Wine industry management? We’ll drink to that. Photo courtesy Daniel Lee
As we’ve mentioned previously on the blog, business school graduates are no longer limited to jobs in traditional fields like investment banking, consulting, and financial services. In recent years, there’s been increasing opportunity for business students to pursue MBA specializations that prepare them for careers in tech, entertainment, music, and healthcare.
So, how do you choose from among so many possible MBA careers, especially if your interests lie off of the beaten path? One option is to enroll in a business school that’s well-known for a niche MBA specialization.
Find your management niche
As Nancy Hass points out in an article in the New York Times, graduate schools of business have been champions of specialization over the last few decades: “Since 1990, the year that the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, the main accreditation board for business schools, changed its guidelines to encourage innovative curriculums, schools have focused on areas like aerospace, wine management, luxury goods, real estate and energy management.”
These niche programs allow business students to focus intensely on the commercial and practical concerns of their chosen MBA career path. Jan Williams, the board chairman of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, explains that the level of in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience associated with such MBA specializations can “help fast-track a student’s career.”
To get you thinking about potential career fast-tracks, let’s take a closer look at some different niche MBA specializations at leading business schools:
MBA for aviation
The Aviation and Aviation Management MBA at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Florida can prepare you for a variety of exciting MBA careers in the business of flight. In this program, you will concentrate on how modern business practices apply to aviation and aviation organizations.
The first year of coursework revolves around core aviation business classes like “Strategic Marketing Management in Aviation” and “Organizational Behavior, Theory, and Applications in Aviation.” ERAU keeps its curriculum current by obtaining input from an advisory board of aerospace executives and representatives from organizations like NASA and the International Civil Aviation Organization. Needless to say, there are plenty of opportunities to network with industry professionals from these major organizations.
MBA for the wine industry
In 2008, Sonoma State University School of Business and Economics in Rohnert Park, California was the first to offer an MBA specialized exclusively in the business practices of the wine industry. The school is located in California’s wine country, so it’s been able to establish a strong partnership between its MBA program and world-renowned winemakers. Students can enroll in such industry-focused courses as “Wine Industry Compliance and Law,” “International Supply Chain Management,” and “Marketing and Sales Strategies for Wine.” One popular student club on campus is the Wine Sense Club, for obvious reasons.
MBA for the gaming industry
Students in the University of Nevada-Reno MBA program can choose nine elective credits from a variety of industry or functional MBA specializations, including courses focused on the study of gambling and commercial gaming. Graduate-level business courses in economics and gaming management include titles like “Casino Industry Regulation,” “Economic and Social Aspects of Gaming and Gambling,” and “Quantitative Methods and Applications in Casino Gambling.” MBA students at UNR’s program also have the opportunity to find internships and conduct research at local hotel and resort casinos (another reason why location matters when choosing an MBA program).
MBA for sports fans
As Hass points out in her NYT article, “European business schools were early adopters of the specialization model.” It’s no surprise, then, that Liverpool—home to the Liverpool Football Club (that’s soccer, for you Americans)—is also home to the first and only MBA specialization dedicated to the football industry. University of Liverpool Management School students who aspire to work for football clubs and governing bodies or who want to pursue a career in football marketing, media, and sponsorship can take courses and complete work-based projects with such industry leaders as Liverpool Football Club, Manchester City Football Club, the Football Association, and UEFA. Relevant courses include “International Football Industry” and “Becoming a Football Executive.”
If you’re a business school hopeful who already has a specific focus in mind, then pursuing a niche specialization from a leading business school may help accelerate your path to career success. Even if you’re not quite sure which of the many possible MBA careers are right for you, researching different types of MBA specializations can still give you valuable insight into the available options.
Tell your fellow business school applicants in the comments section about other niche MBA careers out there. Then, prepare for the specialized program of your dreams by signing up for a free GMAT practice test.
The post MBA Specializations for Fast-Tracking Your Management Career appeared first on Kaplan GMAT Blog.
