Master’s in Management or MBA in New York?

With so many reputable business schools offering very similar programs in the state of New York, it can be difficult to decide on what degree a student should pursue. In the field of business and leadership, many students automatically assume a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is their only option for a quality degree that will prepare them for a career in business leadership. This is not always true, however. A quick comparison of a MBAs and the top Master's in Management degrees offered in New York's most recognized business schools will reveal slight differences that will offer some students a more focused outcome upon completing a degree. With today's rising costs in tuition and over-all cost of living across the country, there has never been a better time to research programs that offer the best in preparation for the marketplace at an affordable rate.

For many years, a Master of Business Administration has generally been regarded as the best overall degree for business as it typically offers students a large arch of business education preparing students for many fields within the business profession. It typically begins with foundational courses designed to equip students with the basic working knowledge of topics like accounting, finance, and marketing, then moves onto core courses in a variety of disciplines before settling into several specialized electives and a capstone experience in order to give the students some practical experience before being released into the job market. An MBA program usually focuses on promoting a student's analytical abilities allowing them to become strategic problem solvers and managers of systems. Many of these MBA degrees are presented with upwards of 50+ credit hours of foundational, core, electives and specialized courses that often emphasize learning through data, case studies, and analyzing problems in different areas of an organization. While all students benefit from a comprehensive program, more coursework means a higher tuition rate and a longer time span before graduating. In addition to this, an MBA will usually promote learning through data, case studies, and problem-analyzing.

While a Master's in Management is built on the same core principles as an MBA, students pursing an MiM retain the ability to go deeper into the concepts of leading people as opposed to a general stress on the management of business systems. Many MiM programs, like Nazareth College's MS in Management, utilize past work experience and build upon knowledge students bring into the classroom. This 33-credit hour program offered by the School of Management at Nazareth is designed for the business professional who already has three years of professional experience. While some MiM programs do not require past professional experience and start from ground zero, this program can go farther into training the student to be a quality manager of the people she leads. The School of Business has designed this degree to be completed in as little as 20 months and has priced the program at $880 per credit making the total cost of tuition an accessible $29,040. A program like this equips students with the tools needed to develop, inspire, and motivate individuals and teams with guided learning through the execution of ideas and leading others toward a goal. While an MBA has a larger scope of more general training, a Master's in Management often moves students through less, more focused coursework which can result in a quicker graduation time and less tuition expense upon graduating.