It is evident on a daily basis that some individuals choose a job while others make a solid investment in building a career. Some seek only to earn a sustainable income. Others strive to become business leaders or to make their mark on the global economy. Those reaching for the upper echelons of the business world will generally choose to pursue a Masters of Business Administration degree or MBA.

MBA`s are recognized worldwide and, as such, there are myriad schools offering MBA courses of study. Some of the top U.S. schools, consistently acknowledged for their MBA programs, include Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), Harvard University (Harvard Business School), and Stanford University (Stanford Graduate School of Business). In Canada, Queen`s University (Queen`s School of Business) in Toronto and Montreal`s McGill University (Faculty of Management), HEC Montreal and Concordia University (John Molson School of Business) are among the acclaimed. Expand one`s view internationally and included will be the famed London Business School or HEC Paris.

Virtually all MBA schools offer a choice in how one may pursue the degree. Options range from full-time MBA programs, part-time MBA programs (which allow for study during evenings and weekends), executive MBA programs (pursued concurrent with full-time executive employment) to accelerated MBA programs (for those who already possess the fundamentals with an undergraduate business degree). Generally, an MBA can be earned in one to two years, depending on the program chosen. McMaster`s DeGroote School of Business (McMaster University, Ontario, Canada) offers an accelerated MBA program to Engineering and Management graduates which can be accomplished in a mere eight months.

The exact curriculum for a Masters of Business Administration will vary, particularly if one is to pursue a Healthcare MBA or a Sports Management MBA, for example. Using the core curriculum of the Kellogg School of Management`s two-year full-time MBA as a guide, one should expect to study Accounting, Finance, Economics, Mathematics (particularly Statistics) and a variety of business strategy and decision-making courses. Acquiring an MBA undoubtedly prepares the graduate to be a leader in the industries of our global economy. Gaining acceptance to one of these top MBA schools can often grant the edge to out-distance and out-perform the competition.