Students find themselves in ambiguity while deciding to pursue a graduate degree from abroad. Though Both MBA and MS are graduation level degrees the qualifications achieved by them have a plethora of differences. Exploring skills, High paying and rewarding career is the agenda behind the comparison of the two graduate courses as highlighted below:
MBA vs MS
The main difference between MBA and MS is that MBA is counted in the management skills program of the education industry and MS is prominent in technical skills program in the pre-decided subject of science. MBA is abbreviated as a Master of Business Administration whereas MS is abbreviated as a Master of Science.
The MBA is a post-graduate professional course in the area of business and management. Aspirants of MBA research on theory and implementation of business and management principles. This degree was originated in the era of Industrialization in the US. At that time companies required scientific vision in the management of the company.
The MS is the post-graduation degree in a particular discipline of advanced science. It mainly covers writing a thesis or study of a research component on a specified matter. Normally, work exposure is not a prerequisite to taking admission in an MS course. In-depth knowledge is acquired by investing 2 years in this degree course. Entrance exams held for MS courses are namely GATE, NET, and alike.
Comparison Table Between MBA and MS
| Parameters of Comparison | MBA | MS |
| Coverage | All business topics are covered under the MBA program. | Only a single specified area of business is covered under the MS program. |
| Knowledge | Chunks of bits of knowledge for every business sector are gained. | In-depth knowledge of one Business sector is gained. |
| Duration | MBA is completed within 3 years normally. | MS on the other side is completed within 2 years normally. |
| Pre-Requirements | Prospective aspirants are required to have a median of 3 years of experience. | Prospective aspirants required no professional experience. |
| Focused Subjects | Finance, Marketing, HR, Management are a few subjects are covered under MBA studies | MS is focused on subjects of science stream mainly biology, chemistry, physics, etc. |
What is MBA?
The MBA is a professional degree that equips a candidate with business management expertise. As per the nature of the stream picked up by the candidate one can complete his education within 2-3 years of time investment. One can work in large-scale companies in top-level management post obtaining this qualification. This highly popular course allows new appraisal opportunities in the existing employees of the corporate world.
The course curriculum generally contains internships, projects reports, workshops, and presentations with some theoretical concepts for business administration. Some prominent areas to accomplish MBA are Human Resources, Hotel management, Banking, Finance, Marketing, Data Analytics, Computer Science, and many more. MBA courses are treated like bread and butter for corporate employees since this degree develops leadership skills.
Pursual of this course from eminent universities will allow a good placement opportunity and inbuilt confidence of skills and knowledge. Some career options after MBA are Entrepreneurship, Financial Analyst, Data Analyst, Healthcare, and Management Consultant. The course is more about practical approaches in business. Usually, people with a more eclectic mindset opt for an MBA degree. Master in Business Administration is a universally accepted course. It allows a student career flexibility.
What is MS?
The MS is a post-graduate program for students who have recently completed their undergraduate qualification in the same subjects. Candidates choosing MS degrees are supposed to gain intense knowledge of specified subjects for which enrollment in MS degrees was applied. Master of Science degree is awarded by major universities worldwide. This degree is bundled with wide topics of science and technology including mathematics, behavioral science, computer science, physical science, and applied sciences.
MS degrees are also equipped with business functions as well namely, communication, finance, marketing, data, etc. This post-graduation program is more about intense knowledge of a specified field. It includes classroom teaching, lab research, thesis component, or applied research for engineering candidates. The common curriculum of Master of Science has the following subjects Biology, Chemistry, mathematic, Statistics, social work, and many more for pre-admission requirements.
Being a research-based course this program is not as much as popular among students like M.Tech or MBA degree. Career options after pursuing MS are Software Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Quality and Management Consultants, etc. Examination held in MS courses is usually semester-based. Candidates of this qualification are not highly demanding in corporate jobs rather they are more in demand as College Professors and Government Research institutions.
Main Differences Between MBA and MS
- Median Payscale: The Median pay scale bracket is usually higher in the case of an MBA degree in comparison to an MS Degree.
- Scope of Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a business graduate degree whereas a Master of Science (MS) is a science-oriented degree.
- Specialization: On completing the MBA program one will be specialized in various areas including leadership, management, finance, human resource, and more conversely on completing MS one will be specialized in Computer Science, Engineering, Biomedical or statistics, etc.
- Recognition and growth: Taking up MBA will give you worldwide opportunities as a professional on the other hand by doing MS there will be fewer overseas opportunities and less acceptability among companies.
- Flexibility: There is more work flexibility after doing MBA in general areas of a company whereas on completing MS the candidate is restricted to work for specified areas only.
Conclusion
An MBA degree is accompanied by a solid foundation in business and management. It is notoriously tough to take admission in MBA courses as multiple entrance tests are there for various universities. Adversely MS courses are much competitive. The prestige carried away with the MS program is less discriminating in comparison to MBA.
At the difficulty level, both courses are somewhat hard to crack, but in education terms, business administration provides only a breadth of knowledge. In this techno-friendly era, both are Important to have nice employment opportunities. In the past few years, MBA has stretched its wings in the healthcare and sport management fields too.
References
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J147v11n02_04?journalCode=wasw20
- https://www.proquest.com/openview/ba36dc6a81982ad9c46c4c7ada3785e0/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=47931