Why do some firms consistently outperform others? This is the core question motivating the study of Strategy. Strategy is at its heart about understanding and leveraging competitive dynamics with a focus on the emergence and persistence of above-average firm profits. Strategy emphasizes knowledge and skills that are necessary to understand, evaluate, and craft strategies be it in the role of manager, management consultant, or financial analyst. Strategy is vital to those pursuing careers as consultants and managers as well as to those pursuing careers in other professions such as finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Strategy is a key course in the core curriculum in our day MBA and Executive MBA programs. In addition, students have the opportunity to further deepen their knowledge of Strategy through the rich array of Strategy electives. Duke Strategy courses are consistently among some of the most popular in the curriculum and Duke Strategy faculty have won a number of teaching awards in recent years.
Duke MBA students benefit from interacting with one of the world’s leading strategy faculties. Recent analyses rank Duke Strategy among the top three groups in the world in terms of scholarship. This translates to the classroom where students receive cutting-edge insight into important and timely real-world challenges.
Duke Strategy offers a wide range of courses. Students with a special interested in strategy may choose the Strategy Concentration, which is designed for students looking for careers with leading strategy consulting firms and for students who are interested in strategic planning or general management positions requiring similar skills. Extracurricular opportunities to focus on Strategy include participation in student clubs such as the Duke MBA Consulting Club.