MBA is an acronym for Masters of Business Administration. It is a graduate degree that provides theoretical and practical training to help students gain a comprehensive understanding of general business management functions. The MBA degree can have a specific focus, such as accounting, finance or marketing.

The MBA program originated in the United States, emerging as the country industrialized and companies required scientific approaches to management. Tuck School of Business, a division of Dartmouth College, was the first graduate school of management in the world. Established in 1900, it was the first institute to award advanced degrees in commercial sciences, the precursor of the MBA.

MBA programs usually base admissions on the Graduate Management Admission Test [GMAT] test, significant work experience, academic transcripts, essays, references, and personal interviews. Business schools are also interested in a student’s extracurricular activities and community service.

An MBA program strives to equip its students with all the necessary knowledge, theoretical as well as practical, which can benefit them tremendously in managerial and administrative jobs. By studying current business practices and techniques, graduates have a comprehensive understanding of the implication of their decisions and actions across the organization. They know how to exploit the opportunities and synergies that result from seeing the big picture. An MBA program empowers students with the aptitude to negotiate complex business interrelationships. The program provides future leaders the skills to adapt to societal forces such as globalization, competition and technology, and act to turn challenges into opportunities.

A student’s motivation to undertake a MBA program is the professional business environment and diversified student body. If applicants choose a business school that follows the needs of the market as regards business operations (for example e-commerce, telecommunications), they will hone a focused skill set, which will act as a springboard to help them achieve their career goals.