Focus Areas

MBA@American students can tailor their education by selecting from a range of elective courses. Online MBA students can follow any of seven pre-designed focus areas of study, or create their own self-designed path by selecting electives that best suit their professional experience and aspirations.

Learn more about pre-designed focus areas below, or visit our course catalog to learn more about individual courses.

Students do not need to declare any area of focus or electives upon enrollment in the program but may consult with their Academic Advisor regarding which electives are right for them.

An entrepreneurial mindset is invaluable for business leaders driven to create meaningful change. In the Entrepreneurship focus area, students discover what it takes to launch and lead innovative ventures and businesses that make a positive difference in the world. Learning from Kogod faculty who are successful serial entrepreneurs, students develop business plans, collaborate with like-minded peers, access resources from the AU Center for Innovation, and have the opportunity to prepare their best pitches for the AU Entrepreneurship Incubator.

Available Courses Will Include: Entrepreneurship Practicum: New Venture Business Plan; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; New Venture Startup: Operational, Financial, and Legal Strategies; Nonprofit and Social Entrepreneurship and Strategy.

Designed for students looking to advance in brand management, advertising account management, sales promotion, media planning, and market research, the marketing focus area explores strategies and tools for creating marketing campaigns. Course work emphasizes consumer needs and behaviors with a focus on how to develop products and services that will be valued in the market.

Suggested Courses Include: Brand Strategy, Integrated Marketing Communication, Business Intelligence, Business Insights through Analytics, and Database and Big Data.

Business professionals need core legal knowledge to make confident business decisions. The legal studies focus area helps students develop an understanding of the US legal system and legal terminology. Students will learn how to effectively apply the law when dealing with contracts, negotiations, transactions, and other business procedures.

Available Courses Include: Introduction to Courts and Law; Introduction to Regulatory Law and Compliance; Negotiation and Communication; Drafting Policies, Procedures, and Contracts; Ethics in the Law and Public Policy; Business Associations; Health Care Law and Compliance; Information Privacy and Data Security Law.

Students selecting to concentrate their studies in finance may go on to a career in general management, governance, risk management, and project and corporate finance.

Suggested Courses Include: Forensic Accounting: Fraud Examination & Litigation Support, International Finance, Financial Statement Analysis, Business Insights through Analytics, Business Intelligence, and Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management.

Cybersecurity has rapidly emerged as a primary IT focus for businesses large and small and now consistently commands space on the agendas of governing boards of both for-profit and non-profit organizations. This focus area provides compelling consideration of cybersecurity through a management lens, focusing on strategies and methods to prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond to cybersecurity attacks. Courses in cybersecurity are designed in coordination with the Kogod Cybersecurity Governance Center (KCGC).

Suggested Courses Include: Cybersecurity Risk Management; Database & Big Data; Cybersecurity Governance; and Forensic Accounting: Fraud Examination & Litigation Support.

Data-driven decision-making distinguishes the 21st century business environment. Selecting a focus area in business analytics allows students to gain valuable skills in data manipulation using contemporary tools. Learn more about our online Master of Science in Analytics degree.

Suggested Courses Include: Business Insights through Analytics, Predictive Analytics, Business Intelligence, and Database & Big Data.

Market demands for consulting and advisory services continues to grow. Students in this focus area will combine courses from analytics and management to extend their experience as well as their strategic value to prospective employers.

Suggested Courses Include: Management Consulting Practices & Methodologies, Business Intelligence, Integrated Marketing Communication, Inter Cultural Communications, and Business Insights through Analytics.

You can view the full course catalog here, or learn more about Kogod’s online MBA focus areas by contacting an admissions counselor at 1-855-572-2800 or via email.