By Rachael Perrotta
When deciding whether to pursue business school, it’s important to know program options. Business schools offer a variety of degrees that can lead working professionals down different career paths.
Read about different degrees that business schools offer and discover their unique benefits.
MBA
MBA programs are typically offered in an in-person, online, or hybrid format. The Vanderbilt MBA is only offered full-time, in person in Nashville, Tennessee. During the 2-year program, candidates have the opportunity to customize their curriculum via concentrations, elective classes, and independent and immersive learning opportunities.
MBA students successfully pursue various career paths in all facets of business. The Career Management Center at Vanderbilt Business helps students prepare through mock interviews and networking opportunities with alumni and recruiters.
“We are really training people with the MBA to be well-rounded business professionals,” Jennifer Escalas, Vanderbilt Business Associate Dean of Academic Programs, said. “They will have their specialization, and they will probably start their careers in a specific area, but if they want to switch into a different industry, or get promoted to manage people in different areas, they have the knowledge, ability, and skillset to know what’s going on in an entire organization.”
Executive MBA (EMBA)
Through an Executive MBA, candidates have the opportunity to earn an MBA without leaving their full-time job. Hence, the program is targeted toward those who are further along on their professional journey.
The Vanderbilt EMBA is a 2-year program and has an in-person format. However, classes only meet on Saturdays, allowing students to continue working their weekday job. Once students earn the degree, they are able to apply those skills immediately in the workplace. Vanderbilt EMBA students complete 2 immersive experiences: Creating and Launching the Venture and the Capstone Strategy Project. After the first year of the program, candidates have the opportunity to choose between the Executive Edge Track and the Global Immersion Track.
“Regardless of the track an EMBA student chooses, we want them to be exposed to doing business globally,” Juli Bennett, Executive Director of Vanderbilt Executive MBA Programs, said.
Master of Science in Finance (MS Finance)
An MS Finance is a 10-month, accelerated program which allows students to personalize up to 50% of their curriculum. Vanderbilt’s MS Finance is full-time and in person, and many candidates have less than 2 years of professional experience.
“Students gain a solid grounding in finance with an accelerated core curriculum alongside the flexibility of elective choice to tailor the learning experience to career goals,” Jack Eyre, Director of Vanderbilt MS Finance, said. “Career outcomes are consistently strong year over year, with 100% of the class (Class of 2022, for example) accepting a full-time offer within 3 months of graduation.”
Master of Accounting (MAcc)
Vanderbilt offers two MAcc programs: the MAcc Assurance and MAcc Valuation. The MAcc Assurance program focuses more on audit, while the MAcc Valuation program focuses more on valuation and financial statement analysis.
Both are one year long, full-time, and in person in Nashville. They also both are designed for students who were not undergraduate accounting majors. Featuring small class sizes and a competitive course load, the MAcc program prepares students for a successful career in accounting, and prepares them to sit for the CPA and CFA exams.
“Big 4 firms tell us that Vanderbilt MAcc graduates hit the ground running faster than students from other programs,” said Scott Johnson, Faculty Director of Vanderbilt MAcc Programs. “Vanderbilt’s world-class professors ensure that students have an incredibly strong technical foundation, but we also prepare them for real-world interpersonal interactions.”
Master of Marketing (MMark)
Similar to the MS Finance program, the Vanderbilt Master of Marketing is 10 months long, full-time, and in person.
It uniquely gives students the chance to practice their skills in the real world, with students completing two immersive opportunities by graduation. The Master of Marketing program allows students to explore various facets of marketing, including advertising, data analytics, social media, sales, and more.
“In ten months, students take courses in all areas of marketing, allowing them to pursue jobs in marketing that best suit their skills and passions, and also pivot into other marketing roles in their careers,” Suzanne Feinstein, Director of Vanderbilt MMark, said.
Master of Management in Health Care
The MMHC is unique among business school degrees. Vanderbilt’s program is part-time and in a hybrid format, giving students the opportunity to take all or some of their courses online.
The program consists of core business courses one night during the week. Vanderbilt MMHC students also engage in monthly weekend immersion experiences taught by a combination of healthcare leaders and policymakers.
“We provide an opportunity for those who work in healthcare, whether as a physician, clinician, or in a non-clinical role, to learn about the business of healthcare,” Burch Wood, Director of Vanderbilt Health Care Programs, said. “We do this by providing a solid foundation with the business school core and leveraging that with our students’ experience and classes that tie our business core to healthcare.”