Apart from these specialisations or concentrations as some schools call them, some business schools have also opted to offer a variety of electives therefore allowing their students to create their own customised programme.
A number of these MBA specialisations have proven to be more popular than others, says Top MBA. These are the most sought after ones in the market:
1. International business
Aimed at: students who are seeking careers in multinational organisations, small and medium-sized companies in sectors affected by international pressures – through competitors or suppliers – or students who are interested in the role organisations play in global issues.
Content: understanding globalisation and cross-cultural differences; the process of doing business in emerging markets; managing a multinational enterprise; and the role of multinational organisations in social and environmental issues.
Offered at: Cambridge Judge Business School and many smaller, local business schools
2. Strategy
Aimed at: students who want to work in strategic consulting, general management and strategic finance roles.
Content: skills and knowledge needed to develop the business strategy that enables managers to diagnose situations, make strategic choices and execute their plans and objectives.
Offered at: Harvard Business School (HBS), University of St. Gallen, NYU Stern, University of California, Berkeley – Haas School of Business, CUHK Business School, HKUST Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School, CEIBS, HEC Paris, Cranfield School of Management, Insead (but not as an MBA specialisation but rather within the general curriculum).
3. Marketing
Aimed at: students who aim for marketing careers in corporate enterprises, industries other than consulting, consumer-packaged goods, technology to healthcare.
Content: in-depth understanding of the concepts, tools and practices associated with modern marketing.
Offered at: Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Northeastern University, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), HEC Paris, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers Business School in Newark and New Brunswick, SDA Bocconi School of Management, ESADE Business School on the Barcelona Campus.
4. Operations management
Aimed at: students who seek a career in supply chain management and manufacturing operations, shipping etc., positions include systems analyst, logistics manager, and operations analyst.
Content: understanding of complex planning problems, assessing operational risk, trends in operations globalisation.
Offered at: Nanyang Business School, Texas A&M University, HEC Paris, Rotterdam School of Management, Rutgers Business School, MIT Sloan School of Management.
5. Supply chain management
Aimed at: students who seek a career in supply chain management, which is a subset of operations management and focuses on the flow of goods or services.
Content: strategic sourcing, managing manufacturing and service operations, demand fulfilment, advanced analytic modelling, transportation management, Lean Six Sigma methodology
Offered at: Purdue University - Krannert School of Management, Penn State Smeal College of Business, Rutgers Business School, ETH - Zurich, NUS Business School, MIT Sloan School of Management, Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey School of Business.
6. Human resources
Aimed at: students who want to work in training/development, human resources departments, management, recruitment.
Content: process improvement, benefits/compensation work, predictive metrics, human capital management, cross-cultural management, research methods.
Offered at: Michigan State University’s (MSU) Broad College of Business and many smaller, local business schools.
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6 of the Most Popular MBA Specializations