An MBA is the master’s of business administration degree and the MS is a master’s of science degree. Either of these degrees are completed after a student receives the bachelor’s degree, and they are often used as means to advanced careers.

The truth is the both the MBA and the MSBA are very similar, they require about the same number of total courses and require a grounding in general business disciplines, quantitative and communication skills.

The difference (at our school) is in the upper division electives. MBA students have a fairly tightly scripted program, there are only 4 electives which can be used for a concentration. The MBA is considered to be a “generalist” degree, covering the scope of management issues.

MS students have no script and have 8 electives for their advanced courses. This means that you get two kinds of students going for the MSBA – Those that have a specific focus they want to prepare for (you see the MSBA valued in some technically oriented industries) – and those that are looking for the easiest schedule they can find.

That is why, as a rule, the MBA is the preferred degree – there is a stronger level of consistency in the brand. And it is the union card you need to be taken seriously in corporate America. Businesses that hire MSBA’s are usually looking for specific competencies that they don’t get with a generalist program.

There are also master degrees other than the MBA and MSBA that prepare you for general management, for example a masters in Public Administration may be useful if you are looking to go into government.

The point is, unless you have a clear reason to take a degree other then the MBA, the MBA is what you want. If you are not sure I recommend two approaches：

1. First, talk to people who are successful in the area you want to grwo and find out what kind of degrees they have on their resume’s.
2. Second, Talk to an advisor at the school you are thinking of and discuss options. You may have to talk to more than one advisor – and it may be smart to have these conversations at a general university rather than a specialist school (even if that is not where you are planning on going). Each advisor is likely to steer you toward programs he or she is comfortable with. You may also want to network with some of your old college faculty to see what they have to say. They would probably love to hear from you and certainly be proud of what you have accomplished.