Get B-Schooled

Choosing the Right MBA Concentration for Your Career

By Bo Breuklander, Associate, Digital Communications, AACSB International

The task of choosing an MBA concentration may be daunting, especially with the growing number of track choices. But before you choose just any track that looks interesting, keep in mind that your choice should ultimately come down to what you want to do with your career. For instance, how can having a specific concentration help you gain the job you want following graduation? Will this concentration gain the attention of prospective employers who view your resume? What types of advantages will you have after graduation with the particular concentration? 

Depending on how you answer the questions above, you may choose a generic concentration or one that is a more focused option. Today's MBA programs, particularly those at AACSB-accredited schools, offer a wide array of concentration choices. To help you learn more about the unique concentrations that are available (in addition to the traditional concentrations such as accounting, finance, management, and marketing), we've gathered information on several AACSB-accredited schools that offer unique MBA concentrations.

Energy and Environment
The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, USA

"In this concentration, students will learn about the energy industry, how energy and environmental issues will affect businesses in the future; tools for analyzing energy and environmental problems; and strategies that business can use to succeed in an economy in which energy and environmental issues are much more important than they have been in the past. The variety of business and non-business electives listed below provide the opportunity for a student to choose courses to fit his or her interests, ranging from a focus on specific energy topics to a more general coverage of energy, environment, and sustainability topics."(www.fuqua.duke.edu/student_resources/academics/concentrations/energy_environment/) 

Social Entrepreneurship
The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

"The Concentration in Social Entrepreneurship is designed for students interested in using their MBA skills in the entrepreneurial pursuit of social impact. MBA skills are seen as valuable and much needed in the social sector, and the core MBA program provides a strong foundation for any student looking to become a successful social sector leader. However, MBAs looking to use their skills and talents for social impact must approach their work thoughtfully, recognizing the unique challenges, opportunities, and qualities associated with trying to create social value. The Social Entrepreneurship Concentration exposes students to the skills, knowledge, and perspectives necessary to pursue social impact entrepreneurially, effectively, and pragmatically. This concentration is designed to serve students who aspire at some point in their lives to be social entrepreneurs, executives in social-purpose organizations, philanthropists, board members, or leading volunteers in their communities and the social sector."(www.fuqua.duke.edu/student_resources/academics/concentrations/social_entrepreneurship/)

Risk Management
Watson Graduate School of Management, Oklahoma State University

Calculating risk has become a main focus of controlling profit margins, enrolling in a risk management program may help you maintain a competitive edge in the market.

"The risk management concentration gives students a solid grounding in quantitative financial economic tools and methods as well as firm general management foundation from the rest of the MBA curriculum." (http://watson.okstate.edu/mba/fulltime/concentrations/risk/

Business Intelligence
Watson Graduate School of Management, Oklahoma State University, USA

This concentration prepares students for jobs in the data analysis, management, statistical methods and financial analysis, and marketing. "The business intelligence concentration requirements will meet requirements for students to earn a SAS certification in data mining, as well as provide a solid general management foundation from the rest of the MBA curriculum."(http://watson.okstate.edu/mba/fulltime/concentrations/bi/)

Telecommunications Management
Watson Graduate School of Management, Oklahoma State University, USA

Since the Internet became prominent, computing and telecommunications have vastly changed the way people communicate and do business.

"The telecommunication concentration provides students with an in-depth understanding of information systems. It provides a solid general business foundation from the MBA curriculum in combination with graduate level TCOM courses." (http://watson.okstate.edu/mba/fulltime/concentrations/tcom/)

Pharmaceutical Management
Rutgers Business School, Rutgers, USA

"Over the last decade, some of the most exciting advances in healthcare have been the result of pharmaceutical research and development. These life-enhancing discoveries have fueled amazing growth in this multi-billion dollar global industry, creating a new demand for talented, motivated individuals with a special knowledge of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry.

