15 Careers You Can Pursue With an MBA

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree provides the ultimate vehicle for career advancement. Employers look to this credential for confirmation of advanced management skills and technical proficiency — and to signal a commitment to lifelong learning and professional development. Students appreciate the versatility of this program, which uses diverse courses and modules to promote a range of transferable and in-demand skills.

While many MBA graduates go on to pursue exciting roles in upper-level management, this program can also provide powerful preparation for roles beyond the corporate landscape. Across sectors, there is a strong need for skilled and highly strategic leaders who understand what it takes to develop a compelling vision as well as make it a reality in an increasingly global and competitive business environment.

Professional goal-setting can have a major impact on the Online MBA (OMBA) experience, determining how you contextualize key concepts and how you leverage experiential learning opportunities. If you are drawn to leadership but have yet to form specific plans for your career, it may be time to start thinking about your interests, skills, and passions as they relate to your potential career trajectory.

Below, we outline several careers (along with their corresponding responsibilities and skill sets) for MBA graduates. Read on to discover the breadth of MBA careers — and learn how you can leverage your MBA as you pursue your personal career goals.

1. Executive/C-Suite Roles

The term ‘C-suite’ describes today’s most influential executive roles and other compelling MBA career paths. These share more than just a first letter; they both emphasize strategic oversight and collaborative decision-making. The C-suite provides the chance to shape strategic initiatives, with diverse opportunities available in marketing, IT, and beyond. Examples of C-suite roles available to MBA graduates include:

• CEO (Chief Executive Officer) – As a company’s highest-ranking executive, the CEO sets the overall vision, working closely with the board of directors and other executives to develop ambitious objectives, along with strategies for transforming these goals into reality.
• CFO (Chief Financial Officer) – Responsible for accounting, investments, and risk management, the CFO aims to maximize shareholder value while allocating resources effectively. This role is especially compelling to analytical thinkers who hope to blend high-level technical competencies with strategic decision-making.
• CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) – Playing a central role in branding efforts, the CMO thinks creatively but works collaboratively to elevate brand management and advertising. Setting the direction for far-reaching marketing initiatives, this crucial executive can play a huge role in determining how organizations present themselves to consumers — all while promoting a cohesive brand identity.

2. Educational Leadership

Although often regarded as a reliable path to corporate leadership, the MBA offers many advantages for aspiring educational leaders. MBA coursework prepares future leaders to tackle a range of complex issues, including budgetary restraints, equitable learning, and digital transformation. This degree can help aspiring educational leaders take on high-level roles such as:

• Dean – As senior administrators, deans may oversee various academic divisions or hold broad oversight for entire colleges. This role calls for a solid grasp of organizational dynamics and strategic communication, with deans interacting extensively with diverse stakeholders and with the student body. Their efforts ensure that departmental strategies align with overarching institutional objectives.
• Athletic director – Overseeing college-level athletic programs (including everything from hiring coaches to maintaining compliance with governing bodies), athletic directors are passionate about sports and eager to bring exciting athletic opportunities to the campuses they serve. MBAs can prepare future athletic directors to navigate complex financial concerns while offering relevant insights into public relations and team management.
• Department chair – Sharing some similarities with deans but focused on specific academic departments, chairs handle everyday departmental operations. They may be heavily involved in curriculum development, faculty hiring, and departmental budget management. MBAs help aspiring department chairs develop broad management competencies but integrate these with subject-specific academic concerns.
• Administrator – Schools and college campuses rely on a diverse array of administrators to execute specific plans or policies related to budgeting, compliance, or staff management. This mid-level role can be an excellent step on the path to educational leadership and, combined with an MBA, can provide strong preparation for the higher-level opportunities described above.

3. Policy Analyst

Drawing on public policy as a solution to diverse local, state, and federal challenges, policy analysts evaluate both proposed and current rules and regulations to determine their impact. The MBA can be an ideal fit for aspiring policy analysts because it emphasizes strategic thinking and data analysis. These critical competencies help analysts design high-impact policies that can drive meaningful change in the public sector and beyond.

