One of the most important decisions you have to make after getting into a college or university is the degree you intend to pursue.
The first degree you get, at a four-year university, is a bachelor’s degree.
Once you complete that, you can choose to continue and earn a master’s degree.
However, if you’re considering both a Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) or a Master of Computer Science degree, you might be unsure which is better to pursue.
No matter if you’re interested in business or technology, here’s a deeper look at both degrees to help you make your decision.
MBA Vs. Master’s In Computer Science (Which Should You Pursue?)
To help you determine whether you should choose an MBA or a master’s in computer science, it’s worth knowing what each degree covers.
If you have a specific business idea or career in mind, knowing this can help you decide which one better suits your needs over the other.
In the most general terms, an MBA is better suited for those who are looking to get into business or investing.
A master’s in computer science is better suited for those who want to work with hardware or software in computers.
What Is An MBA?
An MBA stands for Master of Business Administration.
It’s a graduate degree that covers business administration or investments, looking at both theories and practical methods
Essentially, if you want to be better at managing a business or managing your own business, this is the degree to pursue.
While the degree tends to focus on entrepreneurship and management, there are usually also courses dedicated to important aspects of business like risk management and finance.
Those who want to learn about investing will find that risk management is more up their alley.
Risk management is all about analyzing various scenarios and determining whether the risk is worth the investment or not.
When it comes to investments, the riskier something is, the greater chance you have of either making it big or losing everything.
Finance is another important aspect of business management.
It can help you learn how to gain capital to run your business as well as how to invest back into your business to ensure its growth.
You’ll find that schools these days also offer specialty degrees that narrow in on certain fields.
For example, if you know that you want to get into sports, you might want to pursue a master’s in sports management.
If you want to get into the entertainment industry, you might take courses based on managing an entertainment business.
You can even find degrees and courses related to healthcare management.
This further lets you narrow down your niche and come out of college ready to start your own business or find clients.
What’s An MBA Versus An EMBA?
When looking at your options within an MBA, you may notice an option for an EMBA.
You may wonder what it is and how it differs from a standard MBA.
An EMBA is an Executive Master in Business Administration.
If you already have a job and you’re just looking to add to your qualifications, getting an EMBA may be a better option for you.
It’s designed for those who are already working.
This type of master’s usually has classes that are on the weekends or weeknights.
They allow you to make time for them, so you can keep your primary focus on your business.
However, the coursework can be quite intense.
That’s because the courses have to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.
If the course is on the weekends only, for example, you only get one or two days devoted to that class.
That’s unlike most classes which tend to have two or three sessions during the week.
Since there’s a limited number of hours, you can expect some intensity with your classes.
It’s also a bit harder to get into an EMBA because it’s geared towards people who already have a professional standing.
The degree focuses on more specialized topics like leadership development.
As such, you might want to pursue this degree after obtaining your MBA first.
It’s essentially another way to deepen your knowledge after you go out into the world and gain some experience in your career.
How Can You Use An MBA Degree?
Perhaps one of the most pressing questions you have is exactly what a master’s in business administration can do for you.
Here are a few ways that you can use your MBA degree.
1. Accelerated Career Growth
One of the primary reasons that people get an MBA is because it accelerates their career growth.
If you don’t want to start as an entry-level worker, getting your MBA can help you jump ahead of a few employees.
Without an MBA, you usually have to start at the bottom.
In the retail world, this might mean that you work as a cashier or a stocker.
Over the next few years, after displaying exceptional work, you might get promoted.
You’ll learn on the job how to manage the business.
If the company continues to like what they’re seeing from you, they might promote you further.
For example, you might become a store operator.
You might even receive an invitation to open up a new store in a new location.
This type of trajectory is slow, however.
Since you probably don’t have an MBA, the company wants you to rely on your experience.
The problem with that is that it can take a long time until the company decides you have enough experience.
By getting your MBA, you’re able to prove to them that you have the book smarts to handle managerial problems.
You can skip the long hours of cashier work and head right for the top or, at the very least, the mid-tier in leadership.
Getting an MBA allows you to advance your career at a faster rate than you would without it.
2. Understanding Of Global Markets
Another benefit of getting and using your MBA is that helps you understand global markets.
Whether you’re starting your own business or joining one, this is a crucial skill to have.
Knowing global trends and whether one market has a lot of saturation or not can help you determine whether a business venture will find success or not.
For example, if you choose to sell a product or service that already has a ton of competition both locally and globally, you’re going to have to work extremely hard to stand out.
However, with the education and training of an MBA, you can figure out how to examine global markets and look for a niche market that has yet to make it big.
You can then make it big in that market.
This skill is also useful in investing.
If you’re someone who wants to focus primarily on investing, understanding global markets is a key to that success.
It isn’t enough to just invest in businesses at home.
You need to see and know how they’ll perform on a global scale.
Otherwise, they’re not going to see much growth, and you’re not either.
Finally, you can use your MBA and knowledge of global markets by starting a consulting firm.
If a business is struggling, you can use what you know about global markets to steer them in the right direction.
Understanding global markets allows you to apply your MBA education in various ways.
3. Communication Skills
Another vital part of business administration is communication.
When you get your MBA, you’ll find that a lot of your coursework involves communication.
