Question: What MBA Concentrations and Specializations Are Offered Online?

Answer: There are a wide range of concentrations and specializations offered by online MBA programs. Accounting, business analytics, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, healthcare management, human resource management, logistics, marketing, organizational leadership, and sustainability/environmental compliance are some of the more common online MBA specializations. There are also online MBA programs that have specialized tracks in criminal justice, cybersecurity, engineering management, forensic accounting, public administration, social media marketing, sports management, and taxation.

What Is an MBA Concentration or Specialization?

An MBA is a Master of Business Administration degree, which is the formal designation for a graduate program that provides instruction in the functional areas of business management and professional training in the skills required to apply that knowledge across a broad range of business careers. Many MBA program offer students the additional option of choosing a specialization or concentration in a specific area of business administration, which typically consists of two or more advanced courses that cover topics in that field. Students who opt for a specialization complete a core MBA curriculum that includes foundational coursework in accounting, analytics, business law, economics, finance, human resource management, logistics, marketing, project management, and organizational leadership. They then move on to targeted coursework in their chosen specialization, which often involves completing an applied capstone project that addresses an issue within that area of focus.

Online MBA Concentrations and Specializations

Online MBA programs offer the same training and instruction as traditional, campus-based programs through the use of distance learning technologies. Many online programs, like their campus-based counterparts, provide students with the option of choosing from among several specializations. These specialized tracks do not differ from the concentrations that are typically offered by campus-based MBA programs. They include major functional areas of business administration:

• Accounting
• Economics
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Marketing
• Organizational Leadership
• Project Management
• Supply Chain Management

In addition, there are a number of other MBA specializations that are designed to prepare students for careers in specific fields, including:

• Business Information Technology Management
• Criminal Justice
• Engineering Management
• Entrepreneurship
• Environmental Compliance & Sustainability
• Forensic Accounting
• Internet Marketing
• Global & Multinational Business
• Healthcare Management
• Public Administration
• Sports Management
• Taxation

Online MBA programs may be a particularly good option for students who intend to pursue an MBA specialization that is not offered by a college or university in their geographical area. Prospective applicants who are interested in online MBA programs with a particular specialization can usually find specializations listed on a school’s website. OnlineEducation.com includes detailed information about online MBA programs with the following specializations:

• Accounting
• Analytics
• Criminal Justice
• Cybersecurity
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Financial Fraud
• Healthcare Administration
• Hospitality Management
• Human Resource Management
• International Business
• Marketing
• Operations & Logistics
• Organizational Leadership
• Project Management
• Real Estate
• Risk Management & Insurance
• Sustainability
• Taxation

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