Online MBA Forum

Gone are the days where knowledge of general business management was enough to get in the doors of the best companies. As MBAs flood the business world, a top MBA program that simply prepares a student for a general career in business is not enough.

There is a growing trend within the top MBA programs to offer specific concentrations that lead to specific career paths. As the marketplace becomes more complex, the top MBA programs take a broader view of business, but from a specific area. For instance, as an MBA candidate in a top MBA program, you can focus on such areas of concentration as Accounting Information Systems design, Risk Management, Information Systems, Information Technology, International Business, and Entrepreneurship.

Which concentration is right for you? According to a poll conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council®, only 57% of respondents believed they chose the right concentration. Exploring what you want to do with MBA degree upon graduating can help you choose your concentration.

You should ask yourself a few questions before you make a decision. For instance, ask yourself why you want an MBA in the first place? Explore the different things you have in common with other MBAs and business professionals, investigate which post-MBA careers fit your work experience, strengths, interests, abilities, and values. These questions can help you choose not only one of the top MBA schools, but also the companies you might apply to upon graduation.

Once you have that figured out, you can look at the many concentrations available through a top MBA program. Over the coming weeks, we'll explore the different concentrations and the top MBA program types available.

With more than 100,000 Masters degrees in business being conferred each year, one would think that the process of acquiring a MBA is like an assembly line with little room for innovation. The truth is, there is a growing trend in the top MBA schools toward something really new in the world of business schools: the socially conscious MBA. The top MBA schools have all begun addressing social and environmental issues as part of their curriculum. Though top MBA schools are still ranked by outgoing salaries, job placement and test scores, there is a strong call for coursework in sustainability and social justice. This pressure comes from employers, MBA alumni, faculty and students, but the top MBA schools are responding with an innovative format that puts caring for people and the environment on equal footing with making a profit. To address this growing need sustainable business is being taught by the top MBA schools.

Sustainable business is the idea of doing business while protecting the earth, using energy and resources wisely and in sustainable ways, minimizing waste, and selling safe products and services. In these days of corporate mismanagement, fraud and greed, companies who employ 'green' MBA holders from the top MBA schools can have a competitive edge because they are viewed by the public in a much different light.

The growing demand for environmentally friendly products is also creating profitable markets currently being addressed by eco-entrepreneurs. A green MBA program from the top MBA schools can help you jump into this growing industry.

If you're contemplating business school, but have wrestled with the dim social view the top MBA schools are known for, now might be the time to find a program.