It helps hone your communication skills.
Since an MBA is all about managing a business, this is a crucial skill to have if you intend to be a leader.
A manager who doesn’t know how to delegate or solve employee problems isn’t going to be an effective manager, nor is a manager who is unable to effectively communicate to an employee why they made a certain decision.
An MBA helps you learn these skills which you can then apply to all sorts of different situations.
If you’re starting your own business, knowing how to communicate with your employees can not only improve productivity but can also improve employee happiness.
If you’re joining an existing business, your communication skills can help make that business more efficient.
Your managing might be just what the store needs to generate a larger profit.
You could also turn your communication skills into a business in itself.
For example, you could open up a consulting service that examines employer-employee communications.
If a business is struggling to communicate with its employees, you can research and advise the business on how to fix the situation.
Communication goes well beyond employer-employee interactions, too.
As a business owner or someone working in business, you’ll probably have to give a speech or presentation at some point.
Having a good skill set in communication can make your speeches and presentations effective and successful.
Communication also doesn’t end with speech.
You also need to know how to communicate effectively through email, memos, and research papers.
Your MBA can teach you that skill as well as help you apply it in the real world.
4. Growing A Professional Network
A final way that you can apply your MBA is by growing your professional network.
One of the benefits of studying for an MBA is that you start rubbing elbows with people in the industry.
Whether it’s your professor, your fellow students, or through some activity that a course provides, you’re going to meet people that you can network with.
As any business person knows, networking is a crucial part of running a business.
It’s impossible to know everything.
Finding the right people who are experts in their respective fields can help you rely on them to make effective decisions.
It also gives you the opportunity to vet possible partners in the future.
Your MBA is a great way to meet people and start building a professional network.
What Is A Master’s In Computer Science?
Computer science is a large umbrella with tons of different careers underneath it.
As a whole, it focuses on software development, data collection and analysis, and predictive modeling.
If you have an interest in designing the technology of the future, getting a master’s in computer science might be the choice for you.
Bachelor’s degrees tend to cover the basics and get you into the door of entry-level jobs.
If you want to get ahead of everyone else or specialize in something, you’ll want to pursue a master’s degree.
For example, a master’s degree can get you into an advanced position in fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, big data collection and analysis, and even cybersecurity.
It usually takes two years to get a master’s in computer science.
You may find that some schools provide a specialized degree in a specific field.
This is ideal if you know for sure that you want to get into robotics, for example.
There are also sometimes degrees that you can get in one year.
However, you can expect an intense amount of coursework since it essentially accelerates everything.
How Can You Use A Master’s In Computer Science Degree?
There are tons of ways that you can apply your degree.
Here are some of the ways that you can use a master’s in computer science degree.
1. Robotics
One of the biggest fields in advanced computer science is robotics.
With your degree, you might start writing the software that teaches and instructs robots.
You might analyze human-robot interactions and perfect them.
Another big aspect of robotics is machine learning.
Since computers can compute and analyze data at rates far superior to humans, they can help advance knowledge of certain topics.
You could end up unlocking the next best thing in healthcare or technology through machine learning.
Your master’s degree allows you to get involved with advanced robotics that can change the world.
2. Cybersecurity
Perhaps where computer science degrees are in the most demand is cybersecurity.
As the world transitions more and more into a digital state, it becomes more important than ever to protect private information.
Your master’s degree enables you to write programs that can keep your client’s information safe.
One of the advanced careers that you might get into is digital forensics.
You’ll be working on tracing hackers to bring them to justice or shut them down.
You’ll also examine methods of data breaching to better protect people against them.
Cybersecurity is a growing field with a high demand for computer scientists.
You can either easily join a firm or start your own business.
3. Data Science
Another big field in computer science is data science.
This involves the collection and analysis of data.
If you want a stable job, you should consider working as a data scientist.
Every industry uses data scientists.
You can use your degree to help companies analyze large amounts of data and create predictive models with it.
This can help the business decide whether to launch a product or go back to the drawing board.
It’s also useful in things like climate change.
You can collect data about changing weather patterns and help farmers and local governments better fight back against climate change.
If it looks like an area might experience a drought, you can show them how it might impact crops or the quality of life in that area.
With that information, farmers and local governments can make decisions to protect themselves and others.
There’s no shortage of things you can do as a data scientist.
4. Games
A final way that you can use a master’s in computer science is in game development.
While there are degrees specifically related to game development, getting a master’s in computer science can give you a different type of insight.
You can use your education to bring games to the next level.
You can also use your education to compute data about certain things that can help existing game studios understand where gaming trends are heading.
Whether you want to start your own game studio or help an existing one, a master’s in computer science can unlock the opportunity.
Which Should You Choose?
Now that you know a thing or two about an MBA and a master’s in computer science, you can decide which is best for you.
An MBA is better for those who want to get into business.
A master’s in computer science is better for those who want to work in technology.
You can also always get both and open up your business in the technology field.
Conclusion
An MBA is a great degree for individuals who are looking to run a successful business.
A Master’s of Computer Science is a great degree for individuals who want to get involved with the cutting-edge technology of the future.
If you want to open up a business that features the cutting-edge technology of the future, you might even want to consider getting both degrees.
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