Earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is a challenging goal that prepares you to move into even greater positions of responsibility and influence in the business world. This very popular professional degree equips you with the practical skills and knowledge you need to advance your career.
While each traditional and online MBA program has its own unique curriculum, concentrations, and coursework, there are several common topics and experiences you can expect to find. Following are just some of the things you’ll learn and the skill sets you’ll develop while pursuing your MBA.
1) How to be an effective manager and an inspiring leader
Motivating individuals, groups, and yourself to perform at peak capacity is key to being successful in today’s hyper-competitive business world. Your MBA program might include such topics as:
- Theoretical and practical models of leadership
- Ethical issues of leadership
- Forms of influence within groups and corporations
Learning how to keep a large team organized, inspired, and on track while bringing out the best in every participant is a skill that effective business leaders possess. ACU Online’s MBA seeks to prepare business professionals for roles that call on them to demonstrate ethical management and decision-making skills informed by principles of Christian vocation. Students are encouraged to develop and apply a personal leadership framework during the program.
2) How to function as part of a collaborative team
Along with learning to lead others, most MBA programs prepare you to be an even better collaborator and teammate. The group projects and assignments in your program are great preparation for those you’ll encounter in the workplace. Learning to work effectively alongside other highly motivated professionals in your cohort readies you for capable, competent, and cooperative service in the wider business community.
3) The many faces of marketing
The ability to market your product or service is critical, whether you plan to start your own business or join an international firm. Building your brand, bolstering your reputation, communicating with consumers, and increasing sales all fall under the large umbrella called “marketing.” Your MBA program will cover the mathematical side of marketing in courses on analytics. You may also focus on specialized areas of marketing, such as digital, social media, retail, and e-commerce.
4) Operations and information technology management
Coursework in operations prepares you to lead organizational innovation efforts through effective integration of strategy with appropriate processes and technologies. In ACU’s 100 percent online MBA program, students study the process of managing operations and information technology to achieve organizational goals. Topics include:
- Product and service delivery
- Systems to support business functions
- Ethical issues related to technological, data, and personnel resources
- Techniques for effectively deploying these resources
5) Finance and accounting
Financial courses in your MBA program may prepare you for positions in public, corporate, or personal finance. You will learn how to manage large sums of money through understanding topics such as investments, assets, liabilities, and funds. ACU’s course focuses on the analysis and use of accounting and financial data by managers. Students become competent consumers of financial information to support managerial decision-making through topics that include:
- Budgeting
- Cost analysis
- Assessing value and risk
- Financing short-term and long-term operations
6) How to think globally
An MBA program that includes courses on international business broadens your perspective and professional reach. Chances are good that your online MBA cohort includes international students, further exposing you to a wide variety of life experiences, business practices, cultures, and diverse points of view. ACU’s International Business course engages key issues in conducting business in international markets and emerging economies. Students learn the core concepts and theories related to international business via contemporary examples, scenarios, and cases to help them effectively put theory into practice.
7) The value of a mentor
Your MBA program faculty is likely to include a few professors who challenge and inspire you in significant ways. Take full advantage of their expertise and willingness to mentor you. Nurture these relationships, learn everything you can from them, and be grateful for the lasting connections and professional sources of support you have access to.
8) The necessity for networking
Business school is rife with professional networking opportunities that can help lay the foundation for your desired career path. Not only does the accomplished faculty provide you with countless connections, but your global classmates are also a rich source of networking potential. As they go on to become successful in their chosen business fields, you’re likely to be blessed with lifelong friends in high places.
Be sure to capitalize on the valuable opportunities afforded by your MBA program. Knowing the “right” person is a huge influencer when it comes to hiring decisions. Stay involved post-graduation by joining the school’s alumni network so you can continue to tap into these invaluable connections throughout your career.
9) The chance to reflect on some big business issues from a Christian perspective
When you participate in an MBA program like the one at ACU Online, you learn to engage in data-informed decision-making. You are also supported in making ethical business decisions informed by values and goals consistent with your Christian principles. You’ll be able to apply the concepts and techniques you’re learning in your courses to your current professional role, which will have an immediate and beneficial effect on your workplace and community.
Ready to learn more?
ACU Online’s Master of Business Administration prepares professionals for Christian service and leadership in the global marketplace. Our fully online MBA program combines courses in leadership, organizational innovation, data-informed decision-making, faith, and ethics to equip you to think critically, globally and missionally.
Abilene Christian University has offered quality, Christ-centered education to our students for more than a century. We have a place for you to learn and grow professionally and spiritually. Please feel free to get in touch with us at any time at 855-219-7300 or acu.edu/online.