Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by Kathryn Uhles, MIS, MSP, Dean, College of Business and IT
Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by Kathryn Uhles, MIS, MSP, Dean, College of Business and IT
Are you considering a master’s in management vs. an MBA? Professional and personal development are inherent to career development, no matter which industry you work in. However, for aspiring leaders, it may be beneficial to continue your education and pursue a graduate business degree.
Some business professionals seek one of two options for expanding their education: a Master of Management degree (MM) or a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Both MM and MBA programs upskill individuals in the world of business leadership, but they serve different purposes and audiences.
A Master of Management degree typically targets individuals who are interested in developing their organizational management skills, focusing on business planning, innovation, communication, and team building. Skills taught may include the functions of management, change management, customer relationship management, agile project management, logistics and supply chain management, and more.
On the other hand, an MBA is geared toward individuals who are seeking a wide overview of business administrative skills.
While both degrees can teach helpful skills for a business career, choosing between them depends on your current professional standing and long-term career goals. Let’s dive deeper and explore the differences between a Master of Management and an MBA, including when they might make sense for you.
| Master's in Management (MM) | |
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Areas of Study
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Business operations, regulations, analytics, research, laws and ethics, management, strategic planning and leadership.
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Program Length
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Approximately 16 months (11 courses, 6 weeks each).
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Professional Experience Needed
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Typically no professional experience needed, suitable for recent graduates or early-career professionals.
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Career Outcomes
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Business manager, general and operations manager, store manager.
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Focus
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Foundational management skills for early-career professionals.
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While a Master of Management and an MBA are both graduate degrees, they cater to different audiences and career goals. Let’s break down the primary differences between each program’s structure, curriculum, professional experience requirements, and career options.
A Master of Management degree often includes a curriculum focused on business operations, regulations, analytics, research, laws and ethics. Students who pursue an online Master of Management degree at University of Phoenix, for example, complete 11 three-credit-hour courses, each lasting six weeks. Over 16 months, students focus on four specific skill sets that are relevant to manager roles:
But once you complete that coursework, what can you do with a Master of Management?
The Master of Management program at University of Phoenix can prepare you for multiple business management careers. That’s a good thing for professionals, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the opening of 1.1 million jobs each year from 2022 to 2032.
BLS Occupational Employment Projections, 2022-2032 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.
Career outcomes for Master of Management graduates at UOPX align with the following positions:
Business managers typically help guide and oversee a team toward meeting their department goals. They also work toward implementing strategies to improve overall team efficiency. To take on these managerial tasks, having general leaderships skills is helpful.
The Master of Management at UOPX prepares students to determine opportunities to improve and innovate upon existing organization operations, evaluate business communication strategies and more. These skills help prepare students for business manager roles.
General and operations managers take an overarching view of their organizations’ success and are often responsible for tasks like making policies, staff schedules and work assignments for their teams. These managers may work across various industries, including retail, food and beverage.
The Master of Management at UOPX teaches skills regarding employee relations, including legal and ethical principles in the management of staff. It also teaches performance improvement, synthesizing leadership and management competencies to improve organizational performance.
Store managers may have many of the same responsibilities as business managers, but they’re actually specific, first-line supervisors for retail workers. They often make personnel decisions and perform some accounting, payroll and budgeting work.
Store managers’ education requirements can vary. Some stores prefer candidates with bachelor’s degrees, although certain employers may want their managers to have completed a graduate program. Depending on the retailer, moving up the ranks on experience alone may also be possible.
Among the other skills mentioned, the Master of Management at UOPX also teaches logistics and supply chain management, including leadership skills to support the strategic implementation of operational plans.
Online MBA programs offer students the opportunity to develop management skills as well. However, they also focus heavily on data analysis and business analytics. In addition, there’s a strong emphasis on planning and evaluation to help improve organizations.
The MBA program may be a good option for professionals who want to develop skills across a variety of business areas. For working adults, pursuing an MBA can be a feasible goal, provided they adopt strong time management skills and find a program that accommodates their schedules. The traditional, online MBA program at UOPX, for example, can take approximately 16 months for students to complete if they take one course at a time all the way through.
Individuals who have several years of work experience, meanwhile, may consider the competency-based MBA program at UOPX instead. Professionals who work well independently and have strong self-discipline appreciate this program’s accelerated features. It allows students to work with faculty to demonstrate proficiency in skills they already have so that they can focus on learning new, career-relevant skills. This approach can ultimately save them time: Some students can earn an MBA-CB in as little as one year.
That said, what can you do with an MBA? As it turns out, many of the same careers a Master of Management degree can prepare you for. Common pathways for MBA grads include general and operations manager roles, store manager positions and administrative director roles.
Administrative directors oversee a company’s daily operations and coordinate records management, training protocols and other administrative practices.
If you’re hard-pressed to decide which degree makes the most sense, consider your previous coursework, your career experiences and your personal goals.
Recent graduates or early-career professionals with limited work experience might find a Master of Management better suited to provide the foundational business knowledge or management skills you need to kick-start your career.
Meanwhile, those who have several years of professional experience and want to pursue higher leadership positions in their career, or explore new industries, might consider the MBA. Its comprehensive curriculum and networking opportunities often cater to midcareer professionals who are eager to further their skill set overall with more leadership opportunities in mind.
You may be wondering, What are the pros and cons of earning an MBA? Here are a few things to consider.
An MBA offers a structured path to learn relevant skills in the field (and that you can highlight on your resumé). If you want to understand comprehensive business disciplines, then you may find that a compelling reason to apply for an MBA program.
That said, there can be some perceived drawbacks. Pursuing an MBA can represent significant time and financial commitments. The academic rigor can create pressure too. You’ll need to ensure you are prepared to significantly hone your time management and study skills to remain focused on your end goals and complete your degree.
Earning a Master of Management degree presents advantages and disadvantages too, depending on your situation and goals. As mentioned, it could be a great fit for early-career professionals who want to gain management skills.
What are the drawbacks to a Master of Management degree? A Master of Management degree doesn’t offer the overall general focus that MBAs might. Some may feel this could limit your opportunity to develop expertise in specific areas of interest. Also, Master of Management graduates are well equipped for management positions, but you may need additional qualifications or experience to move into higher leadership positions.
When you’re looking at online master’s in management vs. MBA programs, University of Phoenix offers both paths. These programs are designed for busy individuals who benefit from being able to schedule their coursework around their existing commitments. Each course is tied to career-relevant skills that build your subject knowledge and help prepare you for professional roles in the business industry. A bachelor’s degree is just one of the admission requirements for either program. However, no entrance exams or essays are required. Your professional experiences can also be evaluated for potential academic credit, provided you meet the program’s admissions requirements.
Take a look:
Take a closer look at how the Master of Management stacks up against the MBA.
A: A Master of Management (MM) may go by different names depending on the institution offering the program. Common variations include:
Despite the different titles, these programs share a common focus of providing foundational management and business skills to early-career professionals.
A: Demand for master’s degrees varies based on industry trends and job market needs. While there currently isn’t information regarding which master’s degree employers most seek out, job seekers can check job listings to see which degree is most often required for the roles they ultimately want to fill.
A: All graduate degrees are challenging in unique ways. Determining whether an MBA or MM program is harder depends on your aptitude, background, goals and work experience.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at University of Phoenix where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
Currently Dean of the College of Business and Information Technology, Kathryn Uhles has served University of Phoenix in a variety of roles since 2006. Prior to joining University of Phoenix, Kathryn taught fifth grade to underprivileged youth in Phoenix.
This article has been vetted by University of Phoenix's editorial advisory committee.
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