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MBA vs Masters Degree: Which Is Better? How Do I Decide?

MBA vs Masters Degree: Which Is Better? How Do I Decide?

Edited By Sundararajan | Updated on Apr 08, 2024 12:53 PM IST | #CAT

An MBA or Masters? To answer this question, there are several things you need to know. In today's competitive market, higher education is one of the most important determinants of a successful career. Having an MBA or master's degree not only increases your professional value but also qualifies you for senior-level job roles. Check out this MBA vs Master’s degree article to know which one is better for you, how to choose, difference, fees, etc.

MBA vs Masters Degree

Ready to pursue an advanced business degree but not sure which option is right for you? Here, we will help students understand the differences between MBA vs specialised master's degrees.

  • MBA vs Business Analytics

  • MBA vs Masters in Finance

  • MBA vs Masters in Marketing

  • MBA vs Masters in Entrepreneurship

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Before diving into the topic, let's have a look at what MBA and Master's degrees are.

Know more about career opportunities after MBA

What is an MBA degree?

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a general, multidisciplinary, postgraduate level degree. It is versatile as it covers various areas of business, including finance, marketing, accounting, human resources, management, information technology, sales, and more.

As a result, MBA focuses on providing students with the technical, managerial, and leadership skills needed to successfully run an organisation. Generally, there are three different types of MBA programmes: full-time, part-time, and executive MBA programmes.

What is a Master’s degree?

A master's degree is a master's degree that focuses on imparting mastery over a specific field/ subject. This is the primary difference between a Master’s and MBA programme. While an MBA curriculum aims to train candidates as professionals with overall proficiency in various domains of business administration, a master's degree allows students to acquire skills related to a specific subject.

Check out the 20 Best Courses After MBA in India

MBA vs Masters Degree: What's the Difference?

MBA programmes focus on a broad range of business concepts, giving students an advanced but comprehensive look at business processes. On the other hand, specialized business master's programmes usually provide an in-depth look at a specific area of study.

MBA Programme

Master’s Degree

Prepares students for business leadership roles

Can be specific or general, but usually covers only one subject area in business

Usually continued after three years or more of employment

Usually followed after less than three years of employment

Can be pursued full-time, part-time, or online

Can be pursued full-time, part-time, or online

Duration: 2 years

Duration:1 to 3 years

Total fee for MBA: 20K to 40L

Total fee for Masters: 5L to 46L

Average salary for MBA: 7-12 LPA

Average salary for Master’s: 3-15 LPA

The total fees for MBA and Master's degrees may vary based on the universities/institutions and the average salary may also vary depending on the organization.

Check out the salary ater MBA

MBA vs Master’s Degree: Which One to Choose?

While both MBA and master's degrees are great choices for career development, each takes a unique approach to career advancement. Master's degree programmes are designed for people who wish to obtain an advanced degree before entering the job market. Hence, candidates don't need any work experience to enroll in a postgraduate course.

Since a master's degree covers a wide range of individual specializations, it allows aspirants to expand on the knowledge and skills acquired at the UG level and become trained professionals in a specific field. The course syllabus aims to facilitate the development of technical and analytical skills.

While an MBA is a postgraduate degree, as the name suggests, it focuses only on business administration and, therefore, takes a more holistic approach to it. An MBA degree is ideal for candidates who want to advance their careers towards managerial or leadership-focused roles in industry.

Unlike master's degrees, MBA degrees value professional experience more. So, if you have one to two years of work experience, your MBA experience will be much richer. Since an MBA curriculum covers many business disciplines, it provides a broad and comprehensive view of business administration and management.

This is why the MBA programme is best suited for those aiming to enter entrepreneurship, executive leadership, and general management.

5 Things to keep in mind while deciding an MBA or Master’s

Before opting for MBA and Masters courses, students should keep a few things in mind.

  • Background

  • Method of teaching: Lectures or experiential learning?

  • Diversity of profiles and backgrounds: Where do you fit?

  • Career outcomes: Where do I see myself in the medium term?

  • Costs and financing

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Questions related to CAT

Have a question related to CAT ?

The Common Admission Test, is a computer based standardized test conducted in India. It is one of the most prestigious and competitive entrance exams for admission into postgraduate management programs, Including MBA, in various Indian Institutes of Management and other top business schools across the country.

To know more about CAT 2024 like exam date, eligibility, syllabus and more, click on the below link.

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-2024


Both GMAT and CAT exams are considered to be highly competitive. Therefore, it is difficult to measure which one is harder than the other as it depends on the individual strengths ,weaknesses, and personal preferences.

GMAT quant section is often considered to be easier, however, its verbal section is tougher for non-native English speakers. Whereas, CAT quant section is considered to be trickier in comparison to the verbal section. Therefore, students are advised to analyse both CAT and GMAT exam pattern carefully before opting for one.

Hello

Generally admissions are given based on your rank. So based on your overall percentile in JEE your rank could be between 56470 - 63480 approximately.

Unfortunately, Based on the marks you scored, it will be difficult to get admitted into NIT Trichy under OBC category. However there is also a second chance for you to attend for JEE, so I recommend you to take that chance and score better.

