There is a whole panoply of MBA specialisations that offer a deeper understanding of the inner workings of single industries. Some of them may strike you as quite unusual. As business schools continue to innovate, students now have access to increasingly niche MBA programmes and specialist MBA degrees tailored to highly specific industries and career goals.
► Meet top MBA programmes from around the world.
From the MBA in Music Business to the MBA in Esports Management, the growing trend of specialised MBAs enables candidates to choose from an ever expanding pool of unique MBA programmes.
Here is a rundown of some of the most unusual ones.
Central Saint Martins Birkbeck MBA – University of London’s Birkbeck College (UK) / CSM (UK)
This joint degree offered in partnership between Central Saint Martins (part of University of the Arts London) and Birkbeck, University of London, is one of the more distinctive and unusual MBA specialisations in the UK. It is designed not to produce conventional business executives, but to develop “transformational leaders and change-makers” with a social purpose.
The programme places creative practice and social engagement at the heart of future leadership. Students work across both institutions’ campuses, with teaching filtered through the lens of art school methodology: thinking through doing, experiential learning, and live projects with real-world partners.
The course runs over two years in an extended full-time, low-residency format, delivered primarily online with monthly in-person intensive weekends. This makes it well-suited to working professionals who want to continue in their careers while studying.
NYU MBA/MFA Dual Degree – NYU Stern School of Business (US) / Tisch School of Arts (US)
NYU’s MBA/MFA Dual Degree bridges the gap between the “creatives” and the “suits”, pairing an MBA in General Management from the Stern School of Business with an MFA in Film & Television Production from the Maurice Kanbar Institute at the Tisch School of the Arts. The goal is to train the next generation of entertainment industry leaders through one of the more unique MBA programmes available today.
The three-year programme requires students to be accepted by both schools and to spend roughly half their time at each. One highlight of the first year at Stern is a course that includes a trip to the Cannes Film Festival.
The summer between years one and two is spent at Tisch. The second year is spent full-time at Tisch, immersing students in the filmmaking process. In the third year, students take electives across both schools.
MBA in Music Business – Berklee College of Music (US) / Southern New Hampshire University (US)
Southern New Hampshire University, in partnership with Berklee College of Music, offers a fully online MBA with a concentration in Music Business – the first partnership of its kind in the United States. Aimed at artists, managers, executives, and entrepreneurs, the programme combines a broad business foundation with music-specific expertise, making it one of the more creative niche MBA programmes currently on offer.
The 30-credit degree comprises seven core MBA courses and three Berklee-taught concentration courses covering music business structure and strategy, music marketing, and music finance. Students leave with a diploma bearing both institutions’ names, a credential that carries weight in both the business world and the music industry.
Delivered in 10-week terms, the programme is designed to fit around a full-time career, with the option to study full-time and finish in just over a year.
MBA in American Indian Entrepreneurship – Gonzaga University (US)
Gonzaga’s MBA in American Indian Entrepreneurship (MBA-AIE) was established in 2001 with support from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, chosen for Gonzaga’s accreditation, national recognition, and commitment to social justice. The programme aims to prepare leaders to manage and sustain business development on American Indian reservations, and has produced over 74 alumni to date.
The 35-credit, two-year lockstep programme begins each summer with a three-week on-campus session in Spokane – with housing provided for students and families – followed by distance learning. Fall and spring semesters blend three-to-five-day campus visits with online study.
Financial support is substantial: students receive a 50% tuition discount, with summer housing, hotel costs for campus visits, books, and partial travel reimbursement all covered.
MBA in Aviation Management (MBAA) – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (US)
Embry-Riddle’s Master of Business Administration in Aviation (MBAA) is built around a High-Reliability Organization (HRO) framework, equipping students with risk management skills and business acumen tailored specifically to the aviation and aerospace industry.
The programme spans 30–36 credits, with core coursework in enterprise risk management, organisational resilience, corporate finance, marketing, and business strategy. Students can extend to 36 credits by completing one of eight optional certificates, including Airline Management, Project Management, Finance, and Business Intelligence and Analytics.
Delivered fully online through the Worldwide Campus – or in-person at the Asia Campus – the programme suits working professionals and carries ACBSP accreditation. Graduates report a 96% placement rate, with average starting salaries of around USD 110,000.
MBA in Esports Management – Shenandoah University (US)
Competitive gaming is now a billion-dollar global industry, and Shenandoah University is one of the first in the country to offer a graduate curriculum built around managing it. The MBA focus in Esports Management adds three specialist elective courses – covering esports consumerism, entrepreneurship, and digital media management – on top of the AACSB-accredited MBA core.
