MBA Coursework — Targets, Types, and Specifics

You surely heard something about MBA coursework and the dazzling career opportunities it opens up, such as an incredibly high salary and rapid advancement up the corporate ladder, right? Still, many students have a vague idea about what kind of learning experience they can expect and what classes for MBA they should take. So, let’s examine a typical MBA curriculum from the very beginning.

What is an MBA degree? It is a master’s degree in business administration mainly covering economics and management. MBA programs aim to seek out highly qualified managers and entrepreneurs with excellent theoretical knowledge of the market-driven economy and extensive hands-on experience in making and implementing effective management decisions. The MBA qualification ensures the development of skills necessary to perform middle- and top-level managers’ functions. Graduates gain knowledge in General and Strategic Management, Business Development, Human Resources Management, Marketing, Financial Activities, and so on.

MBA postgraduate education can be obtained in two primary fields: an MBA coursework in general strategic management and a specialized program developed for a specific business area. The ultimate goal of general programs, aimed at building skills in the field of general management, is to train a kind of ‘do-it-all’ professionals, capable of working in any market segment and any position, ranging from HR manager to Chief Commercial Officer. Thus, the program provides general theoretical and practical knowledge of business administration without placing a special focus on the industry’s specifics.

However, over recent years, specialized MBA programs have been becoming more and more popular, since they ensure obtaining in-depth knowledge in a particular area of business. Usually, the programs can be divided into two types of specialization:

  • professional (HR, finance, marketing, etc.);
  • sectoral (healthcare, construction, tourism, power industry and so on).

Besides, there are various programs adapted to different study modes. In addition to a standard full-time form which provides for off-the-job training in class during traditional semesters, you can obtain an MBA degree in several other ways:

  • evening-time education;
  • part-time mode;
  • e-learning;
  • modular programs;
  • accelerated and some other programs.

As you can see, MBA coursework can vary depending on the duration, focus, and content of a program, especially as there is no uniform and generally accepted systematization of these programs. However, there are academic disciplines usually comprised of the curriculum, regardless of the mode and educational institution.

Typical MBA Coursework Explained

Typical MBA coursework encompasses a host of disciplines that can be grouped into three blocks:

  • scientific basis for management and business (Economics, General Management, Marketing, Legal Business Environment, Financing, Quantitative Methods, Managers’ Professional Skills, etc.);
  • necessary professional disciplines without regard to the chosen specialization (Strategic and Financial Management, Human Resource Management, Team Building, Cross-Cultural Management, etc.);
  • special disciplines giving knowledge and skills in specific areas of business (Supply Chain Management, Sports and Entertainment Management, and so on).

Besides, in many business schools, students are provided the opportunity to customize their coursework for MBA through a wide choice of electives.

USF MBA Coursework

USF, aka a flagship of research universities in the country, is one of the major educational institutions in the United States. Its Muma College of Business has developed both full- and part-time programs for graduates, with the latter making it to the top 60 of graduate programs in 2017. USF MBA coursework covers such disciplines as Organizational Behavior, Leadership and Communication Skills, Managerial Decision and Business Analysis, Financial Management, and Data Analytics. The program also features a plethora of elective courses like Sustainable Business, Entrepreneurship, Management Information Systems, Digital Marketing, and much more.

Columbia MBA Coursework

Being one of the longest-standing business schools globally, Columbia is a top ten MBA provider that delivers a great experience to both mid- and top-level managers. Columbia MBA coursework provides the opportunity to learn Managerial Statistics and Economics, Business Analytics, Marketing, Strategy Formulation, Financial Accounting, Corporate Finance, Global Economic Environment, and so on. An extensive range of optional courses can be woven into your curriculum to give you a more specific knowledge and skills in Capital Markets, Real Estate Finance, Healthcare Industry, Impact and Applied Value Investing, Global Immersion, and other fields.

Stanford MBA Coursework

A full-time program offered by Stanford Graduate School of Business tops the global MBA Ranking 2018, promising an impressive salary increase of up to 114%. Stanford MBA coursework includes Operations, Macro- and Microeconomics, HR Management, Optimization and Simulation Modeling, Ethics in addition to other general management courses. There are also a number of electives, including Political Economics, Entrepreneurship, Global and Public Management.