MBA in Sales & Sales Leadership
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For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 118 schools in our BSchools.org database and those that advertise with us are labeled “sponsor”. When you click on a sponsoring school or program, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.
“Define your ‘moonshot’—a bold five- to eight-year goal that builds your legacy by empowering others and creating lasting impact…An MBA isn’t just a tool for incremental career moves; it’s a launchpad for meaningful transformation and professional growth.”
Christopher David Kaufman, EdD, MBA, Head of Learning and Development, Human Complex Systems
Sales sits at the core of every business. An MBA with a focus in sales and sales leadership prepares business professionals to leverage marketing, data analytics, and customer relationship management (CRM) to improve sales strategies. Many MBA programs include sales underneath the umbrella of marketing, but some programs instead give sales its own targeted specialization.
Graduates from MBA programs with a concentration in sales and sales leadership often become sales managers. It’s a lucrative profession: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2023), the median salary for a sales manager is $135,160 per year. However, an advanced understanding of sales is valuable in practically every business leadership role, and graduates of sales and sales leadership MBA programs have several different career options.
To learn more about online MBA programs with a specialization in sales and sales leadership, read on.
| Featured Sales Programs | ||
|---|---|---|
| William Paterson University | MBA - Sales Strategy | View Full Profile |
| Ohio University | Online MBA - Strategic Selling and Sales | View Full Profile |
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For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 118 schools in our BSchools.org database and those that advertise with us are labeled “sponsor”. When you click on a sponsoring school or program, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details. |
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Meet the Expert: Christopher David Kaufman, EdD, MBA
Dr. Christopher David Kaufman is a seasoned human resources consultant with over 30 years of experience advising organizations ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small and medium-sized businesses. Holding a doctorate in organizational learning and leadership from Vanderbilt University and an executive MBA from Cornell University, he brings deep expertise in fostering organizational growth and efficiency.
Dr. Kaufman has hosted and delivered nearly a thousand corporate conferences, seminars, and workshops, showcasing his leadership development, training, and performance measurement skills. A published author and recognized authority on organizational dysfunction and learning science, his work integrates advanced technology, organizational behavior, personal transformation, and educational neuroscience to drive impactful change. His core competencies include education strategy, leadership development, performance metrics, adult learning, organizational development, and effective communication.
BSchools.org: How has graduating with an MBA in sales leadership enhanced your career?
Dr. Kaufman: Earning an Ivy League MBA allowed me to move from a senior consultant role to a director position at Oracle. The degree gave me the skills to identify and address systemic issues in sales operations. For example, I developed a mini-MBA-style training program that helped account teams turn data into actionable insights, consolidating sales processes and boosting results. This initiative earned me recognition as “Rockstar of the Year” from the SVP of sales operations. More importantly, it revealed broader organizational dysfunctions, inspiring me to pursue further education and now teach MBA students in human capital management and organizational leadership.
BSchools.org: What is one piece of advice you would give to a prospective MBA applicant who’s aspiring to specialize in sales leadership?
Dr. Kaufman: Define your “moonshot”—a bold five- to eight-year goal that builds your legacy by empowering others and creating lasting impact. Use your MBA projects to build a portfolio demonstrating your understanding of industry challenges and your ability to address them. A well-crafted project can become your “table slide,” a piece you can confidently present to prospective employers or investors.
An MBA isn’t just a tool for incremental career moves; it’s a launchpad for meaningful transformation and professional growth.
Featured Online MBAs in Sales & Sales Leadership
The online MBA in sales from Strayer University is accredited by the ACBSP. In addition to the core MBA curriculum, students will take a sales concentration module where they’ll learn to identify trends through customer and market research, and build targeted sales strategies that leverage inputs from key internal and external stakeholders.
