MBA stands for Master of Business Administration while MIS stands for Masters in Information Systems. MIS also means Management Information Systems. Both MBA and MIS are very demandable business degrees but they have significant differences. MBA is more of a management degree while MIS is a technical degree. An MBA degree mostly focuses on business courses while an MIS degree focuses on both business and information technology courses.
What is MBA?
According to Wikipedia –
“A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounting, applied statistics, human resources, business communication, business ethics, business law, strategic management, business strategy, finance, managerial economics, management, entrepreneurship, marketing, supply-chain management, and operations management in a manner most relevant to management analysis and strategy.”
This degree was first introduced in the USA in the early 20th century and it is an internationally-recognized postgraduate degree. An individual with an MBA degree will have theoretical and practical knowledge of various business methods. Moreover, he/she will have a clear idea about general business management functions.
What is MIS?
According to Wikipedia –
“A management information system (MIS) is an information system used for decision-making, and for the coordination, control, analysis, and visualization of information in an organization. The study of management information systems involves people, processes, and technology in an organizational context. In a corporate setting, the ultimate goal of the use of a management information system is to increase the value and profits of the business.”
MIS mostly focuses on various information technology methods that will increase the performance of a company. This is a type of advanced business program that mainly focuses on data analysis, data management, project management, forming various business theories, and many more. The demand for MIS degrees is growing fast because businesses around the world are adopting the latest technologies to have sustainable growth.
The difference in the Career Option between MBA and MIS
| Career Option in MBA | Career Option in MIS |
| Business analyst or strategist Business development analyst, associate, or manager Market research analyst Managing Director (of a department) Investment banker Entrepreneur/founder Financial analyst, associate, or manager Management consultant Marketing associate, analyst, or manager Portfolio manager Healthcare administrator, analyst, or manager Project analyst or strategist Product analyst, associate, or manager Program analyst, associate, or manager Operations analyst, associate, or manager | IT Consultant Web Developer Information Systems Manager Business Intelligence Analyst Network Administrator Business Application Developer Systems Analyst Technical Support Specialist Business Analyst Systems Developer Systems Administrator Database Administrator Information Security Analyst Data Scientist Software Engineer App Developer |
Comparison between MBA and MIS
| Factors | MBA | MIS |
| Type of Degree | Post Graduate | Post Graduate |
| Eligibility Requirement | Graduation in any discipline | Graduation in science background like B.Sc., Diploma, etc. |
| Qualifying Exam | GMAT | GRE |
| Main Subjects | Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Banking, Human Resource Management | Database Management, Systems Analysis, Systems Design, Networking, Programming language, etc. |
| Duration | 2 years | 1 – 2 years |
| Average Cost (Per Year) | $45,432 | $32,451 |
| Work Experience | Depends on the company (2 – 4 years) | Depends on the company (3 – 5 years) |
| Top International Destinations | USA | USA |
Key Differences between MBA and MIS
| MBA | MIS |
| MBA stands for Master of Business Administration | MIS means Management Information Systems |
| MBA refers to a business degree | MIS refers to a system as well as a business IT degree |
| MBA is a much older degree compared to MIS | MIS is relatively a new degree |
| The core subjects of the MBA are business related like accounting, Finance, etc. | The core subjects of MIS are Information Technology related like database management, IT management, server security, etc. |
| An MBA degree offers more job opportunities | The job sector of MIS is not as extensive as the MBA |
| An MBA degree requires more time to complete | An MIS degree requires less time to complete |
| The average starting maiden salary of an MBA degree holder is $115,000 | The average starting maiden salary of an MIS degree holder is between $55,000 and $75,000, |
Comparison of State wise Salary between MBA and MIS Degree Holders
| Name of the State | MBA Degree | MIS Degree | ||||||
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
