Adcorp labour economist, Loane Sharpe, says there is not much point to specialising because there is not much experience one can acquire in a year of studying. He says it is aimed at general management skills, which is why people should be studying it.
Dr Maria dos Santos, academic head of Postgraduate at Regenesys Business School, says an MBA is the preferred qualification for those who want to function at a senior management level, because it is a generalist degree.
“Senior managers must be able to communicate and understand a range of specialist areas within the organisation. An MBA will enable a senior manager to communicate knowledgeably with these specialists since it is a generalist qualification.”
Professor Nicola Kleyn, deputy dean at the Gordon Institute of Business School, says the MBA by its very nature is a generalist degree that focuses on enabling candidates to lead and manage businesses.
“Although South African MBA degrees are distinctive because of their incorporation of a research report, which entails the student to build specialist knowledge, the primary benefit of the MBA is the understanding that students build of how business functions, context and integrating mechanisms, such as how processes and culture interact to create or impede business performance. Students who seek to become deep specialists should rather consider studying for specialist master’s degrees.”
However, Dr Marlise Terblanche-Smit, head of the MBA programme at University of Stellenbosch Business School, says a specialisation could be valuable, but depends on the individual, career path and the organisation. She says, for example, a marketing director could benefit from a master’s in Marketing, while someone with no specialised business background would benefit from an MBA.
However, Patrice Houdayer, vice president of the graduate programmes at Emlyon business school in France, says if a student has already been able to target a specific industry, there is no doubt that a specialised graduate programme in connection with this field must be chosen, otherwise a general programme must be preferred.
Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, managing director of Jack Hammer Executive Headhunters, says specialisation could make sense if it is clear which skills need supplementing. She cites the example of someone who may not have enough accounting or financial courses, or studies that involved numeracy or analysis and strategy at undergraduate level, then it would make sense to focus on those subjects as part of the MBA.
Making the right choice
Goodman-Bhyat adds some MBAs focus on entrepreneurship and some on leadership, so it is important to know what you want to gain from doing an MBA involving specialisation. “If you are not sure what you want, then do something more general. An MBA is a process of personal discovery and not just an academic journey.”
The only impact of specialisation will be when the thesis or specific area of focus is directly related to a job or an industry, says Goodman-Bhyat. “Extraordinary insight into industry can be an advantage.” Kleyn notes, however, that while graduates who choose to specialise are increasing their opportunities to obtain jobs in their specialist function, they may be limiting their opportunities to manage and lead beyond their specialisation.
“Most students studying the MBA have deep specialist experiences, but want to extend their career paths to positions in executive management that require them to go beyond their specialisations.” Dos Santos says that although specialisations narrow opportunities in the workforce, they do allow for working in senior roles within that specialisation.
Houdayer says one of the key upsides of a specialised programme is that students have an opportunity to connect with the companies leading a specific industry.
“As competition is becoming fiercer than ever, companies are looking for managers with an in-deep knowledge of their industry right from the start.”
A typical example is the MSc in sports industry management that was set up in close collaboration with a group of companies in the sports industry to respond to a specific recruitment need. These corporate partners have not only pledged their support to the programme, but they will also provide expert insights through classes, company visits and expert panels.
The partner’s brands are: Adidas, Atomic, Eider, Lafuma, Mavic, Millet, Patagonia, Petzl, Salomon, Tecnica, The North Face, Vuarnet and many others. A second example is the MSc in luxury management and marketing for which Emlyon Business School organises luxury careers days (in Lyon and Shanghai) dedicated to companies within the international luxury industry, and serve as a great opportunity for students to meet firms from their chosen specialisation.
Emlyon Business School welcomed Ferrari, Cartier, BMW, Louis Vuitton, Kering, L’Oréal, Beauté Prestige International, Tag Heuer, LVMH, Puig and many other international organisations within the luxury field.
With specific regard to employability, we think it is important for specialised programmes to feature international components in markets that are directly relevant to the specialisation. Working with employers and seeing how business operates in these key markets can only positively impact a student’s job prospects.
This article has been made possible by the Mail & Guardian's advertisers. Content has been sourced independently by the Mail & Guardian Supplements editorial team.