Finance is the study of how individuals and organizations allocate capital for various ends. MBA students can study corporate finance, public finance, financial markets, and investments. Final projects in finance are usually technical, and involve intense research on a specialized topic. Topics may include banking, investment policy, financial regulation, and financial economics.
Accounting is the study of balance sheets and other financial statements. Accountants perform audits, advise clients, and draft financial statements. Students of accounting can study accounting ratios, tax regulations, and accounting practices/guidelines. All accounting projects involve in-depth research on financial statements or accounting regulations.
Marketing is the study of how organizations sell their product to customers. A marketing student could do a research project or a creative project. A research project in marketing would study the effectiveness of a marketing strategy or theory, while a creative project in marketing would develop a marketing approach for a business, hypothetical or real. Some schools, however, concentrate exclusively on research. Topics in marketing include branding, advertising, and sales.
Management is the study of how business professionals use strategies and policies to achieve organizational goals. Some managers deal primarily with employee management, while others deal primarily with policies and procedures. Of course, many managers deal with both concerns. An MBA final project in management would research and evaluate a topic related to corporate strategy, employee management, organizational structure, or business policy.
Human resources is the study of how organizations manage people. Human resources professionals are responsible for hiring, evaluating, and terminating employees. An MBA final project in human resources would look at some aspect of human resources policy, and evaluate its effectiveness. Topics include recruiting procedures, disciplinary practices, promotion/demotion, and human capital.
Entrepreneurship studies how business people conceive, launch, and grow new businesses. Entrepreneurs are creative people who start new ventures, whether by launching a new company, or purchasing and transforming an existing company. A final project in entrepreneurship could study a topic relating to entrepreneurship, or it could develop and implement a plan for a new business.
Many MBA programs are beginning to offer concentrations in niche fields, like international business, financial regulation, insurance, and technology. Final projects in these fields give students the opportunity to pursue research in various topics, like international investments, securities regulation, risk management, and social media.