The AASCB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) recently released survey results showing the 32 most popular specialty master’s degrees in business. 820 schools worldwide responded to the survey including 503 US business schools. Specialty Master’s Degree programs typically require 9, 10 or 12 months to complete. The results in order of popularity are as follows:
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Accounting–offered by 438 schools.
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Finance–offered by 298 schools.
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Management–184 schools.
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Marketing–171 schools.
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CIS/MIS–152 schools.
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Economics–122 schools.
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Human Resources Management–110 schools.
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International Business–104 schools.
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Supply Chain / Logistics–93 schools.
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Taxation–76 schools.
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General Business–75 schools.
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Entrepreneurship–70 schools.
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Data Analytics–56 schools.
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Health / Hospital Administration–44 schools.
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Quantitative Methods–35 schools.
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Production / Operations Management–34 schools.
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Real Estate–31 schools.
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Hotel / Restaurant Management–28 schools.
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Public Administration–21 schools.
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e-Business–18 schools.
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Business Law–18 schools.
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Behavioral Science / Organizational Behavior–15 schools.
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Statistics–15 schools.
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Insurance–13 schools.
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Leadership–13 schools.
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Business Communication–12 schools.
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Sports Management–12 schools.
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Operations Research–11 schools.
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Business Ethics–6 schools.
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Manufacturing and Technology Management–6 schools.
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Actuarial Science–5 schools.
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Energy Management–3 schools.
Specialty Master’s Degree programs are soaring in popularity. Applications to traditional two (2) year MBA programs are declining due to rising tuitions and opportunity costs (loss of income for 2 years).
For those considering entering an MBA program, a specialty master’s degree should be considered as a much lower cost option to a specialization in business. Most programs are 10 months in length, although some are just 9 months while others are 12 months and a couple are 16 months long.
Currently, the hottest job market is in data analytics.
P.S. Arizona State University–Carey school of business offers free tuition to all applicants accepted to the two year, full time MBA program. ASU-Carey is best known for supply chain, but offers a general MBA. Incoming class size / cohort was recently reduced from 109 to 90 students. The scholarships do not cover housing & food, just tuition & fees to the best of my knowledge. This can be an affordable option for those undecided on a particular area of specialization.
Thank you for sharing.
As far as Masters in Finance programs are concerned, I’d like to add that they can help students who didn’t study Business Finance in undergrad. make a quick career change into Finance. In which case they are more like a 5th year of undergrad. for pursuing a double major. These programs, unlike the MBA, are pre-experience. So applicants aren’t expected to have the 3-5 years of work experience before joining. It is a popular way to enter Finance careers in Europe.
We are only now starting to see these programs gain some popularity in the US. Therefore, it isn’t easy to land good Finance jobs from these programs.
Most top banks begin recruiting on campus by offering internships to sophomores. Then hire those kids when they graduate. So you are basically two cycles behind if you start pursuing Finance with an MSF
Data analytics, accounting, taxation, statistics, actuarial science among other specialty degrees are in high demand.
Although work experience is not an expected prerequisite before entering a specialty master’s program, many do have several years of work experience but are seeking a specialization to switch practice areas.
Quite right, I know lots of engineers, Physics, Math and Stats grads who did a mini Masters in Analytics to switch careers, and doing very well
I think that between the demand for Analytics and changes in H1B visa restricting foreigners from taking those jobs, there is a serious shortage for STEM qualified professionals. Consequently, it seems to me that a lot of kids who historically would have pursued careers in banking are now chasing after Analytics