Dear Future Business Leader,

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MBA Concentrations (Part I) – US B-Schools

Most MBA programs offer concentrations. Yet, the fact that different concentrations are available from program to program makes it very worthwhile for you to pay attention to the spectrum of choices during the application process.

Entrepreneurship

Creating a business, managing it yourself, handling the finances, organizing employees, and developing business are all aspects of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is a process filled with possibilities and pitfalls and business schools do their best to prepare innovative risk-takers with the skills they need to succeed. Some schools approach education in entrepreneurial through experiential techniques; others through case method study of problems encountered in the process of starting and growing a business. Even for those students who are unable to begin business right after graduation, the entrepreneurial concentration has a link to many sectors.

Notable Schools

• Stanford Business School
• F.W. Olin School of Business at Babson College
• Columbia Business School
• University of Pennsylvania Wharton

General Management

The general management concentration is designed for students who seek to be in corporate leadership positions, as well as those who already possess some specialization and intend to improve upon their management skills. Though most general management students do not go on immediately upon graduation to run divisions of companies or get appointed as CEOs, they move in that direction.

Notable Schools

• Harvard
• Tuck School of Business (Dartmouth)
• Northwestern (Kellogg)
• University of Michigan

Finance

Finance is a popular track. And almost all MBA programs offer finance specialization. Finance is useful to MBA students who would like to get involved in investment banks, or with corporations doing analysis, treasury work or late CFO. Some finance concentrators also choose to work in the venture capital, hedge fund, or private equity areas. A finance concentration or at least a lot of finance coursework is almost a prerequisite for a finance related summer internship. This concentration is designed for those with an interest in numbers as well as in the overall broader finance perspective. It certainly offers many options to MBA graduates by giving them the tools of investment analysis key to much corporate strategy.

Notable Schools

• University of Pennsylvania Wharton
• Columbia Business School
• Stern School at New York University
• University of Chicago

Technology

Technology is also a popular track, but not necessarily an option at every business school. The technology concentration leads to careers in project management, consulting, leadership positions in the technology industry, as well as entrepreneurship.

Notable Schools

• MIT Sloan School of Management
• Macomb School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin
• Tepper School of Business (Carnegie Mellon)
• Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary

Accounting

Accounting is a key aspect of business. The skills are pertinent to banking and consulting. Some business schools offer the option of an exclusive concentration in accounting; however many business school students take accounting courses and but do not concentrate in finance. Most schools with strong finance concentrations will have strong accounting courses.