borrowing against the full INR 2.72 Crore calculation.
• No course-specific offer rate is published, so use the official programme curriculum and concentration projects to build evidence for systems, analytics or technology-management roles.
• CGU’s current STEM list names standalone MS Information Systems and Technology concentrations, not this dual-degree page; confirm the I-20 classification before underwriting a 24-month STEM extension.
• CGU publishes no India-return salary or placement data for this dual degree, so request alumni destinations and role types before taking an education loan.

External U.S. Labour-Market Benchmarks

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides external occupational benchmarks. BLS figures describe U.S. workers in an occupation, not graduates of this programme, so they should inform role selection rather than promise earnings.

CGU’s curriculum connects to several benchmark occupations through its concentrations, including systems analysis, software development and technology management. The figures below are the latest narrative medians available in the cited BLS profiles.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational salary data, May 2024 profiles.

The BLS figures are gross annual medians, and take-home pay varies with federal and California tax, benefits and filing status. Use a U.S. tax-withholding estimator before comparing salary with the calculated programme budget.

For Indian applicants, the most useful ROI question is role fit rather than a headline salary. Match the chosen concentration to a documented portfolio, then ask CGU for dual-degree employment evidence before treating a market benchmark as a financing assumption.

ROI reality: No course-cohort salary or placement rate supports a payback forecast. Use the US$281,247 (INR 2.72 Crore) cost, confirmed funding and a role-specific benchmark to decide whether borrowing is defensible.

United States Visa for CGU MS/MBA IS&T Students 2027

International students should plan for F-1 status because CGU’s dual degree is an in-person, full-time programme. After admission, CGU assists with Form I-20 requirements, including the tuition deposit, Affidavit of Financial Support, financial proof and passport copy.

The F-1 visa application fee is US$185 (INR 17,859), and the I-901 SEVIS fee is US$350 (INR 33,788). SEVIS means Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, and the I-901 charge is separate from the visa application fee.

OPT means Optional Practical Training. This post-completion authorisation can last up to 12 months for a qualifying master’s graduate, subject to approval and employment related to the degree.

• A 24-month STEM OPT extension requires a qualifying Classification of Instructional Programs code, a related job, an E-Verify employer and Form I-983 compliance.
• CGU’s current STEM list names standalone MS Information Systems and Technology concentrations, so confirm the dual-degree CIP code on the I-20 before assuming 36 months of work authorisation.
• H-1B is the United States specialty-occupation work route; sponsorship, selection rules and the higher actual or prevailing wage determine eligibility.
• There is no course-specific H-1B salary threshold or fixed permanent-residence timeline, so an employer-sponsored route remains separate from the degree itself.
• F-2 dependent status may cover a spouse and unmarried minor children, but F-2 dependants are not employment-authorized.

Verify the current fee and student-visa instructions on the U.S. Department of State student visa page. Indian applicants should also schedule document preparation around the Spring 2027 start date because CGU requires financial evidence before issuing the immigration document.

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Visa reality: The regular OPT window is clearer than the STEM extension for this dual degree. Confirm the I-20 classification and employer conditions before valuing the programme on a 36-month work window.