Which is better MS or MBA?

Master of Science(MS) or Master of Business Administration (MBA), is a perennial choice which troubles many students while deciding the right program to pursue, for further career growth. Both MS and MBA, are vastly different courses, with their own benefits. You can take up MS or MBA taking into consideration your interest area, job availabilities in various avenues and probability of advancement.

If you are planning for higher studies, but are confused about what to opt between MS or MBA, then consider the details below, that might be helpful to you in making a decision.


MBA is a business graduate degree. If you aspire to play professional roles in your life and believe that you can be good in business or entrepreneurship, then MBA would be the right choice for you.

On the other hand, MS degree hones in on a single specialty. If you wish to focus on engineering as your core passion, work in an engineering-related sector and conduct researches in engineering, then MS would be the right path for you.

Admissions

For admissions in MBA you need an aggregate of 50% from a recognized university in your undergraduate program. In MBA, your entrance examinations scores in CAT, XAT, MAT, NMAT, GMAT will be taken into consideration.

To take admissions in MS, you need to have a minimum average of 50% in the 3 years undergraduate degree. Clearing entrance examinations like Graduate Record Examination(GRE) will give additional benefits.

Flexibility

MBA will give you the flexibility to move into a more general role, away from one’s functional specialization. You can shift from one MBA branch to another over time as business management covers a holistic education.

While MS is a much more specialized program than MBA. In MS you will be restricted to one specific area within a business or science. For instance, an MS program in Marketing will necessarily require one to pursue career options only related to Marketing.

Specialisations

If you pursue MS, then you will be concentrated in a specific area. Some popular MS specialisations include- Computer Science Engineering, Statistics, Biomedical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Marketing.

In case you opt for MBA then you’ll learn about basics of management, leadership, critical thinking and do MBA specialisations in- Business Analytics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Media & Entertainment, and Operations.

Average Salaries

If you pursue MBA, then you’ll have higher starting salaries and salary growth than MS graduates do. This may vary according to function and program though, the employer and the demand within a particular function.

Mobility and Recognition

Taking up MS might be a niche. Hence your acceptability across employers and companies will be lesser. On the other hand, as an MBA professional, you will be more accepted across geographies and industries.