MSA (Master of Science in Accounting):
* Focus: Deeply specialized in accounting principles, auditing, financial reporting, taxation, and financial analysis. It's a professional degree designed to prepare students for careers in accounting, auditing, and finance.
* Curriculum: Heavily emphasizes accounting theory and practice, with coursework in areas like financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, tax accounting, and potentially forensic accounting. May include some business-related courses but the core is accounting.
* Career Paths: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), internal auditor, financial analyst, tax specialist, forensic accountant, government accountant. Often leads to a specific accounting designation or certification.
* Admission Requirements: Typically requires a bachelor's degree, often with a concentration in accounting or a related field, and a strong academic record in accounting-related courses.
MBA (Master of Business Administration):
* Focus: Broader, encompassing all aspects of business management, including finance, marketing, operations, human resources, strategy, and organizational behavior. It's a general management degree preparing students for leadership roles in various business functions.
* Curriculum: Covers a wider range of business disciplines, with a more general approach to finance, accounting, marketing, and other areas. Often includes electives allowing for specialization in a particular area.
* Career Paths: Vast and varied. Can lead to roles in management, consulting, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, operations, and many more. The MBA is a versatile degree that can open doors to a wide array of industries and functions.
* Admission Requirements: Typically requires a bachelor's degree (in any field), a strong academic record, work experience (often preferred), GMAT or GRE scores, and recommendations.
In short:
An MSA is a specialized degree for aspiring accounting professionals. An MBA is a broader, general management degree that can lead to many different career paths, but may include less in-depth accounting knowledge than an MSA. Some individuals might even pursue both degrees to combine deep accounting expertise with broader business acumen.