How do I Earn an MBA with a Specialization in Finance?

Earning your graduate degree is a big decision. Becoming familiar with the process can help you feel more confident as you pursue your MBA with a Specialization in Finance.

In this article, we’ll talk about how to decide if an MBA with a Specialization in Finance is the right fit for you, the difficulty of a MBA in Finance compared to other programs and help you understand some of the steps you can take toward this degree path in the following sections:

• Is an MBA in Finance the Right Choice For Me?
• Is an MBA in Finance Harder Than an MBA in Accounting?
• Steps to Earning an MBA with a Specialization in Finance

Whether an MBA in Finance is the right choice depends on you and your career goals. An MBA or other graduate-level degree can be a good decision if you’re looking to enhance an existing skillset, go back to school or advance your education to expand your career options. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those who hold a master’s level degree typical experience lower rates of unemployment and higher weekly earnings than those who holder lower levels of education.

As for an MBA with a Specialization in Finance specifically, this degree can be a good step forward if you're interested in learning about how the worlds of finance and business intersect. Aside from the business and leadership skills you’d learn from a general MBA program, the skills you learn during an MBA with a Specialization in Finance has the potential to be useful in industries outside of the typical business space.

This versatility of an MBA combined with the industry insight of a finance concentration make an MBA with a Specialization in Finance a great choice for anyone interested in widening their potential job opportunities and developing skills that could help you pursue management or leadership roles at some point in your career.

Whether or not an MBA with a Specialization in Finance is more challenging than an MBA with a Specialization in Accounting varies from student to student.

Both finance and accounting involve a blend of mathematical concepts and an understanding of how these concepts are applied to the business world, though accounting typically deals with the day-to-day management of money and costs, while finance typically focuses on the big picture money management like investments and planning.

Which kind of MBA specialization you choose, however, ultimately depends on where you want your career to go, what environments you want to work in and what skillset suits you better.

As with accomplishing any goal, it's best to have a plan. Breaking down the process of earning an MBA with a Specialization in Finance into some specific steps can help it feel more manageable and less challenging.

Some steps you may want to consider when pursuing an MBA with a Specialization in Finance are:

1. Research potential schools: Always take time to explore different schools and what they offer. Some schools may have certain benefits that others don’t, such as online learning opportunities or a wide array of student resources that can make one program stand out from the others.


2. Speak with an admissions representative: Connecting with an admissions representative is a great way to learn more about the program and get all of your questions answered. They’ll help you explore the admission requirements and make sure you have all the information you need to submit your application.


3. Apply to the program: Enrolling in an MBA with a Specialization in Finance degree program typically includes prerequisites such as having a bachelor's degree in a related field like business or accounting. At some schools, there may also be minimum GPA requirements. Once you’ve identified the program you want to enroll in and have collected what you need to apply, your admissions representative can help you submit your application.