- An MBA provides students with a general education of various aspects of business, to help them serve in a managerial role, or manage their own venture. Right from marketing and accounting, to leadership and business communication, the candidate learns to manage operations and work force in different business areas. An MS in Business however, is a more specialized field of study, providing skills in the chosen area such as Marketing, Finance or Accounting. This also makes the MS degree programs less flexible in course options. Many of these programs focus on preparing students to achieve industry-specific certifications. For example, MS programs in Finance will stress on coursework that helps students with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam.
- To gain admission to an MBA program, you don't necessarily require a business background, because that is what the course will teach. Students with degrees in fields as varied as engineering and psychology can qualify for an MBA. An MS program however, has stringent entry criteria, requiring an undergraduate degree in the same area or one closely related one. What this means is that an accounting major can get an MS in Finance, but a chemistry major cannot.
- MBA programs specify that students pass the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). MS programs on the other hand, generally require a passing score for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL). While MBA schools prefer candidates with about 2 to 3 years of work experience, MS courses generally accept students who are fresh out of an undergraduate course.
- An MBA degree has universal recognition and it can lend weight to your resume, proclaiming you as a candidate with exposure to a wide range of subjects. It also implies your suitability for positions across a wider range of business operations. However, for those who have their career mapped out in a definite direction, an MS degree is more useful because it qualifies you with the technical skills to work in a specialized area. For example, an MBA student will know marketing from the aspect of advertising and improving product sales, whereas someone with an MS in marketing will be familiar with the greater intricacies of math, statistics, sociology and product design that go toward designing a successful marketing strategy.
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