Master’s in entrepreneurship vs. MBA
Wondering about an MBA vs. a master's in entrepreneurship? Explore the learning outcomes, job skills, and career paths each degree offers.
By: James M. Tobin, Edited by: Mitch Jacobson
Published: June 13, 2025
Business-oriented self-starters may find it difficult to choose between a master's in business administration (MBA) vs. a master's in entrepreneurship. Identifying your learning goals, however, can help you make the decision that's right for you.
With this guide, you can explore the differences between these programs and their potential outcomes as you weigh each option.
What is a master's in entrepreneurship degree?
A master's in entrepreneurship focuses on providing students with the knowledge and skills they'll need to succeed in the business world. Content within these programs typically emphasizes:
- Developing and testing the viability of your business idea.
- Venture planning, venture capital, and marketing.
- Business strategy and product/service positioning.
- Leadership skills.
These programs tend to appeal to ambitious and driven people who want to launch their own ventures. They typically consist of about 30 to 46 credits and require about one to two years to complete if you study full-time.
What jobs can you get with a master's in entrepreneurship?
A master's in entrepreneurship most directly prepares you to build your own business. However, graduates can also pursue other career paths, such as those below, with salary information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
- Fundraiser: Entrepreneurship programs typically include required coursework in venture capital, finance, and fundraising. Equipped with this knowledge, you could go on to work as a fundraising specialist in the public or private sector.
- Median annual salary (May 2023): $64,160
- Market research analyst: To succeed as an entrepreneur, you need to understand how to position a business within an emerging or established market. Entrepreneurship programs develop this knowledge, which you can use to launch a career in market research analysis.
- Median annual salary (May 2023): $74,680
- Sales manager: In your entrepreneurship program, you will likely learn how to sell yourself, your ideas, and your vision to others. By pairing your degree with professional experience, you can parlay these skills into a career in sales management.
- Median annual salary (May 2023): $135,160
What is in an MBA program?
MBA programs cover fundamental accounting, finance, marketing, and operations management principles. Many programs also explore business analytics, human resource management, and organizational leadership.
MBA graduates generally emerge with versatile business management skillsets with cross-industry transferability. Credit requirements vary according to program intensiveness, but full-time students typically graduate in two to three years.
Many business schools offer specialized MBA programs to students with professional experience who want to increase their advancement potential. These options include accelerated and executive MBA programs, which cover the same material as regular MBA programs but in compact, fast-paced formats.
What jobs can you get with an MBA?
MBA graduates often target management- and executive-track positions in the private sector. Common job titles include:
- Financial analyst: Financial analysts help guide organizational decisions about how to use financial resources to fuel growth and increase profits. They evaluate factors like internal financial data, business performance, market influences, and macroeconomic conditions.
- Median annual salary (May 2023):$99,890
- Management analyst: Management analysts assess business operations to identify areas for culture change and efficiency improvements. They can work in-house for a single employer or on a contract basis as a consultant.
- Median annual salary (May 2023): $99,410
- Marketing manager: Marketing managers coordinate and lead advertising, branding, and promotional campaigns for their employers' products or services. They also analyze consumer markets and competitors to find unique differentiation opportunities.
- Median annual salary (May 2023): $157,620
What is covered in an MBA in entrepreneurship program?
As you consider an MBA vs. a master's in entrepreneurship, remember that you can also split the difference. Business schools regularly offer specialized MBA programs that focus on specific concentrations, including entrepreneurship.
These programs can help you build the versatile, transferable skills associated with an MBA while also offering courses on entrepreneurship topics. Students can typically complete an MBA in entrepreneurship program in the same amount of time as a general MBA program.
MBAs in entrepreneurship cover a broader set of key business management and administration topics than a standalone master's in entrepreneurship. However, they explore entrepreneurship itself in comparatively less detail since their core requirements extend to other areas.
Which one is right for me: MBA vs. master's in entrepreneurship?
Deciding between an MBA vs. a master's in entrepreneurship can be tricky. Framing the question in terms of your learning and career goals can help.
Consider an MBA if:
- You want to build a broader, more transferable, and more versatile skillset.
- You want to maximize your career options.
- You're not necessarily committed to running your own business.
Consider a master's in entrepreneurship if:
- You want complete knowledge of the business development life cycle.
- You have a business idea you're excited to get off the ground.
- You want to be your own boss and don't see yourself thriving in hierarchical corporate environments.
How much do an MBA and a master's in entrepreneurship cost?
According to a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) study, graduate students in business and management programs paid an average of $15,925 in tuition fees in 2020. The same NCES study found that students in MBA programs, specifically, paid an average tuition of $17,057 during that same period.
It's important to note, however, that tuition and required fees do not typically cover:
- Books and other learning materials.
- Learning technologies (personal computers, tablets, software).
- Technology fees (if you study online).
- Travel, transportation, housing, and food.
If you need help funding your master's degree, consider looking into options that don't require repayment, such as grants and scholarships. Campus-based employment and teaching assistantships can also help reduce your costs if you enroll in an on-campus program.
On the other hand, flexible online MBA and entrepreneurship programs often make it easier to work while you learn.