Areas of Study

The MBA program is an academic degree, so the course of study is import. The core curriculum of the leading programs generally does not change much, over time. But options and additional areas of study become available as the business landscape continues to evolve. For some MBA candidates, a specific area of focus may be fundamental to their choice of MBA.

Recent trends in terms of interest of students include a more globally focused MBA experience, some of which may be a result of competition among schools from European MBA programs that are traditionally more globally oriented. Globalization may be addressed with more globally oriented case studies, or in the extra curriculars, with trips scheduled overseas.

Tech is also a recent interest that has translated into significant career opportunities as new tech firms become much more mature in the business environment. MBAs with a tech-focus, including Sloan, Haas and Stanford, are well positioned for this growth in interest.

Similar to tech, entrepreneurship has seen an upswing in interest, further igniting the debate whether entrepreneurs really need an MBA. Business schools continue to develop entrepreneurially focused coursework, to complement their extra-curricular activities, including business plan contests.

Social responsibility and business sustainability have also become an interest for some MBA candidates.