My MBA Career - Advancing your learning

Find MBA Schools

Get Connected with the best MBA school and program for your needs.

Online MBA Degrees: Choosing a Specialty Area

types of online MBA degrees

Choosing an online MBA degree program involves some exciting decisions about the direction you want to take your education and career. Do you want to aim for higher-level management in your current industry or change careers altogether? Would an accelerated or executive MBA program suit your professional aspirations? Will you apply your MBA training in private firms or non-profit agencies?

Based on your career objectives, you can elect to focus your MBA studies on general management, or you can specialize in a particular area of business that will give you the edge in achieving your professional goals. The table below describes some of the more popular MBA concentrations to help you gain insight into how a specialized MBA education can benefit you in the field.

Concentration Description Job Prospects Average Salary
Business Administration

A master's in business administration allows you to develop a broad set of business skills that transfer to multiple arenas.

Course work for an MBA in general management typically involves the study of management principles and their application, ethics, organizational behavior and leadership, strategic planning and core business subjects, including: accounting, economics, finance and information technology.

Senior-level managers; executive directors in non-profit agencies; independent consultants; business owners

$50,000 – 88,000; corporate officers typically exceed the six-figure range

Accounting

Learn the client management and business strategy concepts to help you build a solid career in management, plus take an in-depth study of accounting applications and concepts, such as accounting information systems, internal control systems, and managerial accounting and legal aspects of business.

Accounting manager or senior accountant; senior internal auditor; corporate controller; director of accounting or finance; CFO

  • Mid-level managers: $43,250 – 67,250
  • Senior-level managers and corporate officers: $62,000 – $360,000
Marketing

Along with training in corporate management and business strategy concepts, organizational behavior and design, and leadership, you will study marketing methods and research as they relate to general management.

Market research analyst; sales/territory manager; public relations or advertising manager; and leadership roles in product management

$78,320

Public Administration

Gain expertise in management theory and practice, and receive in-depth training in the leadership and organizational management skills required outside the boundaries of the traditional business environment, such as government, non-profit and public agencies.

Managers or executive directors in non-profit, government and other agencies concerned with public administration and policy

$62,000 – 80,000

Human Resources (HR)

Online MBA degrees with a concentration in HR typically involve course work in the same foundational management concepts and principles that a general MBA encompasses, plus the detailed study of HR concepts and tools, including: legal and ethical principles of recruiting, training and planning processes, and human resources information systems.

Director of Human Resources; Vice-president of Human Resources

$53,000 – 120,000

Juris Doctor (JD)

Earn your combined MBA/JD degree, and gain the credentials to address complex legal situations that arise from an expanding global market. Your knowledge of legal terminology, analytical skills and power to persuade can lead to a highly flexible and influential career.

Director or Senior Counsel for corporate legal affairs; intellectual property development managers and consultants; corporate counsel

$97,500 – 263,000

Featured MBA Schools