The latest research figures from the 2008 QS TopMBA Applicant Survey, the largest survey of MBA candidates around the world, show some key differences in the choice of specializations between nationalities in Asia, and the rest of the world. The Survey, created from questionnaires received from 3,000 international MBA applicants attending the QS World MBA Tour in Fall 2007 and Spring 2008, shows that Chinese students top the table for the proportion of Asian students wanting to study the finance specialization at business school (60.8%). Meanwhile very few Chinese candidates (9.2%) would consider technology management as an option.
In complete contrast, almost one in three Indian nationals are looking at the technology management option (29.8%), the highest proportion in the whole of Asia and twice the average for Asia, while the finance specialization is the choice of only 49.3% of Indians, just above the Asian average.
Table 1 shows MBA specialization options in order of popularity from a list of 10 (Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR, E-Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Finance, General Management, International Management, Leadership, Marketing, Operations, Strategy and Technology Management).
| Country | Most popular | Second most | Least popular | Second least |
| China
| Finance (61%) | Strategy (47%) | Technology Mgmt (9%) | CSR (11%) |
| India
| Finance (49%) | Strategy (44%) | E-Commerce (7%) | CSR (10%) |
| Kazakhstan | General Mgmt (63%) | Finance (59%) | CSR (3.1%) | Technology Mgmt(3.2%) |
| S. Korea | General Mgmt (62%) | Strategy (58%) | E-Commerce (0%) | Operations (4%) |
| Malaysia
| Strategy (57%) | Leadership (47%) | Technology (16%) | Operations (18%) |
| Pakistan | Finance (55.7%) | General Mgmt (55.5%) | E-Commerce (10%) | CSR (17%) |
| Philippines | International Mgmt(52%) | Strategy (43%) | E-Commerce (7%) | Technology Mgmt (12%) |
| Thailand
| Marketing (46%) | Finance (45%) | CSR (8%) | Operations (9%) |
| Vietnam | International Mgmt (57%) | Finance (44%) | CSR (15%) | Technology Mgmt (19%) |
Source: QS TopMBA Applicant Survey 2008
This clearly shows that finance, strategy and general management are the key areas of interest for most Asian MBA candidates while e-commerce, CSR and technology management are generally the least interesting.
There are also national variations in the proportion of MBA candidates selecting a certain specialization. Over 25% of respondents from the Philippines, twice the Asian average and the highest figure in the world, are considering CSR as an option while in Kazakhstan only 3% would do so. This is an interesting development and clearly shows the corporate social message is far more powerful in some countries than others. The percentage of US respondents considering CSR, a useful yardstick, is 22%.
Table 2 shows the biggest increase on the mean average by specialization per nation; for example 61% of Chinese compared to 45% of Asian MBA candidates would consider finance as a specialization.
| Country | Specialization | Asian Average | Difference |
| China | Finance 61% | 45% | 16% |
| India | Technology Management 30% | 15% | 15% |
| Kazakhstan | Entrepreneurship 44% | 31% | 13% |
| South Korea | General Management 62% | 42% | 20% |
| Malaysia | Strategy 57% | 41% | 16% |
| Pakistan | General Management 55% | 42% | 13% |
| Philippines | CSR 25% | 12% | 13% |
| Thailand | Marketing 46% | 31% | 15% |
| Vietnam | E-Commerce 22% | 9% | 13% |
The latest research figures from the 2008 QS TopMBA Applicant Survey, the largest survey of MBA candidates around the world, show some key differences in the choice of specializations between nationalities in Asia, and the rest of the world. The Survey, created from questionnaires received from 3,000 international MBA applicants attending the QS World MBA Tour in Fall 2007 and Spring 2008, shows that Chinese students top the table for the proportion of Asian students wanting to study the finance specialization at business school (60.8%). Meanwhile very few Chinese candidates (9.2%) would consider technology management as an option.
In complete contrast, almost one in three Indian nationals are looking at the technology management option (29.8%), the highest proportion in the whole of Asia and twice the average for Asia, while the finance specialization is the choice of only 49.3% of Indians, just above the Asian average.
Table 1 shows MBA specialization options in order of popularity from a list of 10 (Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR, E-Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Finance, General Management, International Management, Leadership, Marketing, Operations, Strategy and Technology Management).
| Country | Most popular | Second most | Least popular | Second least |
| China
| Finance (61%) | Strategy (47%) | Technology Mgmt (9%) | CSR (11%) |
| India
| Finance (49%) | Strategy (44%) | E-Commerce (7%) | CSR (10%) |
| Kazakhstan | General Mgmt (63%) | Finance (59%) | CSR (3.1%) | Technology Mgmt(3.2%) |
| S. Korea | General Mgmt (62%) | Strategy (58%) | E-Commerce (0%) | Operations (4%) |
| Malaysia
| Strategy (57%) | Leadership (47%) | Technology (16%) | Operations (18%) |
| Pakistan | Finance (55.7%) | General Mgmt (55.5%) | E-Commerce (10%) | CSR (17%) |
| Philippines | International Mgmt(52%) | Strategy (43%) | E-Commerce (7%) | Technology Mgmt (12%) |
| Thailand
| Marketing (46%) | Finance (45%) | CSR (8%) | Operations (9%) |
| Vietnam | International Mgmt (57%) | Finance (44%) | CSR (15%) | Technology Mgmt (19%) |
Source: QS TopMBA Applicant Survey 2008
This clearly shows that finance, strategy and general management are the key areas of interest for most Asian MBA candidates while e-commerce, CSR and technology management are generally the least interesting.
There are also national variations in the proportion of MBA candidates selecting a certain specialization. Over 25% of respondents from the Philippines, twice the Asian average and the highest figure in the world, are considering CSR as an option while in Kazakhstan only 3% would do so. This is an interesting development and clearly shows the corporate social message is far more powerful in some countries than others. The percentage of US respondents considering CSR, a useful yardstick, is 22%.
Table 2 shows the biggest increase on the mean average by specialization per nation; for example 61% of Chinese compared to 45% of Asian MBA candidates would consider finance as a specialization.
| Country | Specialization | Asian Average | Difference |
| China | Finance 61% | 45% | 16% |
| India | Technology Management 30% | 15% | 15% |
| Kazakhstan | Entrepreneurship 44% | 31% | 13% |
| South Korea | General Management 62% | 42% | 20% |
| Malaysia | Strategy 57% | 41% | 16% |
| Pakistan | General Management 55% | 42% | 13% |
| Philippines | CSR 25% | 12% | 13% |
| Thailand | Marketing 46% | 31% | 15% |
| Vietnam | E-Commerce 22% | 9% | 13% |