Students interested in graduate work in the social sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences, library science, computer sciences and specialized areas of business technology might consider university programs conferring an M.S. degree. More specialized M.S. degrees are offered in information systems (M.S.I.S.); computer science (M.S.C.S.); science information technology (M.S.I.T.); or tax law (M.S.T.). Other programs combine technology with business strategy. For example, New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers an M.S. in Management Systems, an interdisciplinary program that ties together technology and business.
Rather than emphasizing technology or sciences, M.B.A. programs stress business leadership development. Increasingly, these programs include business executive mentoring, global internships and international culture. Harvard Business School, with campuses all over the world, requires a curriculum that stresses finance, marketing, leadership, negotiation, operations and strategy and other skills used in in business. Students are allowed to choose electives to fulfill remaining requirements.
Hong Kong's University of Science and Technology (HKUST) emphasizes its executive M.B.A. (EMBA) partnership with Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. HKUST also offers a traditional M.B.A. program with ties to Mainland China, as well as M.S. degrees in Financial Analysis, Investment Management, Economics, Information Systems Management and Global Finance. Duke University's Fuqua School of Business offers an M.B.A. with optional concentrations in Energy and Environment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, Marketing, Strategy and Health Sector Management.
Statistics from a May 2011 report from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which owns the GMAT and is composed of member universities from China, Denmark, Thailand, England, France, India, Korea, Israel, Spain, Singapore, Canada and others, show the job market for business schools is bouncing back. Gregg Schoenfeld, GMAC director of research and author of the graduates' survey report, says: "Based on job offers, hiring is up in all industries, and more than half of the students who were looking for work had job offers two months before graduation. Last year, that figure was lower than one-third."
Michael Gregoire, chairman and CEO at Taleo, a software staffing and recruiting company, says that out of the many information technology (IT) jobs open, 50 percent are executive positions. Gregoire says for those having a computer science background who can manage people and understand business, "there are really interesting jobs available that will require a tight computer science background."