Designed to answer this need, the Rutgers MBA in Pharmaceutical Management is a unique gateway to one of America's most respected and socially beneficial industries."(www.business.rutgers.edu/mba/concentrations/pharma) 

Latin American Business
Hough Graduate School of Business, University of Florida, USA

"This concentration combines broad international business skills with specific understanding of the economic policies, legal and business structures, and sociocultural traditions that shape the context of Latin American business. Language proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese is not required for the concentration, but is strongly recommended for students who subsequently decide to pursue positions in Latin American departments of US firms or in Latin American based industries."(http://floridamba.ufl.edu/traditional/concentrations.asp#LAB)

Security Analysis
Hough Graduate School of Business, University of Florida, USA

This concentration “studies financial statement analysis, security applications and corporate finance valuation problems.” (http://floridamba.ufl.edu/traditional/concentrations.asp#SecurityAnalysis)

Sports Administration
Hough Graduate School of Business, University of Florida, USA

This option is “designed to educate students to become administrators in a variety of sports settings. Included are the areas of intercollegiate, professional, and highly organized amateur sports.” (http://floridamba.ufl.edu/traditional/concentrations.asp#SportsAdmin)

Asset Management/Sales and Trading
Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, USA

"This concentration is designed to extend the valuation principles learned in the first-year curriculum to solve complex problems faced by asset managers and sales and trading professionals. The courses expose students to a variety of different financial markets and give students a deeper understanding for how companies are valued, which are critical components for either managing a client’s funds or executing security trades." (www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Academics/Concentrations) 

Consumer Marketing
Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, USA

"This concentration builds on brand management and will prepare students for careers in organizations where brand leadership is critical—in traditional consumer packaged goods, consumer durables, consumer services, consulting firms and even NFPs. This track focuses on the end-user as "customer,"offering the opportunity to gain insight into how customers search for information, processes that information, make purchase decisions, and become loyal, engaged consumers."(www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Academics/Concentrations/)

Increase Job Opportunities and Decrease Debt with a Graduate Teaching Assistantship

Who Can Benefits from an Assistantship?

Two common concerns students may have related to attending graduate school are the cost of tuition and job opportunities following graduation. According to CNN Money, the average tuition at public universities during 2011 increased 8.3%, and that only included undergraduates. An option to avoid excess debt can be to pursue a graduate teaching assistantship or TA position. If cost or debt is not a concern for you, a position as a TA is still something worth exploring, as it can increase your attractiveness to potential employers. Either way, a teaching assistantship is a great employment option for full-time graduate students.

What does a Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA) Do?

A TA is usually required to work 10 to 20 hours per week. These hours include more than just teaching in a classroom. A TA spends several hours each week grading papers and assignments. An interesting aspect of being a TA is having an opportunity to create a syllabus and set achievement standards for students. In addition to creating materials for class each week, a TA often also will assist a professor with proctoring and grading exams. Even further, students many times look to their TA for guidance and answers to questions that they may not feel comfortable asking their professor.

What are the Benefits? (Compensation + Experience)

It is difficult to list all of the benefits a person may receive from being a TA. The best way to list the perks may be to break them up into two groups: compensation and experience.

A TA's compensation may include a stipend or hourly pay. The stipend or hourly wage may not be a large amount, however it surely helps. Any monetary compensation is always more financially helpful than an unpaid internship. The largest contribution stemming from an assistantship is tuition reimbursement or coverage. Not many perks stack up to having your degree program paid for. This automatically solves the debt problem after graduation. On a smaller note, a TA can take advantage of faculty/staff parking privileges. As any student knows, parking on campus is often difficult.

Experience gained from an assistantship is immeasurable. The more a TA puts into the job, the more he or she gets out of it. The opportunity to network with your professors, guest speakers or anyone else for that matter is immense. The practice speaking in front of large groups is a vital skill for today’s workplace. A TA also gains experience in a management role, something that many young professionals wait years to learn. There also are many practical benefits of becoming a TA outside of teaching. Assistants may see an improvement in their organizational skills, presenting styles, and planning capabilities. Depending on the course taught, a TA also will have opportunities to expand his or her knowledge of course topics through research and working directly with faculty experts.

