What does the MBA and MS programs consist of? and also what are some characteristics that are needed to excel in these programs?
Answers
An MBA and an MS are two potentially very different tracks, depending on the field in which you pursue an MS (masters of science).
An MBA is a management degree where you would focus on things such as finance, entrepreneurship, project management, product strategy, management strategy, organizational behavior, and you would likely spend a large amount of time reading "case studies." These are historical examples of companies that have been in difficult strategic situations and by analyzing their situations and then learning what those companies did and how their strategy played out, you gain deeper understandings about how to be a leader in any organization.
The key value of an MBA, however, is in the network and not in the education itself. An MBA program provides you with a large group of students and alumni who are professionals and executives in various industries.This network is extremely valuable when it comes to actually getting things done because often you just need to get someone to listen to you and finding someone to listen to you is not easy. However, if they're an alumnus of your MBA program they will almost always take a call, in the same way that you would be expected to help others if the roles were reversed.
An M.S. on the other hand is primarily about the content you'll learn in the classroom. The focus is on a specific, narrow field of study (say computer science or operations research) and you are expected to have a deep understanding of a particular field. This work usually culminates in a thesis where you are expected to do unique research into an area that hasn't been explored previously and draw conclusions to share with the world. Though networking here helps as well, the culture tends to be a little different. You tend not to see people reaching out to alumni of computer science or mechanical engineering programs out of the blue, and in some cases this would be considered abnormal. This would be entirely expected in an MBA program however and helping people you don't know is actively encouraged.
An MBA is a management degree where you would focus on things such as finance, entrepreneurship, project management, product strategy, management strategy, organizational behavior, and you would likely spend a large amount of time reading "case studies." These are historical examples of companies that have been in difficult strategic situations and by analyzing their situations and then learning what those companies did and how their strategy played out, you gain deeper understandings about how to be a leader in any organization.
The key value of an MBA, however, is in the network and not in the education itself. An MBA program provides you with a large group of students and alumni who are professionals and executives in various industries.This network is extremely valuable when it comes to actually getting things done because often you just need to get someone to listen to you and finding someone to listen to you is not easy. However, if they're an alumnus of your MBA program they will almost always take a call, in the same way that you would be expected to help others if the roles were reversed.
An M.S. on the other hand is primarily about the content you'll learn in the classroom. The focus is on a specific, narrow field of study (say computer science or operations research) and you are expected to have a deep understanding of a particular field. This work usually culminates in a thesis where you are expected to do unique research into an area that hasn't been explored previously and draw conclusions to share with the world. Though networking here helps as well, the culture tends to be a little different. You tend not to see people reaching out to alumni of computer science or mechanical engineering programs out of the blue, and in some cases this would be considered abnormal. This would be entirely expected in an MBA program however and helping people you don't know is actively encouraged.
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