Marquette University

Programme overview

The MBA Specializations pathway enables students to concentrate their elective credits into a defined area of study. Specializations are declared through the student’s MBA advisor and most options require at least one calendar year of enrollment to complete. Students are advised to consult their advisor prior to selecting electives so specialization plans align with scheduling and degree requirements.

What you'll study

Students keep the MBA core and choose electives to meet a chosen specialization’s requirements. Available specializations include:

• Business & Managerial Analytics (BMAN, STEM designated): electives build industry-specific analytics capabilities; one calendar year minimum enrollment; see the MBA-BMAN website for courses and scheduling.
• Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (STEM designated): adds depth in data science and AI to MBA analytics foundations; one calendar year minimum enrollment; note COSC 5600 may be offered during business hours.
• Systems Engineering (STEM designated): prepares engineers to assess and manage risk across complex systems using current tools; requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a minimum 3.00 GPA (or one year of engineering work experience plus a supervisor recommendation if GPA is lower); one calendar year minimum enrollment; ENGR courses are often offered during business hours.
• Clinical Immersion in Medical Device Design: aimed at students with engineering backgrounds to analyze clinical procedures, identify unmet clinical needs with clinicians, and incorporate bioethical, legal and regulatory considerations; leverages the joint department with the Medical College of Wisconsin; one calendar year minimum enrollment.
• Finance (FINA): for those targeting finance roles; requires 12 credits of FINA coursework (graduate-level courses with the FINA subject code eligible); one calendar year minimum enrollment.
• Marketing (MARK): pursue diverse marketing skills by completing 12 credits of MARK coursework (graduate-level MARK courses eligible); one calendar year minimum enrollment.
• Health Systems Leadership: a 12-credit interdisciplinary pathway to manage and lead in health care, covering advocacy, population management, quality improvement and informatics; prior clinical experience is not required; one calendar year minimum enrollment.
• Economics (ECON): quantitative option for students with prior intermediate micro and macro economics; students must pursue specialization courses during fall and spring semesters and obtain advisor approval.
• International Business (INBU): integrates MBA 6110 and can be completed with 9 MBA elective credits; international students may substitute the travel-abroad requirement with an advisor-approved course; one calendar year minimum enrollment.
• Leadership (LEDR): focuses on ethical interpersonal skills and applied leadership across complex business situations; one calendar year minimum enrollment.
• Sports Business: available for JD–MBA students; integrates MBA 6110 and may be completed through 9 LAW elective credits transferred to MBA electives.

Entry requirements

To declare a specialization students must communicate with their MBA advisor; most specializations require at least one calendar year of enrollment to complete. The Systems Engineering specialization additionally requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a minimum 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale (or one year of engineering work experience plus a supervisor’s letter of recommendation if the GPA threshold is not met). For the Economics specialization, prior coursework in intermediate microeconomics and intermediate macroeconomics is expected and advisor approval is required.

Career prospects

Specializations tailor the MBA to specific career trajectories: analytics and data/AI tracks suit roles in data-driven decision making and risk reduction; finance and marketing tracks target sector-specific functional roles; health systems leadership and clinical immersion prepare graduates for management positions in health care and medical device development; systems engineering fits practicing engineers seeking leadership in complex technical systems. JD–MBA students can pair legal training with sport-business electives for industry-specific roles.

Scholarships & funding angle

Students should consult Marquette’s Graduate School of Management and financial aid offices for available scholarships, employer partnerships and veteran benefits. Declaring a specialization early and coordinating with an advisor can help map coursework for timely completion and any funding or assistantship eligibility tied to program enrollment.