How Does a TA Position Work?

 It is important to understand that every university, department, and school operates differently. Required qualifications and tuition reimbursement policies among programs may not be the same, however; it is important to keep those items in mind when looking for the right opening. In addition to initial qualifications for a TA position, maintenance of certain qualifications throughout the assistantship is required. For example, your number of enrolled hours is important. A TA has to be enrolled in a minimum number of graduate courses to continue as an assistant. As always, a solid GPA is vital as well. Without acceptable grades, the professor or adviser may not see the TA as an adequate representative of the university. The TA’s academic standing also may determine what opportunities he or she may qualify for. The assistant must be available on certain days for the obvious reason of teaching the course. Professors usually meet with their TA’s during the week to discuss lesson plans, assignments, and grading. Lastly, international students’ reimbursement and qualifications may differ from domestic students.

How to Apply?

It is recommended to apply after acceptance into the program, but it is not necessary. Many universities post assistantships similar to other university job opportunity. Some schools have separate listings within each college or department. Speaking with a student adviser to explore the different openings and departmental needs also can be a great place to begin. Once you identify an assistantship, you may likely will be required to complete an application and provide recommendation letters.

Helpful Resources

• Getting on the TA Track – The New York Times
• Virginia Tech (USA) Graduate Assistantship Information - This institution provides a great resource for prospective TAs

Deciding Whether to Pursue a Dual Degree in Business School

An increasing number of students are pursuing dual degrees in business school. For example, many students pursue an MBA due to the degree's prestige, but also really enjoy marketing, therefore; they decide to pursue a second master's degree (or dual degree) in marketing science. But, how do you know if this is the right choice for you? 

Determine if Your Career Path is in a Unique Industry that Requires More Knowledge
Is your goal to pursue environmental management, civil engineering management, or healthcare administration? All of these career paths require business skills to manage employees, budgets, operations, and more. Therefore, a dual degree in business and the specific field would be very helpful. Remember, to be an effective manager you not only need to be a good leader and skilled businessperson, but also someone who is knowledgeable about the trade/industry you are managing. This is why an increasing number of business schools are offering dual degree programs that are often very unique in nature. For instance, the Columbia Business School MBA program (an AACSB-accredited school) offers several dual degree options. The school offers an MBA and MS in Urban Planning, an MBA and DDS (dental and oral surgery), an MBA and MD, an MBA and MS in Social Work, and more. All of which are excellent programs if your goal is to not only become a dentist or doctor, but also open your own practice. Or, understand the business side of urban development. 

View all of Columbia Business School's Graduate Dual Degree Programs

Find Out the Length, Cost, and Format of the Program
Most dual degree graduate programs last an additional year if not longer. The same is true for undergraduate dual degree programs, which can require five years. Sometimes, tuition can be higher for these types of programs due to the cross function between schools on campus. For instance, lab fees, additional text books, and more faculty requirements. Also, find out if the program allows for part-time attendance. Some dual degree programs are cohort, or full-time, "lock step" with a group of students. These can be difficult if you plan on working.

Determine if a Dual Undergraduate Degree or a Single Undergraduate Degree and Master's Degree is Better
If you are at the undergraduate level and are considering a dual degree, consider graduate school. If you want a graduate-level degree, it may be a better choice to earn a single undergraduate degree in the primary discipline and an MBA afterward. For example, it may look better on a resume to have an undergraduate and graduate degree than a dual undergraduate degree. This all depends on the employers you are seeking and their job requirements. This can be difficult to decipher. Talk to a guidance counselor at your school, speak with professionals in the industry, and discuss your possible decisions with professors. All of these individuals will greatly help you determine which route you should take.

More Resources

Most university websites will provide detailed information about the differences in their dual degree programs. Therefore, start learning by visiting potential college sites and reading as much as possible. 

