MBA or MCA - Read the Comparative Study to decide for yourself

MBA is a 2-year long post-graduation course that involves teaching students technical, managerial and leadership skills. In order to be eligible, MBA candidates must have completed their graduation in relevant streams and have taken either CAT/XAT/MAT/SNAP etc.

MCA, on the other hand, is a postgraduate level course of a 2-year duration that deals in various aspects of computer application, programming, networking, software, and hardware. Now, the dilemma among BCA or BTech students in general, whether to pursue an MBA or MCA? Let’s clear the doubts here.

What is an MBA?

The Master in Business Administration (MBA) is a PG program in Business Management for aspiring management professionals. The program offers candidates who have completed an MBA an opportunity to look for jobs in Human Resource Management, Operations Management, Healthcare Management, Financial Consultancy, Marketing Management or Financial Research.

The average salary offered ranges from Rs. 2 to 28 LPA. Some of the top institutes that offer MBA are the IIMs, XLRI Jamshedpur, SPJIMR Mumbai and IIT Kharagpur. The course can be done full-time, part-time, through the online mode or through distance education.

What is MCA?

Unlike an MBA, MCA or Master in Computer Application is a course with completely different objectives. It is a postgraduate level course of 2-year duration that deals in various aspects of computer application, programming, networking, software, and hardware.

Candidates who have completed BCA or Graduation from any other relevant disciplines with Mathematics as a compulsory subject in class 12 can opt for this course. The admission process may be done based on merit or entrance tests.

After completing the course, candidates can find jobs in the Tech Industry, Web Design or Development, Systems Analysis, Software Development and Network Administration. The average salary offered ranges from Rs. 3 to 10  LPA.

MCA is offered at renowned institutes like Anna University, SPPU, JNU, Calcutta University and VIT. MCA can be pursued full-time, online or through distance education.

MBA v/s MCA Specialisations

For both the MBA or MCA, candidates can opt from a string of specialisations in respective areas of study. Some of the specialisations offered have been mentioned in the table below:

MBA Specialisations	MCA Specialisations
MBA in Finance	MCA in Systems Management
Operations Management	MCA in Hardware Technology
Marketing	MCA in Systems Engineering
MBA in Human Resource Management	MCA in Application Software
Event Management	MCA in Software Development
Logistics Management	MCA in Systems Development
MBA in Information Technology	MCA in Networking

MBA v/s MCA Curriculum

The syllabus of the MBA and MCA Courses may vary according to the specialisations and different institutes. The basic subject matter of the courses has been tabulated below:

MBA Curriculum	MCA Curriculum
Software Project Management Information Systems Management Database Management Business and Legal Environment Financial Management HR & Organizational Behavior Business System Design etc.	Information Systems Design Database Management Systems Management Support Systems Software Engineering Programming and Data Structure Accounting and Management Control Networking, and others

MBA v/s MCA Career and Future Scope

Tabulated below are job roles along with average salaries that the candidates could choose from after completing either of the two courses:

Entry Level to Senior Level Salaries - MBA & MCA

Course	Entry-Level	Mid-Level	Top-Level
MBA	Rs. 5 - 6 LPA	Rs. 8 - 10 LPA	Rs. 12+ LPA
MCA	Rs. 4 - 5 LPA	Rs. 8 - 9 LPA	Rs. 10 + LPA

MBA & MCA - Job Roles & Salaries

MBA (Yearly Salary)	MCA (Yearly Salary)
Account Manager - Rs. 5 to 6 Lakhs	Software Developer - Rs. 4 to 5 Lakhs
Brand Manager - Rs. 9 to 10 Lakhs	Systems Analyst - Rs. 6 to 7 Lakhs
Healthcare & Hospital Manager - Rs. 5 to 6 Lakhs	Mobile App Developer - Rs. 4.5 to 6 Lakhs
Project Manager - Rs. 7 to 8 Lakhs	Technical Writer - Rs. 5 to 6 Lakhs
Marketing Manager - Rs. 4 to 5 Lakhs	Hardware Engineer - Rs. 3 to 5 Lakhs

Besides professional careers, candidates can also pursue PhD courses, short-term certification courses or PG Diploma courses, to solidify their knowledge and skills in the field.

MBA or MCA, Which is Better?

From the above table, you can clearly see a difference in the course structure and the subjects which reflects the different objectives of the MBA and MCA. So, it is hard to tell which course is better. The course suitability is dependent on the aim and desire of the students.

The MBA course is suitable for candidates who have good communication skills, who can adapt according to the demands of the business world and those who can come up with creative solutions to problems. The course also enables wide future prospects and has a high salary potential.

The MCA course is suitable for candidates who are interested in the various aspects of networking, software applications, technology, and programming. The course is generally inexpensive and may have high salary outcomes. The job roles may require the candidate to work efficiently with teams.

Salary is one of the major concerns which may create a dilemma among students. Regarding that too, both the courses are neck to neck. MCA may get an edge if you go by course fees perspective. MBA is much costlier than MCA in general. When making a choice between the two courses in question, it comes down to the candidate’s interests, aptitude, goals, and course fees. Candidates can analyse the aspects mentioned above to decide better.