Amid Rise of AI, MBA Students Want Tech Concentrations
Credit: Hispanolistic / E+ / Getty Images- Prospective MBA students are interested in specialized degree programs over general ones, according to new research from CarringtonCrisp.
- Students highlighted tech topics like AI and data analytics as things they want to see in an MBA program.
- CarringtonCrisp also found a decrease in the number of MBA students looking to study abroad.
- Students largely want flexibility with in-person options as part of their programs.
A master of business administration (MBA) has long been thought of as a generalist degree, but that’s changing.
Business schools are incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into MBA programs and rolling out concentrations in fast-growing fields like information technology, cybersecurity, and financial technology (fintech).
As it turns out, that’s exactly what the modern MBA student is looking for.
In its new 2025 Tomorrow’s MBA report, higher education consulting firm CarringtonCrisp said most prospective students want specialized instruction rather than a traditional generalist MBA.
In fact, almost twice as many respondents said they want a specialist MBA compared to a general one.
That finding represents a global audience. CarringtonCrisp surveyed 1,908 individuals in 37 countries between the ages of 25 and 45 as part of the report.
Report author Andrew Crisp said that reflects the changing nature of the MBA from its inception to now.
“The MBA was originally devised as this generalist qualification for people transferring into management careers, quite often from an engineering or medical or other background,” Crisp told BestColleges in an interview.
“Today, it’s much more often about career advancement within a certain sector that you’re already in.”
That means people are looking for skills in a particular sector, Crisp said, although he added many are still also looking for foundational business knowledge.
AI Is Here to Stay
The subjects prospective students are most interested in reflect a growing focus on tech, and AI took the prize as the most sought after tech-related topic for prospective MBA students.
Forty-three percent of students highlighted AI, 33% data analytics, and 31% technology management as skills they want to see in their MBA program.
Prospective students indicated that they expect AI-related content and AI tools in any MBA program. Most also agreed that using AI tools shouldn’t be considered cheating.
Crisp said that is partly due to prospective MBA students wanting to work in fast-paced environments at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“Part of that is driven by people looking, perhaps for opportunities with startups, for opportunities with SMEs, where they can bring an understanding of the technology issue but also some really strong business skills to help those organizations grow rapidly,” Crisp said.
Some of the globe’s top business schools have rolled out major AI initiatives over the past year, like The Wharton School’s investments in artificial intelligence or Rutgers Business School’s partnership with Google.
Other schools have longstanding MBA focuses on AI, like the Kellogg School of Management’s MBAi program.
Human skills were still important for prospective students, likewise reflecting employer needs. Previous Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) research found that employers will continue to value skills like decision-making even as AI rises in importance.
Responsible management, ethical leadership, global challenges like climate change, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) all saw roughly a 70% selection rate by prospective students as high value content — but each also saw a roughly 10% decline in interest year over year, according to the Tomorrow’s MBA report.
Crisp said that relates to students’ job priorities. Prospective students still want an understanding of those fields within the context of their roles, but they also want high-demand skill sets like cybersecurity on their resume to help them land jobs.
In-Person Instruction Popular, but Flexibility Is Key
As in past reports, flexibility was a key theme in how prospective students wanted their MBA program delivered.
While 33% wanted traditional full-time, in-person study, 16% said they want a part-time, in-person program.
A further 28% wanted a blend of on-campus and in-person study, and 15% wanted hybrid learning, meaning, in this case, that they can switch back and forth between online and in-person as they wished.
Only 8% said they wanted an entirely online degree.
Crisp attributed the low number of online-only respondents partially to online fatigue. People spend a lot of time on Zoom, Teams, and other online meeting platforms — and if they can, they want to avoid that in their degree.
Networking is also a reason for wanting in-person learning, Crisp found.
“Consistently, we find in our research, people say, ‘I need to spend at least some of my time on campus because that’s where the best networking takes place, face to face,'” Crisp said.
GMAC found last year that global application growth to graduate business programs was driven by students wanting a full-time, in-person education.
The GMAC report didn’t spell bad news for online and hybrid programs. Those modalities also reported growth.
An analysis from the consulting firm Validated Insights has found MBA programs are projected to grow over the next decade, with return on investment and affordability key to growth.
That report also found key differences between online and in-person students.
As of 2023, 75% of students who took a graduate admissions test like the GRE or GMAT wanted to study on-campus, and just 7% wanted to study online. That stands in stark contrast to students who didn’t take a test, 60% of whom said they preferred an online program.
“The persona of a person that intends to or is pursuing a traditional on-campus MBA is very different than the persona of a person that is interested in or is doing an online MBA,” Brady Colby, head of market research at Validated Insights, told BestColleges in a previous interview. “They’re two completely different populations.”
Crisp said business schools need to take note of the different needs of online versus in-person students.
“They need to recognize that there are different audiences,” Crisp said. “They must not compromise on quality in terms of what they’re delivering.”
The Tomorrow’s MBA report also points to a rising interest in MBA alternatives, such as nondegree certificate programs like the mini MBA. Those programs offer an introduction to core business concepts.
“They give an individual who’s at a certain stage of their career an initial shot in the arm in terms of what’s next,” Crisp said.
More Opt to Study at Home Rather Than Abroad
The Tomorrow’s MBA report, conducted just after the 2024 U.S. election, found a year-over-year decline in the number of prospective students who want to study abroad.
Could that be the result of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown?
The report notes that “stringent visa policies, changes in immigration laws, and political instability in a host of countries around the world have created additional barriers and uncertainty for prospective students, making international study less attractive.”
But most of those surveyed cited not being able to give up a job, the cost of studying abroad, and personal circumstances as reasons they can’t study outside of their home country.
Visa worries were only cited by 16% of respondents.
Crisp said worries over visas aren’t limited to the U.S., with restrictions also cropping up in the United Kingdom and Australia.
“It’s not just one market, it’s a number of markets,” Crisp said.
The global cost-of-living crisis is also a factor, Crisp said, with people feeling more uncertain about leaving their jobs.
Another reason for fewer prospective students wanting to study abroad could be burgeoning business schools at home.
The report notes that the “rising quality of education in countries traditionally known for sending students abroad is offering a reason for students to stay home.”
Crisp said that global business schools, particularly in Asia, have consistently improved in quality in recent years. That, coupled with opportunities to earn an online MBA from well-known global business schools, means more students are opting to stay at home.