• Rutgers' website provides an explanation of undergraduate dual degree programs. 
• Florida State University's website also provides an explanation.

Finding an Online Degree that Fits Your Learning Style

Earning your business degree online may be your only option, especially if you are raising a family, working full-time, or not physically able to attend classes on a campus. But before you choose the first program that appears on the search results, it is important to find a quality online business program that will fit with your style of learning and provide you with the resources you need to succeed.

Determining Your Learning Style

Your learning style is based on your preferred sense. That is, seeing, hearing, moving, and/or feeling. Often times, we have more than one preferred sense. In these cases, finding a program that caters to your most dominate senses is best. One of the easiest ways to determine your learning style is to think about instances where you learned most quickly or easily. Were you listening to a podcast? Watching a video? Reading a book? Partaking in a particular activity? Another method to help you determine your style is to find a couple of online quizzes that measure learning styles. These are not always completely accurate, but they can at least give you an idea of how you may learn best. Here are several free online quizzes:

University of South Florida: Florida Parental Information and Resource Center
This quiz, shown below, provides you with a score and a chart on learning styles to help you understand what your results mean. 

About.com Learning Style Quiz
This quiz is intended to help students determine their learning style for the purposes of developing more successful studying techniques. The quiz has nine questions. To take the quiz, click on the "start quiz" link under the page's introductory paragraph.

University of South Dakota Learning Style Quiz
This quiz provides another series of questions and calculates your learning style.  

All of these quizzes were easily found by googling "determining your learning style." 

Finding a Program that Includes Elements that Align with Your Learning Style

Now that you have somewhat of an idea what your learning style is, look at your list of prospective online programs from that point of view. Are you an audio learner? Does the program offer podcasts or lectures that are recorded? Will you be listening to a real teacher online? If you are a visual learning, find out if the program offers videos or visual examples of concepts. For instance, printable diagrams of concepts such as mathematical formulas and organizational structures. Also, if you are a visual learner, find out if there are text books available for the classes. Often, viewing concepts on paper versus a computer screen is helpful.

AACSB-Accredited Online Business Programs

Since AACSB Accreditation is considered to be the highest level of specialized business accreditation an institution can earn, it is important to start your search with a list of online programs that have this designation. After all, the last thing you want is for your online program to not be recognized by employers or other institutions you may want to transfer to in the future. 

To search for programs, visit AACSB's student website. The site contains a search tool that allows you to narrow down schools with online offerings by particular disciplines and levels (undergraduate, graduate, etc.). The site also has a list of AACSB-accredited schools with online MBA programs. 

Search Schools: www.bestbizschools/search-aacsb-accredited-schools

Warning Signs of Possible Accreditation Mills

The word "accreditation" is often loosely used by business schools and universities—particularly by institutions that are not legit, such as diploma mills and schools that do not have the proper credentials to grant degrees. Often times, a diploma mill will gain accreditation from what is known as an "accreditation mill." Accreditation mills are organizations that do not have proper authorization to accredit higher-education institutions. As a prospective student, it is not only very important to inspect a school's level of accreditation, but also by whom it is accredited. This is important whether you plan to study in Europe, the Americas, or Asia.

 Here are a few of the characteristics of an accreditation mill:

• Accreditation Status Available for Purchase: As with diploma mills, accreditation mills will place a price on their accreditation versus the process (e.g., actual review of institutions). Accreditation mills also frequently charge fees that are significantly higher than those of legitimately recognized accreditation organizations.

• Permanent Accreditation: A sure sign that an accrediting body is a mill is if it offers permanent accreditation without requiring a periodic review and renewal. For instance, AACSB Accreditation for business programs requires that institutions maintain their quality through a five-year review cycle.

• Vague or Absent Standards: Genuine accrediting bodies are typically transparent about their accreditation standards. Accreditation mills, by contrast, may only list a few (and in some cases no) quality standards upon which they base their accreditation.

