Types of MBA Specializations in Demand Abroad

Types of MBA Specialisation in Demand Abroad: With different types of MBA courses available in different universities and several specialisations emerging these days, students find themselves lost among a variety of options. Know all about the types of MBA courses and specialisations offered by foreign universities before deciding your MBA stream for studying abroad.

MBA Specializations Abroad: Nowadays every student wants to pursue an MBA programme to give their career a launch pad. However, choosing the right type of MBA and the correct specialisation proves to be a minor hindrance in their application process. With different types of MBA programmes available in different universities and several specialisations emerging these days, students find themselves lost among a variety of options. Also, few MS courses like MS Analytics or MS Management appear as a substitute for an MBA degree. In this article, we will brief you about the best MBA specialization in abroad.

Also Read: Shiksha Opinion: What's the Better Choice for Engineering Students - MBA or MS Abroad?

Types of MBA Courses

Let us begin this article by understanding the types of MBA courses abroad. The right MBA programme can make a huge difference in saving your efforts as well as your money. Each foreign university abroad has its own variations of MBA Programmes such as Full-time MBA, Executive MBA, Part-time MBA, Distance MBA Courses, or Online MBA courses. While some of them may offer only one type of MBA Programme, other universities provide the option of choosing between a Full-time and Part-time MBA Programme. The points given below will provide an overview of the different types of MBA programs in abroad:

1) Full-Time MBA

A full-time MBA is a degree in general management that prepares students with complete knowledge of management and business strategy. In the United States, the duration of a full-time MBA is two years, meanwhile, in most European universities the duration of a full-time MBA is one year. Some universities in US and Europe offer a choice between a year and one-year full-time MBA, but in the United States, students prefer a two-year full-time MBA and students in Europe prefer a year full-time MBA. Universities in other famous countries like New Zealand, France, Ireland, Australia, and Singapore offer either two-year or one-year programmes. Generally, the one-year programme is lighter on the pocket while the two-year programme usually involves compulsory internships or training that add value to your profile.

2) Executive MBA

Executive MBA Programmes aim to enhance the profile of experienced professionals. This type of programme is tailor-made to fulfil the requirements of aspirants who wish to gain leadership and managerial qualities in a short period of time. The programme is designed with a flexible schedule that suits the timings of working professionals. Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania offers an Executive MBA Programme from their San Francisco and Philadelphia campuses.

Executive MBA is for rock star businessmen – prodigies, fast climbers, valuable executives that corporations want to stick onto. Executive MBA gives you the facility to study while working. One of the main advantages of an Executive MBA is that you earn a full salary while pursuing an MBA. Sometimes companies finance Executive MBA programs for their valuable employees and this adds to one more advantage of pursuing an Executive MBA.

3) Part-time MBA

As the name suggests, Part-time MBA Programmes are made for aspirants who want to earn their MBA degree while simultaneously continuing to work their jobs. Without compromising on their work timings, these types of MBA programmes allow the applicants to study part-time, during their free time or whenever they are not working. This generally means an extended duration of course completion. UCLA and UC Berkeley offer a part-time MBA programme called FEMBA (Fully Employed MBA). It has two options: Fast-Track (two and a half years duration) and At-Your-Own-Pace (three years duration) with 80 Units = 44 Core + 36 Electives.

4) Dual MBA

The dual MBA Programme is made for students who wish to pursue an MBA along with an additional master’s specialisation in their respective field. It acts as a dual degree of MBA plus MS or MA, wherein they can pick any major for Master’s studies. Business schools like Kellogg School of Management and Wharton Business School offer dual MBA programmes. Kellogg offers the JD-MBA programme that aims at providing leadership and managerial knowledge along with legal expertise. The programme is three years in duration. Similarly, INSEAD offers the Dual-degree Tsinghua-INSEAD Executive MBA programme or GEMBA (Global Executive MBA) that allows students to choose to study in their Asian Campus in Beijing or Singapore.

5) Distance/Online MBA

Distance MBAs target working professionals who are not able to attend any classes physically. The study mode is through correspondence schools, online classes, lectures, webinars, video calls or even teleconferencing. This type of programme not only offers flexibility in terms of course structure but also in terms of attending classes. Some universities that offer Online MBA courses are the University of Strathclyde, Durham Business School, Warwick Business School, IE Business School, Aberdeen Business School, etc.

How to choose the correct MBA Programme? Read: Choosing between One Year and Two Year MBA programs to know more and clear your doubts.

MBA Specializations Abroad

In this section of the article, we will discuss the best MBA specialization in abroad. After deciding the type of MBA Programme suitable to your needs, choosing the correct specialisation is equally essential. The first year of the MBA curriculum includes general management and basic subjects related to managerial courses. It is only in the final year that you study in-depth about a particular field. This can be either Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, and so on. To choose the right specialisation, first, you need to be aware of all the subject specialisations that are available in that particular university. Here are the various MBA specialisations offered by most of the foreign universities:

• MBA in General Management
• MBA in Marketing
• MBA in Finance
• MBA in Human Resources
• MBA in Entrepreneurship
• MBA in Consulting
• MBA in Information Systems
• MBA in International Business
• MBA in Operations Management
• MBA in Information Technology
• MBA in Supply Chain Management
• MBA in Construction Management
• MBA in Strategic Management
• MBA in Health / Pharmaceuticals / Biotech
• MBA in Hospitality
• MBA in Media/Entertainment/Sports
• MBA in Brand Management/Luxury Management
• MBA in Project Management

Read about the Top MBA Streams in the World to know more about these specialisations. Also, read Which MBA stream to choose after Engineering? if you want to know about the ideal stream for your profile.

MBA Degree Alternatives

Apart from these MBA Programmes, there are various MS and MIS courses that act as a better alternative than an MBA degree. A Master in Management or MIM is another best alternative to an MBA. Several companies in Europe consider MIM as par with the MBA.   Depending on your requirements, interests, financial strength, career goals, etc. some MS programmes may be a better option than an MBA degree, such as:

• MIS
• MSc Management
• MSc Organizational Leadership
• MSc Project Management
• MS Management and Marketing
• MS Business Analytics
• MS Finance
• MS Data Science/Analytics
• Chartered Financial Analytics
• MBA/MFA dual degree

Now that students are aware of MBA specializations abroad, it is important for them to research these MBA specializations, and choose according to their interests. For help with university applications, students seeking to study abroad can contact our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors. The comments section below allows candidates to contact us as well.

Students must visit our FAQs section to know more about the best MBA specialization in abroad including answers to questions such as, “Which MBA specialization is best paid in abroad?”

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