What's the Difference Between Management and Business Administration?

MiM programs feature a strong independent-learning component, with classes often held in lecture-halls. Most MBA programs, on the other hand, involve a great deal of group work and discussions and unpicking real life problems and case-studies in small groups of students.

Another difference between the two degrees is that MBAs tend to cover a broader range of business disciplines, while MiM programs will give you an opportunity to specialize in a business area such as marketing or human resources.

MBAs are designed to prepare you for all the issues that may arise in a business that you might be confronted with in a managerial role. But if you are starting a master’s in management this year, you will almost certainly be expected to choose a specialization toward the end of the course.

For example, at IE Business School, the first two semesters are spent learning core modules, such as financial accounting, organizational behaviour, and entrepreneurship, which lay the foundation of management

In the third semester, students are asked to select between five specializations to deepen their knowledge in a specific business area, such as digital business or sales and marketing based on their interests and career goals.

Having specialized in a business area as part of your degree could give you an enormous advantage and even open up opportunities in that field, so it’s really important you start thinking about what career you might be interested in pursuing right away.

If you’re hesitating between specializations, IE Business School offer students the possibility to extend their MiM by a few months to take up a second specialization or spend three months abroad at a partner institution.

The bottom line…

Both MiM programs and MBAs have their unique selling points and target applicants, and both will open up opportunities, but depending on your situation, you may be more suited to one over the other.