| Washington New York California Idaho New Hampshire Vermont Massachusetts Maine New Jersey Hawaii Nevada Arizona Wyoming Tennessee Connecticut Montana Rhode Island Alaska Texas Minnesota Indiana Oregon West Virginia North Dakota Maryland Pennsylvania Virginia Wisconsin Ohio Nebraska South Dakota Iowa Delaware Utah Colorado South Carolina Alabama New Mexico Arkansas Kansas Oklahoma Florida Michigan Mississippi Kentucky Illinois Missouri Georgia Louisiana North Carolina | $93,943 $88,138 $84,819 $84,348 $83,317 $81,300 $79,786 $79,041 $78,689 $78,272 $77,686 $77,180 $76,941 $76,565 $76,080 $75,585 $75,414 $75,171 $75,036 $74,933 $74,830 $74,293 $74,070 $73,579 $73,074 $72,709 $71,854 $71,095 $70,696 $70,152 $69,959 $69,684 $69,532 $69,511 $69,179 $68,366 $68,309 $67,813 $67,242 $67,018 $66,251 $66,205 $65,383 $65,327 $65,094 $63,494 $63,165 $61,728 $59,992 $57,626 | $7,828 $7,344 $7,068 $7,029 $6,943 $6,775 $6,648 $6,586 $6,557 $6,522 $6,473 $6,431 $6,411 $6,380 $6,340 $6,298 $6,284 $6,264 $6,253 $6,244 $6,235 $6,191 $6,172 $6,131 $6,089 $6,059 $5,987 $5,924 $5,891 $5,846 $5,829 $5,807 $5,794 $5,792 $5,764 $5,697 $5,692 $5,651 $5,603 $5,584 $5,520 $5,517 $5,448 $5,443 $5,424 $5,291 $5,263 $5,144 $4,999 $4,802 | $1,806 $1,694 $1,631 $1,622 $1,602 $1,563 $1,534 $1,520 $1,513 $1,505 $1,493 $1,484 $1,479 $1,472 $1,463 $1,453 $1,450 $1,445 $1,443 $1,441 $1,439 $1,428 $1,424 $1,414 $1,405 $1,398 $1,381 $1,367 $1,359 $1,349 $1,345 $1,340 $1,337 $1,336 $1,330 $1,314 $1,313 $1,304 $1,293 $1,288 $1,274 $1,273 $1,257 $1,256 $1,251 $1,221 $1,214 $1,187 $1,153 $1,108 | $45.16 $42.37 $40.78 $40.55 $40.06 $39.09 $38.36 $38.00 $37.83 $37.63 $37.35 $37.11 $36.99 $36.81 $36.58 $36.34 $36.26 $36.14 $36.08 $36.03 $35.98 $35.72 $35.61 $35.37 $35.13 $34.96 $34.55 $34.18 $33.99 $33.73 $33.63 $33.50 $33.43 $33.42 $33.26 $32.87 $32.84 $32.60 $32.33 $32.22 $31.85 $31.83 $31.43 $31.41 $31.30 $30.53 $30.37 $29.68 $28.84 $27.70 | $105,256 $102,890 $99,668 $97,157 $96,983 $96,502 $96,400 $95,000 $94,808 $94,615 $108,119 $103,732 $98,822 $89,753 $88,405 $93,742 $93,725 $88,023 $92,733 $88,696 $87,482 $86,803 $85,378 $83,386 $80,675 $80,007 $79,745 $77,858 $83,873 $83,737 $83,293 $82,273 $80,993 $80,096 $79,291 $78,247 $75,929 $72,710 $75,433 $74,468 $74,361 $74,056 $73,635 $82,720 $79,906 $79,517 $77,426 $75,479 $79,452 $73,751 | $8,771 $8,574 $8,305 $8,096 $8,081 $8,041 $8,033 $7,916 $7,900 $7,884 $9,009 $8,644 $8,235 $7,479 $7,367 $7,811 $7,810 $7,335 $7,727 $7,391 $7,290 $7,233 $7,114 $6,948 $6,722 $6,667 $6,645 $6,488 $6,989 $6,978 $6,941 $6,856 $6,749 $6,674 $6,607 $6,520 $6,327 $6,059 $6,286 $6,205 $6,196 $6,171 $6,136 $6,893 $6,658 $6,626 $6,452 $6,289 $6,621 $6,145 | $2,024 $1,978 $1,916 $1,868 $1,865 $1,855 $1,853 $1,826 $1,823 $1,819 $2,079 $1,994 $1,900 $1,726 $1,700 $1,802 $1,802 $1,692 $1,783 $1,705 $1,682 $1,669 $1,641 $1,603 $1,551 $1,538 $1,533 $1,497 $1,612 $1,610 $1,601 $1,582 $1,557 $1,540 $1,524 $1,504 $1,460 $1,398 $1,450 $1,432 $1,430 $1,424 $1,416 $1,590 $1,536 $1,529 $1,488 $1,451 $1,527 $1,418 | $50.60 $49.47 $47.92 $46.71 $46.63 $46.40 $46.35 $45.67 $45.58 $45.49 $51.98 $49.87 $47.51 $43.15 $42.50 $45.07 $45.06 $42.32 $45.00 $43.00 $42.00 $42.00 $41.00 $40.00 $39.00 $38.47 $38.34 $37.43 $40.00 $40.26 $40.05 $39.23 $39.54 $38.06 $37.62 $36.50 $34.96 $32.96 $36.27 $35.80 $35.75 $35.60 $35.40 $39.77 $38.42 $38.23 $37.22 $36.29 $38.87 $35.46 |
Which Degree is Better: MBA or MIS
Which degree is better or which degree you should pursue depends on quite a few things like your educational background, career goals, current job position, etc. Having an MBA degree will provide you a solid foundation in business and management concepts. So, if you are working in the administration department of a company then an MBA degree will boost your career. On the other hand, if you are from a science or IT background and want to build a career in the business industry then an MIS degree will be a better option. You should keep in mind that both MBA and MIS has huge demand in the job sector and both degrees offers excellent salary range. So, you should choose any one of these two degrees according to your requirements.
10 Highest Paying Jobs for MBA Graduates
| Name of the Position | Average Salary |
| Chief Executive Officer Vice President, Operations General Manager Firm Associate Financial Director Financial Controller Senior Product Manager Senior Project Manager Management Consultant Investment Banker | $157,000 $135,000 $138,000 $147,000 $123,000 $100,000 $140,000 $125,000 $130,000 $125,000 |
10 Highest Paying Jobs for MIS Graduates
| Name of the Position | Average Salary |
| Information technology (IT) director Vice president of IT Senior project manager, IT IT analyst IT technician Information systems manager Business intelligence analyst Network engineer Application developer Data manager | $147,000 177,000 $130,000 $76,000 $75,000 $92,000 $90,000 $88,000 $85,000 $82,000 |
References:
https://yocket.com/blog/mis-vs-mba
https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/news/mba-vs-ms-which-degree-right-me
https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-MBA-Salary-by-State