• Dubious Relations: Accreditation mills will sometimes list legitimate colleges, universities, and/or programs that they claim to have accredited, though the colleges, universities, and programs themselves seem to have no relationship with the organization. Alternatively, some accreditation mills do not display lists of their "accredited" schools at all, or do not display their lists until an institution applies for their "services."

• Quick Accreditation: Accreditation mills often provide accreditation over a suspiciously short period of time. For example, it typically takes three to seven years for an institution to earn AACSB Accreditation. However, there are accreditation mills that claim their certification can be obtained in 60–120 days.

• Round-Robin: Diploma mills and accreditation mills are sometimes separate units managed by the same person or entity. Be especially wary if all of the institutions accredited by an organization have websites that are surprisingly similar in form and content, particularly if they all display the signs of a diploma mill.

Warning Signs of Possible Diploma Mills

What are Diploma Mills?

Diploma mills are commonly defined as institutions that operate either illegally or without supervision by proper educational oversight authorities. They grant diplomas that are either not valid (due to the lack of quality assurance) or fraudulent. Because business is the most commonly offered degree field by institutions that can be considered diploma mills, it is especially important for prospective business students to be on guard, particularly when looking for a school outside of their home nation, state, or province. Many such institutions count on students' lack of familiarity with educational systems in other countries and even sometimes within their own country. Thus, it is important to be able to recognize the telltale signs of a diploma mill when searching for a business degree.

Signs of a Possible Diploma Mill

• Credit for Life Experience: Diploma mills frequently offer degrees based largely or even solely on credit for "work experience," "life experience," or "recognition of prior learning." Properly accredited colleges may give a few credits for specific experience pertinent to a degree program, but never for an entire degree.
• Little to No Work Required: Diploma mills rarely require actual attendance or significant coursework, particularly if marketing themselves as online or distance learning institutions. Valid institutions, including those that operate online or via distance learning, will always require a substantial amount of coursework to earn a degree.
• Tailor-Made Study Programs: Diploma mills frequently offer degree programs or majors that are "self-designed" by the student, generally with little to no faculty oversight or approval required.
• Guaranteed Time to Graduate: Diploma mills often guarantee or even require that students earn their degrees in a certain amount of time. Frequently this is significantly less time than would be required at a valid institution. Alternatively, diploma mills may offer to "back-date" a degree, allowing students to show that it was earned at some point in time, even if this is before the student was actually enrolled.
• Flat Fees for Degrees: Valid institutions generally publish tuition fees by the credit hour, semester, quarter, course, etc. By contrast, diploma mills often quote a flat fee for an entire degree program (typically payable up front).
• No Physical Campus Facilities: Institutions with only an office suite or P.O. Box address are a big red flag, as are those that include no physical address whatsoever. A favorite tactic of diploma mills is to base operations within areas of other higher education operations that have little to no oversight. For example, this can be a common practice in war-torn or developing nations in Africa (such as often happens in Liberia), or small island nations and territories in the Oceania or Caribbean.
• No Course Syllabi Available: Valid institutions most often post syllabi or course descriptions for their various degree programs. Diploma mills, on the other hand, typically only have simple course lists with little to no description or indication of how they progress.
• No Contact Information Available for Specific Persons: Though multiple email addresses may be present, diploma mills rarely offer direct access to any specific individual.
• No Listed Faculty Members or Faculty Qualifications: A common red flag for diploma mills is the complete lack of any information regarding faculty that teach at the institution.
• Deceptively Similar Names: A very common tactic for diploma mills is to take a name that is very similar to a valid, prestigious, or publicly known institution. The objective is to confuse the consumer.
• Questionable Authority to Grant Degrees: This is one of the two most evident red flags. Valid institutions generally make it clear exactly where their authority to grant degrees comes from, be it a national Ministry of Education or officially recognized accrediting body for higher education institutions (such as the six regional accreditors in the U.S., or BAN-PT, the national higher education accreditation board in Indonesia). If an institution claims to be "licensed" in a U.S. state, but does not have regional accreditation be cautious.
• Lack of Accreditation from a Recognized Body: This is another major red flag. Diploma mills will frequently use official-sounding terms (which mean little in terms of educational quality) in order to impress potential students, or claim the approval of official-sounding agencies (which may or may not be real). Be especially on guard if the institution claims to be "authenticated," "verified," "licensed," "internationally approved," "notarized," "recognized by the Pope," or "accredited by" agencies that may be legitimate, but have nothing to do with proper authorization to grant degrees or quality assurance. Alternatively, they may devote a web page to explaining why not having accreditation is normal, or no big deal.

