MBA Concentrations

Students are encouraged (not required) to consider concentrations as an opportunity to demonstrate functional area or business discipline specialization. Concentrations provide an opportunity for students to further develop their ability to analyze, communicate, incorporate theory into practice and develop the critical decision making skills necessary to succeed in a global economy.

Put Your Electives to Work

24UT Dallas MBA students can choose to concentrate in one or two of the following disciplines or functional areas (see below). Concentrations are a selected cluster of electives of 12 semester credit hours demonstrating a focused course of specialized study.

Each candidate must also complete an additional 24 semester credit hours of elective graduate coursework. Students may develop a concentration within the 24 semester credit hours of electives, but they are not required to do so. Students cannot include more than 12 semester credit hours of electives in any single functional area (demarcated by the area prefix) beyond the required core courses.

In today’s global and technology-driven environment, managers need skills to effectively analyze accounting information and make value-enhancing decisions. You may select accounting courses to concentrate in financial analysis, consulting, corporate governance or tax management. This concentration can be further refined to the areas of assurance services, taxation and internal audit. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

A concentration in business analytics covers statistics and econometrics, predictive modeling, decision and optimization (prescriptive) modeling, and data management. You are prepared for a position within marketing analytics, decision and operations analytics, financial analytics, healthcare analytics, or IT analytics. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

The energy management concentration will provide you with skills critical to managerial decision-making within energy companies, focusing on supply chain, operations, finance and risk management. Visit the graduate catalog and view the finance and supply chain management pages for energy course listings.

You can prepare for careers in corporate finance, investment management or the management of financial institutions. Courses in this area emphasize creative solutions to business financing problems, the development of value maximizing investment and financing strategies, and the analysis and management of fixed income and equity investments. You may choose to concentrate in either corporate financial planning or the analysis of financial securities and investment portfolios. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

The primary goal of this concentration is to prepare you for leadership positions in healthcare organizations. The healthcare concentration is cross functional and industry focused. Courses include cases, projects and assignments that are centered on applying management skills to healthcare issues and organizations. Classes are taught by faculty and healthcare executives who bring special expertise and experience to the program. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

Information technology is integral to all business operations and permeates all aspects of modern business. Our courses will enable you to fully utilize information technology to solve business problems and gain strategic advantage. Advanced courses provide skills necessary for the “supply” side of information technology for IT consulting, software management and e-business. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

The concentration in innovation and entrepreneurship prepares you for successful business careers in entrepreneurial new ventures, entrepreneurial finance (venture capital/private equity) or innovation-related roles in mature organizations (product planning, product marketing, product development, and more). The concentration permits you to pursue electives in either the new venture focus area or the innovation within the corporation focus area. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

The job market for individuals in internal audit and risk management is exceptional. A concentration in this area covers internal audit from a broad perspective and addresses review of business processes, technology, governance, ethics, risk assessment and auditing standards. This broad perspective allows individual to work in any industry or discipline. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

In the global economy, there is a need to develop skills in various international business environments. You can take a multidisciplinary approach to study international management, with courses in finance, marketing, strategic management, and legal and cross-cultural management. These integrate concepts and theories with international policies and business practices, and prepare you to succeed in developing successful international ventures. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

The leadership concentration prepares you for management positions through the study of the psychological, sociological and organizational behavior disciplines. The program provides a foundation of leadership theory, building and problem-solving in interpersonal work relationships, group dynamics, organizational decision-making, and change and ethics. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

You learn to understand customers’ needs and purchase behaviors, how to satisfy those needs and how to make a profit in competitive industries and markets. Topics include developing an effective marketing strategy, developing new products and managing different brands and product categories. You also can acquire expertise in pricing, advertising and promotions, market research and retailing strategies. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

The graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

This concentration focuses on corporate level strategic management, including implementation of strategic designs, top management team leadership, the strategic implications of the social, governmental, technological and international environments, organization structuring and strategic alliances. You will learn how to integrate accounting, finance, economics and organization theory to create sustainable competitive advantage. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

If you specialize in supply chain management, you will gain an analytical understanding of how to leverage profits by continuously improving business processes. Effective integration of customers, suppliers, factories and stores through the coordination of various functional areas (marketing, finance, procurement) is an important theme. The area emphasizes using incentives, contracts and information technologies to foster efficiency and success. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.

The concentration is designed to meet the need for formalized education in design, engineering and management of complex systems involving a large number of interconnected components. It will develop a broad range of engineering and managerial skills that trains you to be a manager of large projects that require expertise in both technical and managerial disciplines. Visit the graduate catalog for a full list of courses in this concentration.