MBA Specialization Series: General Management

If you are stuck in an entry or mid-level management position and are thinking of how to make a leap into the next level, you should probably consider doing an MBA in General Management. A management degree will not only set you up to work in every possible aspect of management, but also allow you the flexibility to work in a wide range of industries.

A general manager is typically responsible for the overall operation of an organization and guiding the company into the future with strategic insight and planning. He is able to inspire and motivate the staff to be efficient, responsible, performance oriented, and accountable.

If you do plan to take up a career in general management you would need to possess the complete set of skills to do well in the area of general management unlike say finance or HR. This means you need to possess good analytical skills, leadership skills, people-management skills, etc.

MBA in General Management covers the basic tenets of business and management; leadership and management techniques; finance and financial management; business law and ethics; and human resources and conflict management solutions. Risk management, recruitment of efficient team players, and economic systems and philosophies are some of the others subjects offered as a part of this curriculum.

Following are the top five business schools that offer the best degree in General Management:

1. Harvard Business School: An MBA from Harvard Business School is recognized around the world. Men and women who complete the program join a network of more than 37,000 alumni whose members include former U.S. presidents, cabinet officers, big city mayors, founders of innovative start-ups, and CEOs of major corporations. Students work hard to win admittance to that circle. Incoming students are expected to complete on-line courses on business basics (including quantitative methods and business writing) before ever setting foot on campus.

After arrival, students enter an intense, three-week Foundations program, followed by two class terms, each involving five to six required core courses. The second year of the program comprises entirely selective courses, with a minimum of five courses for each of the two terms. Courses demand class participation - as much as half the grade for a course can depend on the quality of class contributions. The program also demands that students be comfortable with information technology. The entire application process is computer-based, and the majority of the School's professors conduct exams on-line. Yet another key requirement of Harvard MBA students is that they interact with each other.

First-year students are assigned to cohorts of 80, who take all their classes together. Group and team assignments are not uncommon. The networking continues long after graduation. Students can count on access to alumni willing to serve as career advisors and mentors, and they themselves must be ready, when the time comes, to extend the same help to others.

2. Stanford Graduate School of Business: The Stanford Dynamic puts the values of the Business School in action. The Stanford MBA Program is shaped according to three distinctive traits - collaborative culture, small student body, and vigorous intellectual environment. A combination of these provides an unmatched educational experience.

A highly collaborative culture, combined with a small student body creates a vigorous intellectual environment and compelling learning experience. In 2007, the School completed a transformational revision of its curriculum that not only improves the way Stanford prepares future business leaders but also serves as a model of thought leadership in the management education industry. A new, state-of-the-art campus will open in 2010, expanding the School's facilities to support its rich, engaging curriculum and other programs.

3. Northwestern University, Kellogg: Although Kellogg is best known for marketing, the school's curriculum is considered to be more general management in nature, with students typically concentrating in two or three subject areas through electives. The most popular subject isn't even marketing, with more Kellogg students studying finance than any other major. And like at many other top schools, consulting and banking are the most popular fields that Kellogg grads go into, with McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs, etc., doing more hiring at Kellogg than the biggest marketing-related firms.

4. University of Pennsylvania, Wharton: Because Wharton has more courses and programs than any other business school; you'll get the range, rigor, and flexibility to pursue your individual goals.

• 18 specializations, including an individualized major

• 250+ world-renowned faculty members, in 11 academic departments

• Nearly 200 electives, plus an intensive core curriculum

• 11+ interdisciplinary degrees

You'll leave Wharton with both the universal business knowledge and specialized skills to expand your choice of careers, reposition yourself in a new industry, and tackle the most difficult issues facing businesses and societies.

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan: MIT Sloan's MBA curriculum grew out of the conviction that, in education as in business, leadership belongs to those who reject the comfort of the status quo. Therefore, the MIT curriculum is one that encourages freedom of choice and experimentation. After the powerful, shared experience of the first-semester core, students are free to construct a highly personalized course of study. In addition to the analytic rigor you would expect from MIT, the school offers a sharp focus on the demands of actual business problems, and an array of new opportunities to practice skills of leadership and to connect with the world of business practice.

6. University of Chicago, Booth: The view from the top starts at the bottom, with an understanding of the fundamental disciplines that underlie business. Chicago Booth's focus on the fundamentals - versus the fads - has produced leaders worldwide, nearly 5,000 of whom are CEOs or other top company officers. The General Management concentration reinforces your ability to think through unique problems, make sound decisions, and lead.

Chicago Booth goes beyond providing a solid program in general management. It goes without saying that you will gain expertise in the core responsibilities of general managers - finance, human resource management, managerial accounting, operations management, and macroeconomics.

Few other schools with general management programs are Darthmouth College (Tuck), Ross School (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor), Fuqua (Duke University). Haas (University of California-Berkeley), Columbia University, etc.

Visit the individual school websites for more information on each of these listed programs. Sign up for MBA admissions consulting for help with your MBA admissions essays and overall application here. Subscribe to our blog and connect with us on Facebook / Twitter for all the latest updates on everything to do with GMAT, business schools, and MBA application.

Posted by kalyani Offline

MBA Specialization Series: General Management

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