Furthermore, MBA-based economic and accounting insights prepare policy analysts to deal with budgetary obstacles, while the MBA’s global emphasis helps analysts navigate the implications of public policy on an international basis. This is a great field for MBA students who want to drive a clear social impact while leveraging their advanced strategic and analytical skills.

4. Healthcare Sector

With the healthcare sector facing a wide range of challenges (such as budgetary limitations and compliance concerns), there is a stronger need for adept leaders who can spark innovation and help make care more affordable and accessible. MBA graduates are uniquely equipped to navigate the complex healthcare system while drawing on numerous resources to make informed decisions and drive change. Specialties abound, including:

• Administration – From revenue cycle management to health information systems and even day-to-day hospital operations, there are various ways for MBA graduates to leverage their distinct skill sets in the healthcare field. The MBA can be especially useful for professionals with clinical or administrative experience who hope to move into upper-level management roles.
• Insurance – Risk management and analytics play an integral role in the insurance industry — and MBA students have the opportunity to explore these essentials in depth. Many compelling insurance roles are available to MBA graduates, including opportunities in actuarial management, underwriting management, or claims management.
• Health services managers – Overseeing daily operations within specific service areas or departments, health services managers tend to work in a mid-level capacity to help enhance healthcare workflows and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes — while sticking to strict budgets. This can be a valuable step on the path to higher-level roles in healthcare administration.
• Healthcare practitioners – Aside from workers in healthcare support and management, those directly involved with healthcare delivery also frequently seek out the enhanced business skills an MBA can provide for the administrative aspects of their roles. As they advance in their medical careers, professionals such as doctors, physician assistants, physical therapists, dentists, and even veterinarians can find great value in this degree program.

5. Accountant

MBA curricula typically include foundational accounting coursework, providing a valuable introduction to financial accounting and managerial accounting while also encouraging students to take a deeper dive into budgeting challenges from a strategic and ethical perspective. By the time they graduate, MBA students should be thoroughly prepared to take on a wide range of accounting roles, including leadership opportunities such as financial controller, audit manager, or accounting manager.

6. Funds Manager

Often employed by hedge funds or asset management firms, funds and financial managers oversee investment portfolios and help shape key decisions about how and where funds should be invested. The MBA prepares future funds managers to make difficult decisions under pressure while revealing how these professionals can manage risks effectively. These professionals play a pivotal part in shaping the modern financial landscape, so this can be a compelling opportunity for MBA graduates who desire high-impact career paths.

7. Consultant Roles

Many MBA graduates crave autonomy but are not necessarily interested in starting or running their own businesses. In these situations, consulting may be a viable alternative, offering enhanced work-life balance while still promising strong earnings and the chance to make a genuine difference.

These roles are nearly as diverse as the MBA itself, with common consulting opportunities involving:

• Financial – Allowing MBA graduates to help organizations optimize their financial performance, this consulting specialty may entail investment strategy, due diligence for mergers & acquisitions, or insights into tax strategy. Financial consultants work with numerous types of organizations, including insurance companies, accounting firms, government agencies, or nonprofits.
• Business – Emphasizing operations in an effort to boost productivity and performance, business consulting emphasizes market research and process optimization, with consultants conducting audits or assessments to help leaders pinpoint core areas for improvement — and formulate viable strategies to help organizations address complex challenges.
• Management – Sometimes confused with business consulting, management consulting shifts to more of an organizational and strategic approach, emphasizing overarching visions and values as opposed to delving into day-to-day operational concerns. The MBA prepares students for success in management accounting by introducing them to the nuances of organizational behavior while helping them learn to think strategically and holistically.

