B-school trends come and go, but one that seems to have legs is the creation of specialized MBA programs, particularly by second-tier schools. The schools find them useful for attracting students and cementing their brand identities at a time when competition among schools for the best students is intense. In recent years, they’ve becoming increasingly common (BusinessWeek.com, 7/19/07) even at high-profile schools. Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, and the Wharton School now offer specialized MBAs, majors, or dual degree programs in areas like real estate, sports management, biosciences, electronic commerce, and health care.
But is a specialized program always a good choice for an MBA student?
Not necessarily. While established programs have placement records on par with those of their general MBAs, many newer programs have not yet established the kind of recruiting relationships that guarantee students high-paying jobs at graduation. And graduates always run the risk of getting hamstrung by their specialties later in their careers, when an industry downturn forces them to look outside their specialties for opportunities.
Chart Your Own Path
Some who have gone through the specialized programs say they are best for those with a firm idea of their future goals, and who are keen to chart their own path. “I knew what I wanted to do,” said Carrie Stern Rathod, who received her MBA from Wisconsin’s Brand ‐ Product Management Center in 2005 and now works for Procter & Gamble (PG), which recruits regularly from the program. “There’s a range of people for whom this program is ideal. If you have an entrepreneurial bent but are not sure you’re ready to take the leap yet, the program might be right.” But, she added, “I think it would be tough if you wanted to go into consulting or something like that.”
For students who aren’t comfortable breaking away from the pack or seeking out professional contacts in unconventional ways, a specialized MBA might not be the best choice. This is especially true at less well-known schools, where big companies often don’t recruit. Students in these programs agree that making industry connections can require a lot of initiative from the student. “If you have a very specific company in mind, you might need to be a trailblazer in making relationships with those companies,” says Rathod.
More : businessweek.com
Tags: b school, bent, Berkeley, Brand, brand identities, BusinessWeek, California, care, Carrie Stern, Center, choice, commerce, competition, consulting, creation, dash, degree, dual degree programs, graduation, guarantee, Haas, haas school of business, health, idea, industry, industry downturn, Institute, kind, leap, Management, management center, Massachusetts, massachusetts institute of technology, MBA, MBA Programs, MBAs, par, Path, placement, Procter, procter amp gamble, Product, program, range, Rathod, school trends, Sloan, sloan school of management, student, Technology, tier schools, University, university of california at berkeley, Wharton, wharton school, Wisconsin
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After its mid-term executive management programs, NIIT Imperias Centre for Advanced Learning has started offering specialized Management Development Programs (MDP) in collaboration with three IIMs, IMT Ghaziabad and industry experts.
The first MDP program began on September 3. Several MDPs in areas like finance, operations, quality management and HR practices are scheduled in September, October and November 2007.
NIIT Imperia says that these MDPs are created to meet specific skill-gaps amongst corporate executives. Speaking to MBAUniverse.com, Dr Smarajit Dey, president, NIIT Ltd. said, The long term executive programs are more comprehensive knowledge oriented. MDPs deal with specialized skills that executives desire.
MBA-Business-Schools.com Helps Students Locate Niche MBA Programs
The Graduate Management Admissions Council reports that many business schools are revamping their programs to include niche Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees because of a drop in full-time MBA program applications. MBA-Business-Schools.com offers online resources to help prospective MBA students focus on specific programs and careers.
Los Angeles, CA (FV Newswire) - According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council, business schools across the nation have responded to a 78 percent drop in general Master of Business Administration (MBA) applications with an overhaul of their MBA programs to allow for niche degrees.
Kristopher T. Sullivan has been promoted to assistant dean of the graduate school at Bryant University. In his new role, he will develop enrollment strategies for the M.S. in taxation and new master of professional accountancy programs, and develop specialized MBA programs for corporate clients.
Sullivan joined Bryant in 1998 as director of graduate studies; he also teaches marketing, part-time. He earned his a B.A. and MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
PBN: What are your priorities in enrollment?
More : pbn.com
Starting the first week of October, the UIs Global Campus began taking applications for the first of its four online degree and certificate programs, which begin in January, and initiated the hard launch of its marketing campaign, intended to attract students to those programs and others expected to begin during 2008.
The Global Campus is accepting applications from prospective students for its bachelor of science in nursing degree completion program. In November, pending approval of the Urbana-Champaign Senate, the Global Campus will begin accepting applications for a masters of education degree with a concentration in E-learning and two graduate certificate
If you want to understand how devastating the 2000-02 recession was for the nations software industry, consider this: In 2000 literally hundreds of companies offered full service program support to the emerging online education field. Today, theres one left.
The winner of this specialized survivor contest is Chicago-based E College (Nasdaq: ECLG), the only source left for software-as-a-service or on-demand software to create or enhance online distance-learning programs for post-secondary education on a turnkey basis
Source : suntimes.com
Bismarck, NDThe online MBA programs offered by the University of Mary's School of Accelerated and Distance education were recently rated among the Top 40 "Best Buys" in their Class By GetEducated.com, an online clearinghouse providing consumers with information on accredited online degrees since 1989.
