16 Concentrations for a Master of Global Management degree

The world continues to grow increasingly interconnected as more and more businesses expand their vision far past their own nation’s borders. Global growth creates unique opportunities and challenges for organizations. 

Having skilled leaders that understand how to navigate these opportunities and challenges will become even more critical in years to come. One path to obtain these types of specialized skills is through a masters of global management degree. 

What does a Master of Global Management degree offer?

A Master of Global Management (MGM) degree program provides a comprehensive understanding of global-scale business management strategies. It provides key knowledge in areas such as:

• Global financial management
• Accounting
• Data analytics

Leadership strategy skills

An MGM also offers leadership strategies for working within a cross-cultural, rapidly evolving environment while emphasizing skills such as:

• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Effective communication 

Managing the type of complex issues faced within a global business environment requires deep knowledge that goes far beyond the surface. Gaining this type of expertise can be achieved by selecting a transdisciplinary concentration within your MGM degree plan. 

What are transdisciplinary concentrations?

Transdisciplinary concentrations are a set of courses that go beyond the traditional boundaries of a single discipline. These concentrations are designed to provide students with an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving and decision making. 

This approach integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines to offer a holistic understanding of a particular subject. The goal is to develop leaders who can apply diverse perspectives to real-world challenges.

Transdisciplinary concentrations

The technological transformations occurring within industries and the increasingly complex interdependencies underlying business sectors, creates an exciting, but demanding, situation for organizations. It takes a new kind of leader to excel within this type of globally interconnected business environment.

By selecting a transdisciplinary concentration that matches your professional trajectory you can gain the right mix of:

• Knowledge
• Acumen
• Practical skills 

Concentrations to consider within your master of global management degree program follow.

1. Creative industries and design thinking

Develop skills that help you gain social capital and understand cross-cultural collaboration and communication better so you can more effectively work with those from culturally-diverse backgrounds.

2. Data science (STEM certified)

Acquire the knowledge and skills you need to design scalable data systems along with the analytic abilities to extrapolate information from complex data sets.

3. Development and innovation

Cultivate skills that allow you to engage in technology development and innovation activities within a complicated, global organization. 

4. Digital audience strategy

Gain expertise in understanding and engaging with culturally diverse audiences in digital spaces such through social media, websites and similar digital communication channels.

5. Global affairs

Gain the skills you need to excel in organizations where global business and politics intersect, such as within the government and international organizations.

7. Global digital transformation (STEM certified)

Develop digital expertise in marketing, design, and production to more effectively compete and communicate on a global scale.

8. Global entrepreneurship

Learn how to execute an entrepreneurial vision globally and develop a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities inherent to our increasing interconnectedness. 

9. Health care delivery

Expand your leadership and management skills while obtaining deep knowledge of global management and health care delivery.

10. Legal studies

Learn valuable global management skills and gain targeted legal expertise that is applicable for a range of nonlegal roles within many organizational settings.

11. Nonprofit leadership management

Learn how to more effectively apply business, leadership, and global management skills to nonprofit organizations. 

12. Public administration

Gain valuable public services skills that focus on the intersection of public service, public administration, and global management.  

13. Public policy

Cultivate relevant skills that are necessary for cross-sector roles within public institutions, nonprofits, or private sector organizations that overlap into the public arena. 

14. Sustainability solutions

Develop intercultural empathy, interpersonal skills, and diplomacy to form sustainable and trusting relationships with people from diverse regions.

15. Sustainable tourism

Acquire global management and sustainable tourism skills you can apply to roles within sustainable tourism, the hospitality industry, and similar fields. 

16. Design your own concentration

There’s also an option to complete the Master of Global Management program without a concentration. Those opting to not select one, can select 12 additional elective credits to complete their 49 required credits for the MGM degree.

Selecting the MGM concentration that’s right for you 

It’s important to identify which areas of concentration most closely align with your goals and interests. The following tips can help you select the best path for your personal and professional aspirations.

• Carefully assess your career goals and interests, including the type of work you want to do and the title you want to have after completing the degree.
• Consider your current skills and strengths alongside the needs of each concentration. For example, if you have data science skills, a concentration that leverages those skills may be a smart path.
• Research MGM concentrations that you’re most interested in through the lens of your goals, current skills, and where you envision yourself in five to ten years.
• Evaluate the demand and potential to apply the concentration in the real world. You can use sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for industry and employment statistics.

A direct path for excelling in global business

A Master of Global Management (MGM) degree with a transdisciplinary concentration from Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University is the most direct path to gain the skills and knowledge needed to excel in a global business environment. 

Take the next step and explore a master of global management degree program with concentrations that align with your goals and include applied learning with rigorous academic standards. 

Thunderbird's MGM is designed to prepare you for a variety of leadership roles in the global marketplace. Explore Thunderbird School of Global Management’s Master of Global Management.