Specialist MBA vs General MBA: Be sure of your domain:

Specialized MBA programs are meant to give a proper direction to your higher education and provide the right launch pad for a focused career. The sectors in which there is high demand for specialist MBAs in India are: Retail, Construction, Communication, Rural, Pharmaceutical, Telecom, Banking Finance Insurance (BFSI), etc. to name a few. You can opt for specialized MBA courses that cater to the manpower needs of the aforementioned sectors.

The specialized MBA programs will give you a boost in your career if you choose the right specialization for you. The benefits of doing specialist MBA is that each sector requires qualifications which are useful for the sector’s unique career requirements. There is tremendous potential for the students joining specialized MBA Programs in terms of Managerial career opportunities and long term growth potentials to Leadership positions in their specific sectors.

General MBA and specialized MBA have their own strengths and weaknesses. Hence, before taking any final decision, you should take into consideration all the aspects. Let us analyze the strengths and weaknesses of both these types of MBA.

General MBA
Strengths

• The general MBA courses give you a holistic learning on all aspects of management.
• After learning all the nitty-gritty’s of management in the first year, you can take up a specialization of your choice and understanding in the second year.
• Your knowledge base will be much wider and you can shift to other sectors as well, as you have the requisite knowledge of all the sectors.

Weaknesses

• You do not get the in-depth knowledge of a particular sector but information about all the sectors.
• While starting your career, you do not have a particular sector or specialized area to join

Specialized MBA
Strengths

• Studying about a particular sector of your choice provides you the expertise on the subject
• You are ready to face and meet the demands of the market after the completion of your course
• You get to study the specific domain of your choice rather than taking a holistic lesson and worry about your career path after the completion of the course.

Weaknesses

• Your knowledge base gets narrow owing to learning about a particular sector
• You do not have much options in terms of pursuing career
• If you are not sure about your choice of specialization and opt for a particular sector specific MBA, it will hamper your entire career unlike general MBA where you can choose specialization in second year and it’s easier to switch the specialization in your career as well.

Before you select a particular sector for your specialist MBA, make sure that you are taking the right decision. Many a times, aspirants who decide to do specialized MBA with the thought of an assured job in the particular field, opt for a specialization randomly without much introspection. This can be dangerous. This will not only hamper your studies for the two year but your career will also take a toll if the sector is not meant for you.