You can check the colleges you are eligible for using the below link.

https://engineering.careers360.com/jee-main-college-predictor?utm_source=qna&utm_medium=jee_cp


Hello Aspirant

Congratulations on your score, There are many good B schools at 80-85%ile in CAT and XAT
1)Great Lakes, Chennai
2)IRMA
3) Goa Institute of Management
4) NIBM
5) TAPMI
Do your research about these colleges as to what is their average package, the roles offered.

Colleges like NIBM specialize in Finance, and IRMA has a lot of sales marketing Roles. So ultimately the choice is yours which specialization you want to pursue.

View All

1-radian measures 600. (True/False)

Option: 1

True


Option: 2

False


$111111^2$ = 

Option: 1

123456654321


Option: 2

123454321


Option: 3

123454321


Option: 4

12345654321


1111112 =___________ 

Option: 1

 123456654321


Option: 2

1234554321


Option: 3

123454321


Option: 4

12345654321


159702 is divisible by

Option: 1

7


Option: 2

9


Option: 3

11


Option: 4

6


1600 satellites were sent up by a country for several purposes. The purposes are classified as broadcasting (B), communication (C), surveillance (S), and others (O). A satellite can serve multiple purposes; however a satellite serving either B, or C, or S does not serve O. 

The following facts are known about the satellites: 

1. The numbers of satellites serving B, C, and S (though may be not exclusively) are in the ratio 2: 1:1. 

2. The number of satellites serving all three of B, C, and S is 100. 

3. The number of satellites exclusively serving C is the same as the number of satellites exclusively serving S. This number is 30% of the number of satellites exclusively serving B. 

4. The number of satellites serving O is the same as the number of satellites serving both C and S but not B. 

Question:

What best can be said about the number of satellites serving C? 

Option: 1

Must be between 450 and 725 

 


Option: 2

Cannot be more than 800 
 


Option: 3

Must be between 400 and 800 

 


Option: 4

Must be at least 100 


1600 satellites were sent up by a country for several purposes. The purposes are classified as broadcasting (B), communication (C), surveillance (S), and others (O). A satellite can serve multiple purposes; however a satellite serving either B, or C, or S does not serve O. 

The following facts are known about the satellites: 

1. The numbers of satellites serving B, C, and S (though may be not exclusively) are in the ratio 2: 1:1. 

2. The number of satellites serving all three of B, C, and S is 100. 

3. The number of satellites exclusively serving C is the same as the number of satellites exclusively serving S. This number is 30% of the number of satellites exclusively serving B. 

4. The number of satellites serving O is the same as the number of satellites serving both C and S but not B. 

Question:

What is the minimum possible number of satellites serving B exclusively? 

Option: 1

100


Option: 2

200


Option: 3

500


Option: 4

250


1600 satellites were sent up by a country for several purposes. The purposes are classified as broadcasting (B), communication (C), surveillance (S), and others (O). A satellite can serve multiple purposes; however a satellite serving either B, or C, or S does not serve O. 

The following facts are known about the satellites: 

1. The numbers of satellites serving B, C, and S (though may be not exclusively) are in the ratio 2: 1:1. 

2. The number of satellites serving all three of B, C, and S is 100. 

3. The number of satellites exclusively serving C is the same as the number of satellites exclusively serving S. This number is 30% of the number of satellites exclusively serving B. 

4. The number of satellites serving O is the same as the number of satellites serving both C and S but not B. 

Question:

If at least 100 of the 1600 satellites were serving O, what can be said about the number of satellites serving S? 

Option: 1

At most 475 

 


Option: 2

Exactly 475 
 


Option: 3

At least 475 

 


Option: 4

No conclusion is possible based on the given information 


1600 satellites were sent up by a country for several purposes. The purposes are classified as broadcasting (B), communication (C), surveillance (S), and others (O). A satellite can serve multiple purposes; however a satellite serving either B, or C, or S does not serve O. 

The following facts are known about the satellites: 

1. The numbers of satellites serving B, C, and S (though may be not exclusively) are in the ratio 2: 1:1. 

2. The number of satellites serving all three of B, C, and S is 100. 

3. The number of satellites exclusively serving C is the same as the number of satellites exclusively serving S. This number is 30% of the number of satellites exclusively serving B. 

4. The number of satellites serving O is the same as the number of satellites serving both C and S but not B. 

Question:

 If the number of satellites serving at least two among B, C, and S is 1200, which of the following MUST be FALSE? 

Option: 1

The number of satellites serving C cannot be uniquely determined 

 


Option: 2

The number of satellites serving B is more than 1000 
 


Option: 3

All 1600 satellites serve B or C or S 

 


Option: 4

The number of satellites serving B exclusively is exactly 250 


2839155 is divisible by

Option: 1

2


Option: 2

7


Option: 3

55


Option: 4

None of the above


'a' for which x^{2}-ax+9= 0 can be written as square of a linear factor is

Option: 1

6


Option: 2

-6,6


Option: 3

\left ( 6,\infty \right )


Option: 4

\left ( -\infty,-6 \right )


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