Top Business Schools for Strategy or Business Development 2023

With an MBA specialization and strong ties to global strategy and consulting firms, Haas is a strong choice for strategy-minded students. In recent years, the school has reported that almost 18 percent of its MBA classes have landed jobs in either strategy or business-development role, depending on the year. 

For students interested in strategic management in China, the Guanghua MBA is a great option. The program offers specialized electives in subjects such as “Emerging Topics in Chinese Strategy,” which is offered in partnership with McKinsey & Company. Typically, some 8-10 percent of the school’s MBA class goes into strategic planning positions. 

In terms of research, Rotman’s focus in strategy is diverse, leveraging insights from various disciplines like sociology and other fields. Although the school doesn’t offer a specific MBA track in Strategy, it does offer numerous elective courses, such as “Strategy and Competitive Advantage,” and “Strategic Change and Implementation.” 

With its annual Strategy Research Conference and a strong research output, Harvard has become a hub for strategy-oriented academics. The MBA curriculum offers a rich offering of strategy-related electives.

The MBA program leverages insights from the school's well-regarded flagship master's program in Strategy and International Management. 

Although the school doesn’t offer a specialized MBA in Strategy, its MBA offers, as part of its core curriculum, classes such as “Competitive Strategy” and “Strategic Marketing and Management.” It also offers a handful of strategy courses as part of its elective selections. According to the school, in recent years, over one-quarter of HKU's MBA class have gone into functional roles in strategy, planning, or consulting.

Some 10 percent of Cambridge’s MBA class of 2021 went into business development roles, and 6 percent went into related corporate planning / strategy positions. The school offers an MBA concentration in Strategy, as well as some strategy-themed courses as part of its core curriculum. 

Fudan does not offer a specialized MBA in Strategy; however, it does include some elective courses covering topics in strategy, including “Global Strategic Marketing” and “Enterprise Development Management.” In recent years, some 14-16 percent of Fudan’s MBA classes have gone into strategy or business development roles.

Although the school does not offer an MBA specialization area in strategy, there are plenty of strategy-oriented courses in the core curriculum, such as “Strategic Planning for International Markets” and “Strategy Implementation.” According to the school, over one-fifth of MBA grads have gone into business development roles. 

Marshall MBA students can choose to pursue strategy-oriented electives from the school’s department of management and organization. Marshall MBAs also have the option of pursing a Graduate Certificate in Strategy and Management Consulting, which covers the tools, concepts, and frameworks that will help them develop their strategic skills. Of the school’s 2021 MBA class, 20 percent went into functional roles in consulting, which includes strategic planning positions.