Difference between a Bachelors vs a Masters in some type of business focus.

College Majors Business Major
1

I hope someone can answer this…it is really fundamental knowledge I should have I suppose.
But, I was talking with a friend who was thinking of getting a Master is marketing or financing. She has an undergraduate degree that has nothing to do with business…it is an undergraduate tied to foreign language and translation. I always thought you had to have a professional degree (like a doctor, nurse, lawyer, etc) or an undergraduate degree to really succeed on a master’s level of a business focus degree.

I looked at some colleges after we had this discussion…and most school don’t require certain studies…just a graduate level assessment test (GMAT I think it is called.)

I guess my question really has to deal with…what is the use of a master’s in some type of business focus if you don’t have an undergraduate in business, a professional degree, or you aren’t opening your own business?

Thank you for any answers that help me clear up any misconception I have.

2

A couple things

A person in that situation who has an irrelevant undergraduate degree might opt to get a masters in business for several reasons.

  1. It doesn't hurt to have some sort of pragmatic understanding of how money/business works, especially if a person has had a liberal arts degree like linguistics or whatever your friend has.
  2. A masters degree will make you more competitive for jobs, and studies show that in general, people with masters degrees make more money than people with just undergraduates.
  3. MBA programs are also all about building a network.
3

@philbegas thank you for the response. SO let’s say she did her master in finances…then would she be allowed to work in finance sectors or would she be considered not knowledgeable enough to work in a position a graduate of B.A in finances?

4

  1. You can work in finance with no degree in the field. In many areas is not like a MD where you need to complete a set curriculum and get a license. There are companies that hire people (typically top students from top schools) and train them either on the job or through a training program. There are some notable exceptions (ex. to work as a CPA) but many business hirings are at the discretion of the employer.

  2. There is no need to have an undergraduate business degree to get a MBA. If a person does study business as an undergrad,he/she may be able to waive out of a few classes, but that’s about it. My H went to Wharton for a MBA and there were people there from diverse backgrounds including but not limited to English, engineering, fighter pilot, opera singer, etc. The idea of the top MBA programs is for smart people to come together with a diversity of work and life experiences and study business.

  3. In terms of education a person earning a Master’s in business would probably take as many business classes over 2 years as an undergrad would take in 4 year as undergrads also have to fulfill liberal arts requirements while the Master’s program is completely business coursework.

5

@happy1 Hello, Thank you very much. Appreciate you taking time out of your day to answer this. The more I research degrees and careers…the more questions I have because it gets complicated (at least from my perspective.) So she could end up doing something in business but possibly with foreign countries because she is fluent in a 2nd language and has studied much about the culture of the language her undergraduate degree is. I don’t kow her long term career goals, just the immediate ones right now. Well, your answers have helped much. Thank you again.

6

She can do something in business. She can do something in a foreign country. She can do business in a foreign country. Or she can do neither business nor something in a foreign country.

She can do whatever she wants to do.

7

@Butterflycobblestone It’s not really about “being allowed” It’s more about simply having the skillset and knowledge. If she were to get a MBA in finance or Masters of Science in Finance it would be a great segue for a finance job.