September 30th, 2021 | Updated on June 28th, 2022
Getting an MBA degree can be one of the best decisions that you make when it comes to improving your education as a business professional.
Today there are more online MBA programs available than ever before, making it easier for those who have full-time work and other commitments to get this qualification without the need to rearrange your life or take time out of work.
There are many different benefits of getting an online MBA to consider. No matter your career goals, studying online can help you get promoted at work, find employment in a different business industry, or even provide you with the skills that you need to get started with your own company.
We’ve taken a look at some of the biggest benefits of getting your MBA online, and some of the most popular MBA concentrations that are often available from some of the best online business schools.
Benefits Of Getting Your MBA Online
Improve Your Resume
It’s without a doubt that one of the top reasons to get your online MBA from Kettering University is the improvement to your resume.
With around 80% of employers looking to add more MBA graduates to their workforce, this is one of the best ways to stand out from the crowd when applying for upper management positions and give your resume that little bit of extra prestige that will help you make a better first impression on your future employers.
Save Money
Getting an MBA can be an expensive move, but with online MBA programs, the opportunity cost is much lower.
Business students who are still repaying student loans from their undergraduate degree or have other monthly expenses that they’ll need to continue meeting while studying will often find that an MBA online is more affordable for them.
Although the tuition fees for an online MBA are often the same as tuition for a traditional classroom-based program, the opportunity to continue working while you fit your career around study means that you don’t lose out on as much.
In addition, studying from home reduces the amount that you’d normally spend on expenses like commuting, which can add up significantly over the course of the program.
Explore a New Area of Business
With several different MBA concentrations to choose from, getting your MBA online can be one of the best ways to explore and get into a new area of business.
Perhaps you have long been interested in sectors such as marketing, supply chain, big data and business intelligence, leadership, finance, or even the environmental impact of business in the world today.
Choosing a specialist MBA area allows you to become an expert in your chosen business sector, follow your passions and interests, and pursue a career where you are working to do something that you enjoy.
Improve Your Skills
Getting your MBA online gives you the chance to improve a wide range of both career skills and soft skills.
The MBA programs that are available today are designed to not only prepare you to become a better business manager or leader, but also to improve your teamwork skills and ensure that you are a huge asset to any organization that you work with in the future.
Throughout studying for your MBA online, you will be able to develop and improve a wide range of important skills including communication, decision-making, and more.
Popular MBA Concentrations You Can Study Online
The traditional MBA program is likely to continue being one of the most well-respected and in-demand qualifications in the business world.
However, more and more students are deciding to focus their efforts when getting an MBA into a certain subject that they prefer.
Whether you have a specific career goal in mind or are simply more interested in one subject compared to others, MBA concentrations can be one of the best ways to get a qualification that is completely in line with your future career goals to prepare you for the work that you will be doing in the future. Some of the most popular MBA concentrations that are currently available to study online include:
1. Business Administration
The traditional Master’s in Business Administration is still one of the most popular postgraduate degree programs for business professionals around the world today.
With a huge global demand for graduates and an average annual salary of around $100k, it’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular business programs.
While the traditional MBA does not offer a specific concentration area, it does offer a flexible option for students who want to be free to choose different elective modules and areas of interest along the way as they learn more about what they are good at and what they are most interested in when it comes to the field of business.
2. Digital Marketing
With almost every business around the world today requiring some kind of digital marketing in order to stay competitive and be discovered by customers, it is no surprise that digital marketing MBA graduates are in higher demand than ever before.
Digital marketing MBA graduates can enter the workforce with a generous average annual salary of around $130k. This field is steadily growing due to its increased relevancy in the business world.
The program covers all aspects of digital marketing including SEO, SEM, content marketing, influencer marketing, video marketing, social media, and more.
3. IT
The IT industry has become one of the most lucrative options to work in right now. IT career positions seem to be growing by the minute, as organizations become more tech-led and an increasing number of companies become cloud-first organizations.
With almost every business industry impacted in some way by technology and IT, the IT MBA is an ideal option to consider if you are hoping to get into a career that offers a lot of stability and a high level of demand. Graduates can earn a generous average annual salary of around $140k.
4. Finance
Finance is an industry within business that has long been a safe and stable career option, and this is unlikely to change into the future.