8. Investment Banker

Promising a dynamic and potentially lucrative career path, investment banking is a wonderful fit for MBA students who feel drawn to the evolving world of finance. As investment bankers, MBA graduates enjoy the opportunity to shape major financial activities, such as mergers and acquisitions. Equipped with both an MBA and investment banking experience, ambitious professionals can draw on their unique blend of financial acumen and strategic skills and transition into upper-level roles such as senior vice president or managing director.

9. Marketing Director

Marketing provides the perfect chance to blend management skills with a strong creative vision. MBA graduates are well-suited to leadership in marketing not only because MBA coursework often delves into marketing opportunities but also because creative problem-solving and global communication are such central components of modern MBA programs. Working with many creative and passionate professionals, marketing directors have the chance to shape impactful campaigns that determine how brands are perceived.

10. Human Resources Manager

Human resources involves the many talented individuals (and their collective skills and knowledge) who contribute to organizational success. This important field brings a strategic approach to recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention, with HR managers ensuring that these processes align with key business values and objectives.

Many MBA courses delve into the complex realm of HR, revealing how leaders can leverage performance management to elevate employee engagement or change management to minimize disruptions (and promote a positive work environment) amid organizational transformation.

11. Project Manager

In the modern project economy, there is a prevalent need for skilled project managers who can collaborate effectively with a variety of team members and stakeholders. Project managers plan schedules, allocate resources, and ensure that project objectives (and outcomes) closely align with organizational priorities.

To succeed in this demanding field, project managers must have a solid grasp of risk management, resource management, and cross-disciplinary communication — all of which are emphasized in integrated MBA coursework, which helps students actively practice these skills through class projects and team experiences.

12. Product Manager

Products and services provide a key point of connection between businesses and consumers, driving value by addressing specific needs in a way that enhances the overall customer experience. From ideation to development and beyond, product managers bring structure to the product lifecycle while promoting innovation. They align the vision for specific products or services with organizational goals while ensuring that these products produce clear value for targeted consumers.

13. Business Analyst

Boasting both high-level technical skills and a thorough understanding of strategic management, business analysts (BAs) can help organizations address the potential disconnect between data science and leadership. Bridging the gap between business and technology, these professionals help technical teams understand business needs and consumer preferences while also showing stakeholders how technical solutions can be leveraged to boost productivity and spark innovation.

Data-driven strategies are increasingly emphasized within MBA programs, providing valuable preparation for those who hope to harness the power of big data. MBA coursework can provide an engaging approach to exploring data-driven strategies, drawing on case studies to demonstrate what data analytics can accomplish from a strategic perspective.

14. IT Manager

Information technology drives innovation and efficiency in a competitive business environment, but IT systems must be secure, scalable, and well-integrated to ensure maximum impact. This is where IT managers come into play. Drawing on technical expertise to drive digital transformation, these professionals oversee vast IT infrastructure and systems. MBA programs reveal opportunities for integrating technical priorities with strategic initiatives as well as how future IT leaders can leverage advanced systems to drive change.

15. Entrepreneur

The career path of an entrepreneur is a dynamic yet unpredictable journey, characterized by identifying opportunities, taking calculated risks, and building ventures from the ground up. It involves a continuous cycle of innovation, adaptation, competition, and problem-solving. Though there’s no set trajectory, it typically begins with recognizing a market gap or a need, followed by developing a business plan, securing funding, and launching the venture. 

For those with a strong, innovative business idea, an MBA program can provide students with a foundation in business principles encompassing finance, marketing, operations, and strategy. Additionally, it presents opportunities to develop leadership skills, expand their professional network, and gain exposure to real-world business scenarios through case studies and experiential learning.

Pursue Your MBA Today

Earning an MBA could be the first step toward embracing a passion-driven career path. At Boston University Questrom School of Business, we are proud to offer an engaging MBA program designed to help you develop a comprehensive skill set as you prepare to make your mark in high-impact MBA jobs. Get in touch today to learn more about our Online MBA (OMBA) — as well as our Part-Time MBA and Full-Time MBA — and discover how these dynamic degree programs equip ambitious students for success.