Difference between MBA and MSc to Study Abroad

What is a Master of Business Administration (MBA)?

The MBA course is a business course designed for students with some work experience. MBA degrees help develop leadership skills. Most of the time there are a few prerequisites for enrolling in an MBA programme. Candidates must have work experience (usually around three years), and pass relevant MBA entrance examinations such as GMAT or even GRE. An MBA can be studied in a number of different formats full-time, part-time, and online.

MBA courses are also available in the specialized areas of your interest. MBA executive is specially designed for people already working in any industry. This program is highly industry and skill-oriented. The main purpose of this course is to equip the person will the skills and knowledge of things that are required to run a successful business. This degree provides crucial networking opportunities and connections within new industries.

Top Universities for MBA Abroad 2025

Following is a list of top MBA offering universities abroad as per QS Global MBA Rankings 2025:

MBAs at universities abroad keep evolving in order to keep up with the demands of modern business scenarios, and most courses focus on international business and global management challenges.

What is a Master of Science (MSc) in Management?

These programs are postgraduate studies for people who are fresh out of undergraduate courses and want to enhance their knowledge on a theoretical level. The course is usually preferred by students who want to do research and want to have a deep theoretical knowledge of finance and management. Like any other Master in Science course, GRE is required not GMAT and work experience does not affect your admission prospect.

To pursue an MSc in a particular field, the student needs to have an undergraduate degree in that same field as MSc is a continuation on a more advanced level in that specific field. The subjects are less vocational than in the case of an MBA and students are not required to have any previous work experience. The course structure will look at the ‘theory of management’, and will focus on developing analytical and technical skills offered at abroad universities for MS.

Typically, MSc courses in management are taught over one year. The employment opportunities an MSc opens include becoming a scientist, teacher, researcher, or consultant.

Difference Between MBA and MSc Abroad

The following is an area-wise differentiation between both MBA and MS abroad for international students, however, some data may vary per country and university of choice:

How to Choose Between MBA and MSc to Study Abroad?

More details in terms of differences between an MBA in abroad and an MS in abroad are as follows:

• The MSc degree is offered only in a particular discipline, which means that it will only deal with one main subject or specialisation of business. So then, an MSc is the perfect choice if one wishes to pursue a career in a specialised field, such as finance.
• An MBA, on the other hand, is an all-encompassing degree. During the last semester, you can choose to deal with one specific aspect of a business, but throughout the rest of the course, you will still learn about various business fundamentals.
• While an MSc is extremely specific, an MBA is wide-reaching and goes into detail about how businesses function in general.
• Which degree you choose should also be based on what field you will choose to enter after finishing the course.
• If you want to enter into any type of business, then an MBA is the preferred option. There may come a time in the future when you want to branch out on your own and start your enterprise. An MSc, unfortunately, isn’t going to help you with this. If you plan to stick to one field throughout your career, then MSc is the better choice as you will be the expert in the field.

Thus, it is only up to the applicant to choose how he/she wants to pursue a course and with the kind of goals they have in mind. 

Also read: MBA v/s MIM v/s MA in Management: Know the Difference

It is clear that apart from a few differences in prerequisites, there is not much difference between MBA and MSc. The UK and most European countries offer courses like MSc and PGDM, while the US offers more MBA courses, along with a few MA in management subjects. You might come across rankings of top colleges where there is no distinction made between MBA and MSc courses. MSc courses are of shorter duration and are more economical than an MBA. In the case of an MBA, teaching methods are more experience-based. There is not much of an effect on employment opportunities; both degrees will open opportunities to land you in high-paying jobs.

This was all about the differences between an MBA and MSc abroad. If you wish to study abroad, then you can get assistance from Shiksha Counselling Services for free. You can also drop your queries in the comments section below.