Electives in the sales concentration include the following classes: understanding sales; sales strategy; and sales communications. The program consists of 12 courses in total.
| Location: Herndon, VA |
| Time to Completion: 12 to 15 months |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
William Paterson University offers an online MBA in sales strategy featuring courses such as financial accounting for decision-makers; economic analysis for decision-makers; finance for decision-makers; statistics for decision-making; foundations of management; marketing for decision-making; data-driven decision-making and sales analytics; strategic sales leadership; strategic sales process, planning, and design; and marketing strategy.
The Cotsakos College of Business offers six start dates annually.
| Location: Wayne, NJ |
| Time to Completion: 12 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
The online MBA program at Ohio University can be taken with a concentration in strategic selling & sales leadership. In addition to the core MBA curriculum, students will take the following concentration courses: building & developing customer relationships; sales analytics; and sales leadership.
All online students are required to attend one on-campus, weekend-long professional development workshop; two more workshops are offered but not required. The program consists of 35 credits in total.
| Location: Athens, OH |
| Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months |
| Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
Southern New Hampshire University offers an online MBA with a marketing specialization that has courses relevant to sales and sales leadership. In addition to seven core MBA classes, students will take specialization electives in promotions management, optimizing brands, and consumer behavior and marketing.
Students will get hands-on experience developing marketing and sales strategies, applying market research, and identifying customer trends throughout the program. The program consists of 30 credits.
| Location: Manchester, NH |
| Time to Completion: One to two years |
| Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) |
The University of Toledo offers an online MBA with a marketing specialization with a concentration in sales leadership. In addition to the core MBA curriculum, students will take two required concentration courses: sales force leadership and strategy, and global sales and strategic customer management.
Additional sales electives are available in customer relationship marketing (CRM), integrated marketing communications, and sales for social impact. The program consists of 33 credits in total.
| Location: Toledo, OH |
| Time to Completion: 12 to 18 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers an online MBA with a concentration in sales leadership. Students will improve their effectiveness at selling themselves, their ideas, and their company’s goods and services. They’ll also learn how to grow and develop high-performing sales teams.
In addition to the core MBA curriculum, students will take the following concentration courses: organizational behavior and leadership; marketing management; negotiations; and customer relationship management (CRM). The program consists of 21 credits.
| Location: Lafayette, LA |
| Time to Completion: 15 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
The London School of Business & Finance offers an online global MBA with a specialization in strategic sales management. The specialization module focuses on the relationship between sales and business objectives, different sales techniques, and sales management strategies.
Students will learn to assess sales environments, formulate sales strategies, evaluate sales practices, and create strategic sales analyses for global organizations. At the program’s culmination, students will complete an integrative research and consultancy project.
| Location: London, UK |
| Time to Completion: 18 to 36 months |
| Accreditation: British Accreditation Council (BAC) |
Ana G. Mendez University offers an online MBA with a specialization in marketing and sales management. In addition to taking a foundational business curriculum, students will develop technical competencies and the ability to make market investigations, sales forecasts, and promotional campaigns.
Specialization courses include integrated marketing communications; marketing research; CR–trust and loyalty management; sales management; and consumer behavior. The program consists of 42 credits.
| Location: Orlando, FL |
| Time to Completion: 18 to 36 months |
| Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) |
Admissions Requirements for Online MBA Programs in Sales & Sales Leadership
Admissions requirements for any MBA program will vary from school to school. But they generally include some or all of the following:
- Competitive undergraduate GPA (3.0 or greater)
- Personal statement
- Letter(s) of recommendation
- Relevant work experience
- GMAT/GRE scores (sometimes waived with experience)
- TOEFL scores for foreign students
Accreditation and State Authorization of Online MBA Programs
Accreditation is crucial for verifying the quality of educational institutions, and online MBA programs can be accredited by a number of different agencies. Accrediting bodies focused specifically on MBA programs include the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Prospective students should look for regional accreditation for programs that do not have AACSB or ACBSP accreditation.
Prospective online MBA students should also ensure that their program of choice is authorized to operate in the student’s area of residence. Online programs must adhere to each state’s education regulations or comply with national standards such as those outlined by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). Students can find out if a program is offered in their state by checking the program’s website or contacting an admissions officer from the program.
