Skip to main content

Tailor your Executive MBA Education with Specializations

The Stern Executive MBA program offers a diverse range of specializations for students wishing to focus their studies in specific areas of Business Administration. Each Executive MBA student can specialize in up to three distinct fields, which require the completion of at least nine credits chosen from relevant elective courses defined by the faculty. 


Choosing A Focus

 

Specializations are entirely optional. Students must earn 9 credits in a given area in order to specialize and there are specific rules that govern which courses satisfy a given specialization. Students are encouraged to take elective courses that they are interested in and that will challenge and strengthen their business knowledge. Attaining multiple specializations is possible but requires flexibility and coordination in class selection.


Recent Specializations

Corporate Finance

A specialization in Corporate Finance focuses primarily on financial issues at the firm level, such as how new companies raise capital, how companies decide on a capital structure of equity versus short-term and long-term debt, and the governance structure of firms. This specialization is useful for students who will work in corporate financial operations and in other finance assignments, such as fundamental company analysis, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, etc.  

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

This specialization equips students with the tools and concepts necessary for a career as an entrepreneur or an investor in entrepreneurial ventures. It provides a valuable understanding of what it is like to work in a start-up venture, a growing small business, or a venture capital or private equity firm.  

Finance

The general Finance specialization allows students to sample from the entire menu of finance courses and may be appropriate for students who specialize in another field (e.g. marketing or management) and wish to gain a broader exposure to finance themes across different areas.

Leadership & Change Management

This specialization helps students develop their leadership potential and enhance their expertise in managing changing technological, competitive, demographic, and other organizational contingencies. Students develop skills in diagnosing forces of change, developing change strategies, and monitoring the effectiveness of change initiatives. This specialization is particularly useful for those planning careers in general management, consulting, or business development.  

Management

A specialization in Management is designed for students who will pursue careers as general managers in large established firms, family firms, social enterprises, or new ventures. The courses in this specialization provide students with the knowledge necessary to be a senior manager and build additional expertise in both strategic management and the management of organizations.

Management of Technology & Operations

This specialization enables you to think about technology-enabled business models, and the alignment of information technology and operations with corporate strategy. Decisions about investments in IT and the design of operations have far reaching consequences for development of products and services, managing customers, and achieving operational excellence.   

Marketing

The Marketing specialization is designed for students who desire to be skilled across a wide range of marketing activities. They learn cutting edge concepts and tailor the program to their specific career plans, taking jobs across the broad spectrum of business. They may be found in consulting, consumer packaged goods, pharmaceuticals, and financial services.  

Strategy

The Strategy specialization is designed for students who will pursue careers in strategy consulting or corporate strategic planning departments. The courses in this specialization provide students with cutting-edge theories and practice on such topics as value creation and capture, external analysis of industries, internal analysis of a firm’s competitive strengths and weaknesses, competitive positioning, multimarket and corporate strategy, strategic decision-making, and strategy implementation.  

Sustainable Business & Innovation

This specialization provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to create economic value in tandem with social and environmental value at their current and future employers. Students will develop a mindset for proactive citizenship and an expertise in today’s most pressing global issues, increasing their academic and professional competitiveness and positioning themselves at the forefront of thought leadership on the future of business.