Deciding Between a Degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration

Many hopeful entrepreneurs have a tough time deciding between a degree in business administration (such as a bachelor of arts/science or MBA) and a degree in entrepreneurship (such as a bachelor of arts/science or master of science). Both degrees provide a wealth of skills related to running a business, so which one is right for you if you plan to pursue a startup opportunity some day?

Degree Programs in Business Administration
Business administration programs (both undergraduate and graduate) teach students foundational knowledge of business. These programs require that students take a variety of courses related to the many business disciplines. Most programs will allow students to take courses to minor or concentrate in a specific area if they wish to specialize their degree further (such as in entrepreneurship). Business administration programs require that students take accounting, finance, marketing, management (human resources and leadership), statistics, economics (macro and micro), and international business for starters. Programs that offer minors or concentrations in entrepreneurship will often provide several courses that students can choose from as electives. These courses often include topics such as business planning, strategic entrepreneurship, market assessment, and small business administration. If you have little experience or knowledge of general business concepts, a program in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship may be helpful. At the graduate level, many programs provide dual degrees, an MBA and a MS in entrepreneurship. This is often very useful since the degree can assist with a corporate career or a new business idea.

Degree Programs in Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship programs focus on the actual skills needed to plan, fund, and launch a new business. These programs provide students with courses in venture capital (skills to gain funds for startup), market assessment (skills to explore markets were there are opportunities for new businesses), business plan development (writing a business plan around an idea that can be proposed to an investor or group of partners) ... to name few. Students learn how to cultivate an idea into a business model that can become a viable product, service, or organization. Some programs focus more closely on the skills to start a business, while others provide a well-rounded approach of business and entrepreneurship knowledge. The type of program you choose will depend on your knowledge of business concepts (such as finance, marketing, and management). To be sure you select the program that fits best with you, visit the school's website and look at the program's curriculum. What classes will you be required to take? Are these the classes you want or the areas you need additional skills in? If there are classes missing, can you take additional electives in topics that you need (for instance, operations management)?

AACSB's student website provides a search engine that will find programs in both business administration and entrepreneurship. 

Visit the site to search for undergraduate programs.

Visit the site to search for graduate programs (when searching, be sure to search for both "masters gen" and "masters spec" to include both general business (business administration) and specialized business (entrepreneurship) programs.

Attending Business School in Another Country

There are many universities that offer study abroad programs in business at the undergraduate and graduate level. From summer programs spent traveling with faculty and classmates to semester or year-long exchanges at other schools, there are a lot of options. 

Common Student Exchange Programs

The most common type of study abroad program is the student exchange. This option allows students to take several (the amount varies per program) courses in another country at another school. Most of these programs are pre-established through the universities involved. Meaning, the universities have developed agreements for student exchanges. This enables students to attend classes at the other institution knowing that their credits will transfer back to the home institution.

International Internships

Internships that are abroad are gaining popularity, particular among students that wish to begin their careers in other countries or regions. Many of these internships result in course credits at the home institution. For example, international business students may spend a summer working with a manufacturing company in another region and receive elective credits. Some of these internships are paid, some are not. It all depends on the home institution and the companies that are involved.

Research or Service Exchanges

Mostly at the graduate level, there are opportunities to travel abroad for research exchanges. This is fairly common among faculty members and doctoral students. There also are service exchanges. For instance, a group of MBA students may travel to a remote country to help start a new business, etc. Service exchanges provide great opportunities to learn business, help a developing community, and meet new people.

