The MBA, or Masters of Business Administration, is a graduate degree covering a wide variety of subjects, including finance, accounting, management, marketing, economics, and many others. Of the various "professional" graduate degrees (the others being law and medicine), the MBA is the least rigorous, as well as the shortest in duration; a typical full-time MBA program runs for two years.

The first MBA program was instituted by Dartmouth in 1900, founded as the Amos Tuck School of Administration and Finance. There are now literally hundreds of MBA programs, including full-time, part-time, and even on-line programs. Despite media reports of an MBA "glut," graduates from the top schools are always in demand. Most

MBA curricula consist of a "core" set of foundation courses such as finance, management, economics, statistics, operations, and marketing. Students may then choose between a multitude of specializations through their elective courses. Students can choose from a sometimes dizzying array of course, from advanced derivatives trading to global economics to negotiation strategies.

Most programs organize students into blocks, which are groups of students who stay together for their core courses. This approach helps to build up teamwork and a sense of community within the larger class. Indeed, teamwork and communication are heavily emphasized; many MBA courses require extensive group projects and presentations.

The good news is that the MBA program is more flexible than ever, with numerous choices as to program structure, specializations and majors, and future careers.