Seminar Topics for MBA Students

MBA degrees offer their students the opportunity to pursue education in many subjects related to business, finance, and management. Because of the diverse array of knowledge related to business administration, most MBA students concentrate in a specialization, such as finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, accounting or management. Most MBA students complete seminars in which they speak on their specialty in front of a class. A good MBA seminar topic explains advanced concepts in one's specialty, in a way that can be understood by students with a different focus.

Finance is the study of how businesses and other organizations allocate capital. Finance students examine things like stock valuations, portfolio management, and investment strategies. A good seminar in finance would take complex mathematical concepts and present them in a way that is understandable to managers and other businesspeople. Some examples of good seminar topics for finance include stock-trading strategies, international market investing, and project financing, such as debt financing vs. equity financing.

Marketing is the study of how organizations sell products to consumers. Marketing generally consists of market research, advertising, and sales; marketers work closely with product development to understand the features of what they sell. A good marketing seminar would explain a theory or strategy for maximizing sales, or deal with consumer psychology and market behavior. Some good marketing topics include market research strategies, advertisement design, and sales methods.

Entrepreneurship is the study of how people conceive of, start, and grow new businesses. Entrepreneurship students study business plans, startup financing, and business growth. Entrepeneurship is a generalist subject, and takes into account elements of marketing, finance, and management. A good entrepreneurship topic would present a business idea and explain how it could be turned into a successful business. Some examples include presenting a business plan, and analyzing real examples of successful entrepreneurs.

Management is the study of how business managers get people to accomplish business goals. Management students can specialize in operations management or human resource management. Management students look at how a business' operational goals can be achieved through employee development, operations procedure, logistics strategies, and human resource policy. Good topics in management should deal with a specific management issue and explain a solution. Examples include infrastructure maintenance, computer use policies, hiring policies, and disciplinary policies.

Accounting is the study of how businesses keep track of spending, profits and losses. Accounting students examine balance sheets in order to measure earnings and expenses. A good accounting seminar topic would translate abstract balance sheet calculations into terms that can be understood by managers. Examples include accounts receivable/payable management, debt measurement, and tax expense minimization.