Professionals who decide to work in finance can enjoy a lot of job growth and high demand, along with positions that are typically fairly secure.
The finance MBA is often a top choice for professionals who are already working in this area of business such as accountants and financial advisors, and are looking to improve their skillset and knowledge.
If you are intrigued by business finances and enjoy working with numbers, this MBA concentration could be an ideal option for you with graduates earning an average salary of around $130k per year.
5. International Business
An increasing number of businesses today are going global, leading the demand for knowledgeable, skilled international business professionals to rise.
There is currently a job growth rate of around eight to ten percent in the sector of international business, despite COVID19 making it more difficult for business professionals to travel as they once used to.
And with an appealing salary of around $100k per year along with the opportunity to explore different countries as part of your career, it’s easy to see why this MBA concentration is a top choice among many business professionals today.
6. Marketing
No business would be able to succeed without marketing the products or services that it offers to its ideal customers.
If you are a creative person and would enjoy a career where you get to learn about others and their preferences to come up with new campaigns to encourage more people or organizations to purchase the services or products offered by your business or employer, an MBA in marketing could be the ideal option for you.
Marketing is a hugely important part of any business sector, with good marketers and marketing managers needed in every industry. This field is currently seeing a huge growth rate due to the rising business competition in the world today.
7. Business Intelligence
Business intelligence is a growing and dynamic field that is worth considering getting into as a business professional. With companies today collecting more data than ever before on their customers, data is becoming more and more vital to the success of an organization and having a bigger impact on the world around us than ever before.
If you enjoy the idea of working in a role where you are able to take real-world data and find the facts in the statistics to take a business in the right direction, an MBA in business intelligence might be the ideal pathway for you.
And with data collection and analysis now a more important part of business than ever before, the demand for graduates is higher than ever.
8. Environmental Management
If you are passionate about the environment and would like to get into a career where you can help businesses reduce their impact on the world around us and be kinder to the planet, an MBA in environmental management may be the ideal choice for you.
An MBA in environmental management is the ideal advanced degree program for students who are interested in combining their passions for both business and environmental conservation.
With businesses around the world forced to come to terms with the damage that they have been doing to our planet, demand for environmental business professionals is on the rise.
An increasing number of companies are now hiring people who can guide them towards making positive environmental changes to the way that they conduct business.
9. Leadership and Management
Regardless of the organization or the industry, good managers and leaders are necessary in the business world to lead teams, oversee, organize, delegate, and ensure that everything continues to run smoothly.
Maybe you have already gained some experience in a supervisory or management role and want to build on the skills that you have already developed in order to get into more prestigious, upper-management careers with a higher level of responsibility and better pay. If this sounds like you, you may be a good fit for an MBA in leadership and management.
10. Supply Chain and Logistics
With global supply chain issues making the news around the world as a result of the COVID19 pandemic, good supply chain managers and professionals are likely to be in even higher demand in the future.
Currently, graduates can enjoy an annual average salary of around $75k. Supply chain management MBA graduates have a strong foundation of the core business principles with a major focus on supply chain and logistics.
In addition, this MBA option offers further opportunities to focus on narrower areas of supply chain and logistics including purchasing, quality control, manufacturing, warehouse management, logistics, and more.
11. Human Resources
If you are a people person and would enjoy a role where you can work towards making the workplace a better place for everybody, an MBA in human resources may be a worthwhile option for you to consider.
With graduates earning an average of around $110k, the demand for good human resources professionals is on the rise, particularly as businesses adjust to more remote working and remote hiring.
In addition, getting an MBA in HR gives you the opportunity to work in any business industry, with stable positions available in many organizations.
12. Entrepreneurship
Last but not least, the MBA can also be a degree program that you use to prepare yourself for a fulfilling career working for yourself.
If you would rather not work for another organization and have big dreams and ambitions for setting up your own business in the future, an MBA in entrepreneurship will provide you with the solid foundation that you need to succeed and help you avoid making some of the common mistakes that business owners often make that can lead to business failure.
This degree program offers more options for business leadership and management from the owner’s point of view.
No matter where you are currently at in your business career, getting your MBA online can be one of the best ways to boost your resume, get noticed by employers, and become an expert.
