MBA programs are designed to provide a broad education in business management, emphasizing real-world case studies and internship experience to broaden perspectives. Coverage includes finance, information technology, marketing, leadership, negotiation and other aspects essential to honing management skills. However, each specific field receives only enough attention to instill the fundamental knowledge for informed approaches to general business decisions. Students may choose an area of emphasis for more in-depth coverage however. These degrees provide a foundation for approaching various careers within business operations, placing emphasis on leadership. MS programs use in-depth theoretical and practical approaches to focus on the intricate ins and outs of one specific discipline, such as finance, marketing, risk management or organizational behavior. Coverage dedicates minimal time to other aspects of business, as these degrees are intended as training for highly specialized careers, placing emphasis on targeted expertise and analysis.
MBA programs are designed for students who already have strong business backgrounds and thus require more work experience than MS programs, which usually do not require any. On average, beginning MBA students have about five years of experience and are between 27-32-years old, with goals to accelerate the career track they're on or transition into a different field. Beginning MS students are typically between 23-27-years old with only a year or two of work experience, or are straight out of undergraduate school and looking to build their skill sets and qualifications to begin establishing careers. People with career backgrounds in management who are looking for a career change may also opt for an MS degree to transition into a more specific field.
Employers seeking strong technical skills for heavy analysis in a particular discipline are not as concerned with an in-depth scope of business knowledge, and so may prefer an MS degree candidate. Employers seeking future or immediate company leaders for management or executive positions, however, require a broader understanding of all business aspects as well as the leadership skills MBA programs are designed to nurture.
On average, MBA graduates earn more than MS graduates, but this could be due to the length of career experience that MBA students have before entering their programs compared to MS students.
Most full-time MS programs are a year long, while most full-time MBA programs are two-years long. Additionally, each year's tuition for MBA programs is more expensive than for MS programs. For instance, tuition for Duke University's year-long Master of Management Studies program is $41,130 for the academic year (as of 2011), compared to $50,300 tuition for one academic year at Duke's two-year MBA program, making its total tuition $100,600 (as of 2011).