Traditional Master of Business Administration (MBA) Versus the MBA With Specialization: A Disconnection Between What Business Schools Offer and What Employers Seek

Abstract

A trend in master of business administration (MBA) programs has been to offer more specializations beyond the traditional broad MBA. In this article, the authors explore the recruitment practices of business and the curricula of MBA programs comparing general MBA degrees with MBA degrees with specialization. The authors empirically examine whether employers prefer a general MBA or an MBA with a specialization. On the basis of an analysis of 758 employment advertisements and 27 MBA programs being offered by universities, the authors found a disconnection between what employers appeared to want and what business schools offered.