Studying business in more than one country can provide many learning experiences and opportunties. However, there are a lot of things to consider. For instance, what are the costs involved? And, what are the travel/legal requirments to participate in an international program? All schools that have an established exchange program should be able to help you with these items. With careful planning and help from the home institution, you can make the most of the time and avoid spending a fortune.

Helpful Resources

Find Scholarships to Study Abroad, U.S. News and World Report
StudyAbroad.com, List of scholarships 

Narrow Down Your List of Potential PhD Programs by Reviewing Academic Journals

In addition to examining a school's accreditation, exploring academic journals by discipline also can help narrow down a list of schools that likely have high-quality doctoral programs in your area of interest. For example, if you are interested in pursuing a PhD in management, look through top management journals. Take notes of article authors and the schools they are from. Then, explore their research backgrounds. Are these authors well-known in their fields? What kinds of topics have they researched? Are they recognized as specialists in any one area (such as organizational design, leadership, employee morale, etc.)? Are any of these specialized areas subjects that you are passionate about researching?

Once you have a list of authors and schools, find out if the institution offers a PhD program and if the researcher mentors doctoral students. Your goal is to learn from the best in your field. The better your doctoral mentor, the better your research skills will be when you graduate. 

Here are a list of well-known academic journals to get you started:

Accounting

• Accounting and Business Research
• Accounting Educators' Journal
• Journal of Accounting Research
• Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking
• Securities Regulation Law Journal

Decision Sciences

• Decision Sciences Journal
• Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education

Finance

• Journal of Finance
• Journal of Financial Economics
• Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking

Management

• Academy of Management Journal
• Academy of Management Perspectives
• Academy of Management Review
• American Behavioral Scientist
• Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences
• Journal of International Management
• Journal of Operations Management
• Organization Science
• Management Science
• Multivariate Behavior Research
• Strategic Management Journal
• Strategic Organization

Marketing

• Journal of Consumer Research
• Journal of Marketing
• Journal of Marketing Research
• Marketing Science

AACSB-Accredited DBAs and Executive Doctorates

There are a variety of AACSB-accredited schools that offer non-PhD doctorate degrees, such as the DBA or EDB/M (Executive Doctorate of Business or Management).

Based on 2009-10 AACSB data, below is a list of AACSB-accredited schools with links to their respective programs.

Also see archived blog article: "Differences Between a DBA and a PhD" and the Executive Doctorate Programs page on the AACSB student website for more helpful information.

AACSB-Accredited DBA, EDB, and EDM Programs (Worldwide)

Aston University (DBA)
Birmingham, UK
(PDF brochure available.) 

City University of Hong Kong (DBA)
Hong Kong, China 

Cleveland State University (DBA)
Cleveland, OH, USA

Cranfield University (Executive Doctorate)
Bedford, England 
(School has a page explaining the PhD versus the Executive Doctorate, good information.) 

Durham University (DBA)
Durham, UK 
(Durham also offers a DBA program in Fudan taught in Chinese. Learn more.)

Georgia State University (Executive Doctorate)
Atlanta, GA, USA
(Program videos available.)

Grenoble Ecole de Management (Joint DBA)
Grenoble, France
(Program is jointly offered with Newcastle University Business School.) 

Hong Kong Polytechnic University (DBA)
Hong Kong, China 

Kennesaw State University (DBA)
Kennesaw, GA, USA 
(Offers information sessions.) 

Louisiana Tech University (DBA)
Ruston, LA, USA
(Website has PDF brochure.)

Oklahoma State University (Executive PhD)
Stillwater, OK, USA 

Queensland University of Technology (DBA)
Brisbane, Australia  

University of Reading (DBA)
Reading, UK
(Offers information sessions and website has PDF brochure.) 

University of Surrey (DBA)
Guildford, Surrey, UK

The most current list of executive and DBA doctoral programs may be found on AACSB's student website at: www.bestbizschools.com/doctorate/professional_doctorate_degrees.asp