The Best Buy award program was established "to help spotlight and promote the true affordable gems of e-learning." A "Best Buy" designation indicates that a program has been reviewed and judged to offer a high-quality distance MBA to a national audience at tuition rates well below the national average. U-Mary ranked No. 26 among the 91 competing
Distance-learning programs have been given increased credibility by the spread of information technology. The growth in the number of MBAs awarded in recent years is largely a result of distance learning program in conjunction with the widely acceptance of online degree in the job market. Individual who are looking for higher career achievement can now choose to pursue their MBA online while maintain their career and living style. With the available of online MBA programs, you have no excuses to delay pursuing your MBA just because you are busy with your work. Many online MBA programs are able to fit
French B-School Joins Rai B-School for Exec-MBA and MIM Program
Rai Business School in association with Conservatoire National Arts and Métiers (CNAM) - International Institute of Management (IIM), France is starting transnational Executive-MBA and Master in Management (MIM) Programs. CNAM-IIM has signed an MOU with RBS to run MIM & ex-MBA program. The programs would facilitate Indian MBA students to have deeper understanding of international business environs and open new job vistas spread across Europe.
This unique ex-MBA program offers executives with three years of work experience an opportunity to pursue this transnational MBA program. The students would be pursuing parts
Pepperdine Business School Inaugurates New Executive Director of Corporate Relations Office
Kim A. Weiss has accepted the newly-created position of executive director, Recruitment and Corporate Relations, for the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.
Reporting to Michael Sims, Executive Officer, Corporate & External Relations for the Graziadio School, Weiss will lead the business schools strategic plan for attracting and retaining quality candidates into its educational programs, which offer bachelors and masters degrees for full- time recipients and the fully-employed at all career levels. In this first- time leadership role for the school she will partner with corporations and key
The plans are efforts underway in India, five Institute of Science Education & Research, one of which has already put in place in Kolkata-Dhurjati Mukherjee
The Centre plans to establish 30 universities across the country. She wants to provide higher education to a greater proportion of the population and rising standards in the country. It follows the government's decision have more specialized institutes in the fields of science and technology. The Prime Minister also explained that the government was obliged, setting up a central university in each state and lend a helping hand to ensure that each district has a College.
The
Chief Minister of Delhi, Shiela Dikshit opened modes Apollo International Institute (MAII), the first campus of India Western International University (WIU), USA on 11 November. WIU is the first American university, a campus of India. Spread over 16500 sq ft 24 in A, Lajpat Nagar, the campus is state-of-the-art computer labs, access to the largest online library in the USA and a large meeting room, classrooms .
Michael J Silk, president of WIU, said: "Scores are graduates of our success in major international companies. It reflects the strength and effectiveness of our programs recognized. Degrees of India are identical to WIU
This time of year in Class X and XII password graduate students, and research for courses to improve their professional qualification.
The College of vocational studies that functions under the aegis of the University of Delhi offers a wide range of measures the level of vocational training, the so-called Bachelor of Arts or BA (Vocational Studies).
Prices range from tourism to entrepreneurship and small businesses. It also offers conventional studies as well. The main Prakash Chander said: "The courses equip students to obtain employment in business houses and help at the same time their activities independently."
The minimum standards for these courses is
MBA students spread word on road safety
After the Road Safety Patrol (RSP) cadets manned signals in busy chowks last week to create awareness on road safety, it is now the turn of MBA students to do the same.
As part of the week-long traffic safety week, MBA students from the Vikhe Patil Foundations Centre for Management, Research and Development (CMRD) imparted traffic rules to school children from 15 private and public schools from standard V to VII.
Priyanka Bhonde from the institute says that it was nice to teach children. We were amazed when children from standard V explained to
Bhubaneswar: Campus II Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, more techno than Versierten existing and a new management programmes.
The new facility, which is expected that over 100 hectares on the outskirts of the city, would auger well for thousands of research management of aspiring to a seat of the Institute.
With the surge of demand and the opening of new possibilities, we can expect a sharp decrease in the number of students venturing to other countries because of lack of space.
XIMB always ranked among the Top-10 B-schools in the country, one hundred percent of registration investment results from year to year.
E director
Loyola University Chicago Offers New, One-of-a-Kind MBA
Loyola University Chicagos Graduate School of Business (GSB) has established a unique partnership with the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA) to offer a new specialized MBA in Strategic Financial Services (MBASFS). The degree is the first specialized MBA of its kind in the United States.
Tailoring an MBA for professionals is a really important goal for us, says Abol Jalilvand, dean, Loyola University Chicago School of Business Administration. We offer a unique MBA, focused specifically on banking and financial services, and also provide access to our new Center for Integrated Risk Management and Corporate Governance, a
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:04 am
i am doing BBA from kanpur university.So please give me the full detail in MBA(IB) full time course
December 1st, 2008 at 9:36 am
Which specialized course is best in mba.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:41 am
I m doing b-com i m going 2 take admission in mba.i wanna know what is d role of specialisation in mba& which is best with salary perspective?
February 5th, 2009 at 8:36 am
i want to do M.B.A ,how can? which univ. is better
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