Students work alongside Shenandoah’s varsity esports team, gaining hands-on experience through live event planning, tournament operations, and the university’s dedicated on-campus arena. The programme has international partnerships with universities and esports organisations in England, Finland, France, China, and South Korea.
It can be completed in as little as 12 months, with no GMAT required, and all classes are available in a flexible hybrid format – in person or via Zoom.
MBA Wine & Spirits Business – Burgundy School of Business (France)
Set in Dijon, in the heart of one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions, Burgundy School of Business’s 16-month MBA Wine & Spirits Business gives students an unusually immersive way into the global wine and spirits trade. The programme is taught entirely in English and holds triple accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA), with cohorts of up to 25 students drawn from around a dozen nationalities.
The curriculum moves between product knowledge – viticulture, oenology, sensory analysis, WSET certification – and strategy, marketing, finance, and export law. More than five weeks of field trips take students to Champagne, Beaujolais, and the Rhône Valley, as well as to New York and Geisenheim, Germany.
The school reports a 100% professional integration rate one year after graduation, with alumni placed at Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, among others.
MBA in Luxury & Retail – NYU Stern School of Business (US)
Launched in 2017 as the first specialised luxury MBA at a top US business school, the Luxury & Retail MBA at NYU Stern is a one-year, full-time programme running from May to May – an accelerated format designed to maximise both time and financial investment. Students earn 52 credits across four pillars: a broad business core; a luxury and retail core; experiential Stern Solutions industry projects; and electives.
Tapping into NYU’s position at the heart of New York’s global luxury and retail ecosystem, the programme embeds students in live company projects, complemented by a European industry immersion. Brands with which students engage have included Ferrari and Zegna.
The programme was recently renamed from “Fashion & Luxury MBA” to better reflect the breadth of sectors it now covers – from apparel and beauty to automotive, fine wine, and large-format retail.
MBA in Shipping and Logistics – Middlesex University / Lloyd’s Maritime Academy (UK)
Roughly 90% of world trade moves by sea, yet the global shipping industry has long been short of business-savvy executives. The MBA in Shipping and Logistics at Middlesex University Business School – delivered in partnership with Lloyd’s Maritime Academy, the world’s leading provider of maritime training – was built to fill that gap. The programme has been accredited by the Nautical Institute, an NGO with consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The curriculum covers eight intensive online modules, ranging from ship finance and maritime law to maritime economics, risk management, logistics and supply chain management, and executive leadership.
Delivered fully online over one or two years, it draws working professionals from across the maritime world – past students have included sea captains, port managers, and oil platform specialists – which makes for a unusually experienced classroom.
Building Sustainability MBA – TU Berlin (Germany)
Germany leads Europe in its green energy transition, and TU Berlin’s Building Sustainability MBA sits at the centre of that shift. Taught in English, the programme combines management education with deep expertise in sustainable construction, energy systems, and urban transformation – aimed at professionals looking to lead sustainability initiatives across architecture, engineering, real estate, and infrastructure.
The curriculum covers climate-neutral buildings, energy efficiency, and sustainable city planning alongside strategy and leadership, with students applying their learning to the kind of large-scale built-environment challenges that cities are grappling with right now.
What makes it stand out is the setting: Berlin is one of Europe’s most active urban laboratories for green development, and the programme makes that proximity count.
And one more: Football Industries MBA – University of Liverpool Management School (UK)
Consider this a bonus entry – too good to leave off the list. Set up over 25 years ago, the Football Industries MBA programme at the University of Liverpool is the only MBA in the world dedicated to the beautiful game. It’s aimed at those who want to work in the global football industry – with clubs, governing bodies or related marketing, media and sponsorship companies.
The online and campus-based programmes combine core MBA modules with specialist football modules. Students gain a critical awareness of the international football industry, deepening their knowledge of football finance, football economics, and sports governance and law. Based in Liverpool, the football hotbed of the North-west of England, clubs are accessible as laboratories for students to put theory into practice.
The campus-based programme features in the top 30 global and top 5 European SportBusiness postgraduate course rankings for 2025.
The MBA has long been considered an essential requirement for ambitious professionals striving for a successful career in business. It’s up to the candidates, however, to decide if they want to enrol in a classic MBA programme focusing on general management, or if they want something more specific. The number of specialised MBAs is growing by the day and the choice is indeed immense. The most important prerequisite for making the right choice, however, is your self-awareness and a clear idea of what you want to do in the future.
Originally published: 25 August 2017
Updated: 21 May 2026
