14 Most Popular MBA Concentrations

A master of business administration (MBA) degree can offer you a broad education on business leadership — but many degree programs will also give you a chance to dive deeper into niche fields.

Earning an MBA concentration or specialization may lead to higher-paying jobs in lucrative, specialized industries. It can also help you further advance within your field.

Most MBA programs feature traditional concentrations in business fields like management and entrepreneurship. However, a growing number of business schools are also rolling out specializations focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in fast-growing areas like cybersecurity and information technology.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

MBA concentrations capture the full depth of the business world. You might be a longtime finance professional looking to break into the field of financial management or a cybersecurity analyst who wants to step into a leadership role.

Regardless of your background, you’ll likely find an MBA program with a concentration that fits your career goals.

A number of MBA concentrations can help you land job opportunities in higher-paying, fast-growing fields. Here are some common and emerging MBA concentrations.

Finance is a fast-growing field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects employment of both financial analysts and financial managers will grow much faster than the average for all U.S. occupations from 2023-2033. An MBA concentration in finance can help prepare you for this rapidly expanding field.

Finance has long been offered as an MBA concentration. It features in-depth instruction in planning a business’s financial future and managing investments. Those are key skills for business leaders regardless of industry. A number of business schools are also embracing financial technology (fintech), an area set for major growth over the next several years.

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Accounting differs from finance by focusing more on the way money flows within an organization rather than broader forecasting and investing. Both fields touch on investing and analysis, but accounting will also bring a heavy emphasis on managing an institution’s finances, reporting requirements, auditing, and meeting regulations.

The BLS projects the employment of accountants and auditors to grow from 2023-2033. However, an accounting MBA can also prepare you for managerial positions and help you understand a business’s finances and reporting requirements.

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This MBA concentration puts a big-picture focus on businesses with regards to the economy. Finance and accounting also touch on economics, but this concentration will feature a deeper look at how economic data is modeled, relevant theories, forecasting, and the way the economy affects businesses.

The BLS projects employment of economists to grow as fast as the average for all U.S. occupations from 2023-2033. An MBA in economics can prepare you to step into the fields of consulting, finance, and more.

Learn About Top Online Master’s in Economics Programs

An MBA in entrepreneurship aims to help you start and run your own business. Some schools, like the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, also feature instruction in how to acquire an existing business. Courses typically cover how to launch startups, finance, management, branding, and more.

Building a business from the ground up is no easy task, but an entrepreneurship MBA can help you land lucrative roles in existing businesses. Whether you aim to become a management consultant or want to step into a managerial role, an entrepreneurship MBA program’s sweeping instruction on building up a thriving venture can help launch your entrepreneurship career.

Learn About Online Master’s in Entrepreneurship Programs

The BLS projects meteoric growth across data-related jobs such as operations research analysts. A growing number of businesses expect employees to be able to work with an ever-growing trove of data.

An MBA concentration in business or data analytics will typically cover key data skills as they relate to businesses, best practices with regard to data, and reporting requirements. Having a strong grasp on data is a key skill regardless of where you want to work. A data or business analytics MBA can prepare you for consulting, financial, and leadership roles.

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Learn About Master’s in Data Analytics Programs

An MBA marketing concentration will focus on branding, digital marketing, and communication. Soft skills like communication and problem-solving are continually prized by employers, even amid the rise of AI and other tech skills.

The BLS projects faster than average employment growth for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers from 2023-2033. Marketing MBA concentrations usually include a heavy focus on strategic thinking and branding. In the era of social media and digital marketing, those are critical skills across industries.

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Human resources managers are projected by the BLS to have a faster than average employment growth rate from 2023-2033. An MBA in human resources can help prepare you for leadership roles in this people-focused field.

An MBA concentration in human resources will usually include instruction on settling disputes, protecting employee data, labor relations, negotiation, and more. Those skills can both aid in landing a human resources leadership role and working in a number of managerial positions across business.

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Medical and health services manager occupations look to be set for major growth from 2023-2033. The BLS projects 29% employment growth for these healthcare industry leaders — well above the national average for all jobs (4%). That’s no surprise amid the burgeoning healthcare industry.

An MBA concentration in healthcare management will cover broad leadership topics, but it will also introduce you to the nuances of leading a healthcare organization. Programs often include instruction in both regulations and providing quality care, as well as how to manage research.

Learn About Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration Programs

Information technology (IT) is less of a traditional MBA, but a growing number of programs are incorporating this high-demand skill into their concentration offerings. It’s no wonder: The BLS projects much faster than average employment growth for computer and information systems managers as companies increasingly rely on computer systems.

An MBA in information technology usually features instruction in network security, information technology strategy, and project management in addition to broad instruction as to how to successfully integrate information technology across businesses.

A software breakdown can stop a business in its tracks — as demonstrated by the July 2024 CrowdStrike outage that brought millions of computers to a standstill. An IT concentration in an MBA can give you the skills to keep your business running smoothly and handle unforeseen tech issues.

Learn About Top Online Master’s in Information Technology Programs

A growing number of businesses are embracing environment and sustainability-related positions, and that’s translating to demand from MBA students. A growing number of business schools are rolling out environmental, social, and governance or related concentrations within their MBA programs.

Those concentrations focus on key topics like building sustainable businesses, making a positive social and environmental impact, and corporate responsibility. Skills pertaining to social and environmental responsibility are increasingly sought after as companies look to comply with new regulations on sustainability and other related topics.

Real estate market revenue is projected to grow to $5.85 trillion by 2030, reflecting demand for personal household space. A real estate MBA concentration can help you become a leader in that growing field. MBA programs in real estate typically include instruction in housing markets and risk management and also look into investment analysis and strategy when it comes to real estate.

Working in real estate means dealing with a tangle of local, state, and federal regulations. Real estate MBA programs typically include instruction in how to decipher local rules and regulations.

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In an increasingly globalized world, international business practices and cross-cultural awareness are key. A number of business schools bring a global perspective to their MBA programs with a concentration in international business. Those concentrations usually focus on cross-cultural awareness, international regulations, imports and exports, and international finance.

Some programs also include a focus on global supply chain management — an important skill as employment of logistics professionals projected to balloon from 2023-2033. International supply chain management has been in the spotlight in recent years as a number of factors have strained the global supply chain, leading to increased prices and logistical challenges.

Information security analysts are projected to see a 33% employment growth rate from 2023-2033. This is one of the fastest growth rates in the country as businesses look to shore up their data and protect against attacks. As ransomware and data breaches threaten businesses globally, having even a working knowledge of cybersecurity can help you stand out from the crowd.

A growing number of business schools are debuting cybersecurity MBA programs that cover best practices to prevent cybercrimes and protect organizational information and data. These programs can also familiarize you with terms and practices of both fields, preparing you to become liaisons between management and cybersecurity professionals.

Learn About Online Master’s in Cybersecurity Programs

AI is a fast-growing field, and a key skill set for employers. According to a Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) survey, employers expect AI to be an important skill for business graduates over the next few years. A growing number of business schools are adopting AI MBA concentrations. Those concentrations also come amid widespread business school investments in new AI curricula, courses, and trainings for both students and staff.

Those programs usually include training on how AI works and how it can be incorporated into various business models. With AI set to reshape numerous industries, an MBA AI concentration can help you stand out from the crowd.

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