The courses to take for a Professional MBA degree are the same classes that you might take in any other MBA program. Many students make the mistake of thinking that a professional level program gives them a leg up on other students or that these programs will let them graduate and immediately enter the workforce at a higher level. Professional MBA programs are actually degree programs designed for busy working professionals. You can take courses at different times, but you’ll still take the same courses you would in a more traditional program.

Types of Professional MBA Programs

According to Fortune magazine, median pay reported among MBA graduates was $110,000 and that some graduates made more than $200,000 or $300,000 a year. While you might not start out making such a high salary, you can earn more than you would with an undergraduate degree. Professional MBA programs sometimes come with a residency requirement, which requires that you live on campus for one weekend or longer and take classes with professors in the program. These programs give you a little more flexibility as well. You can take one class that runs for several hours once a week, all day courses that meet on the weekends or online classes.

Core Courses

The courses to take for a professional MBA degree include some core courses. Though you won’t need to take math, science or humanities classes, you will need to take a few basic and introductory courses, including introduction to international business, introduction to managerial accounting or introduction to finance. These courses give you a better understanding of the topics that you’ll delve into in greater depth later on.

Concentration Classes

Most professional MBA programs now let students select a concentration from a list that often includes accounting, human resources, management, marketing, finance, economics or international business. After completing your introductory courses, you need to take six or more classes relating to your concentration. As an economics student, you typically take fundamentals of microeconomics, fundamentals of macroeconomics and the economics of business. Students studying marketing might take courses on advertising to specific groups, new methods of Internet marketing and budgeting for advertising campaigns. Those concentration classes give you a better understanding of the specific topics you might face in your future career.

Other Courses

Some of the courses to take for a professional MBA degree include electives. Though you can take courses from other business disciplines, you might have fun taking some unusual courses, including a communications course or a pottery class. Professional MBA programs also give you the option of taking an internship. Even if you take courses online, you can arrange for an internship with a company located in your city. Independent learning courses give students another way to learn. You can earn three or more credit hours for spending a semester researching and writing on a business topic. Many programs also offer detailed seminars that focus on a smaller topic within a larger subject matter.

Related Resource: International MBA

Professional MBA programs are similar to traditional MBA programs, but professional programs let you take courses online, on the weekends or at night around your schedule. The courses to take for a Professional MBA degree are the same courses that you take in other programs, including core business classes and courses relating to your concentration.