Pursuing a master's degree is an added advantage, no matter what field you aim to work in. For example, if the field you are interested in is finance or related areas, then it is a good idea to go for an MBA or M.Com. Although both master's degrees are amazing options, students are often confused about which is better.
Before you choose either of these two courses, it is important to understand what they include, focus on, and specialise in as a postgraduate degree. We need to emphasise this part because MBA as a postgraduate program focuses on preparing students for the corporate world. It means you will work in a managerial role after completing your MBA in finance. On the other hand, M.Com is a postgraduate degree that solely focuses on financial expertise. Therefore, even if some subjects and curriculum components may coincide with MBA, the focus here is to make one well-versed in financial knowledge.
MBA vs M.Com - Overview
Whether you go for MBA or M.Com, the key point is to compare them thoroughly. As explained earlier, they might seem similar in outlook but are inherently different postgraduate courses. To give you a brief overview, here is a table highlighting the differences between the two.
Particular |
M.Com |
MBA |
Full-form |
Masters of Commerce |
Masters of Business Administration |
Duration |
2Years |
2Years |
Eligibility criteria |
Graduation (Any stream) with a minimum 50% aggregate. Preferred B Com in concerned discipline. |
Graduation (Any stream) a minimum 45% aggregate |
Average Fee |
INR 1 LPA |
INR 5 LPA |
Average M Com vs MBA Salary |
INR 4LPA |
INR 6LPA |
Job Roles |
Operation Manager, Finance Manager, Accounting Manager, etc. |
Marketing Manager, Operations Manager, Financial Analyst, etc. |
MBA is a 2-year postgraduate program offered in business schools in India and abroad. It is a highly popular course because it is always in high demand in the corporate sector. An MBA degree opens the door to executive decision-making powers and business management and administration knowledge. The program values creativity, expertise, and dedication to drive changes.
On the other hand, M Com is the continuation of B.Com. Gaining financial understanding in various areas, such as financial statement analysis, cost accounting, and so on, is the main focus of this program. Graduates with an M.Com degree can get decent jobs in financial institutions.
MBA vs M.Com - Basic Eligibility Criteria
If you think of "MBA or M Com, which is tough," you should first examine the basic eligibility criteria required for both programs. Just like the two programs are very different, the type of eligibility criteria would also be different. Please note that we are considering MBA full-time programs in this brief for simplification.
For admission to the MBA program, one should have the following:
To get admitted to an M.Com, one should have the following:
It is significant to note that these are only the basic eligibility criteria for the programs. Many reputed institutes in India have a detailed list of eligibility criteria. Students must go through each to get an exact idea about their admission process.
MBA vs M.Com - Popular Entrance Exams in India
Getting admission in either of the courses requires dedicated efforts on the aspirant's part. Besides the minimum eligibility criteria requirement, students must clear the cut-off marks of required entrance examinations. It should be noted that the entrance examinations could be at national, state, or even university levels. Therefore, keeping track of these examinations would be vital for admission to a well-reputed institution.
Here is a list to give you an idea about the most popularly accepted entrance examinations in India for MBA admission.
Entrance examinations conducted for the M.Com. Programs:
MBA vs M.Com – Syllabus
It is important to understand the subjects it will involve. While M.Com is focused on core financial subjects such as financial management and policy, organisation theory, statistical analysis, economics, and so on, MBA offers many subjects. To understand which M Com specialisation is best, you will need to dig deeper into the skin of the program offered.
As you may already be aware, MBA has multiple specialisations. If you are considering pursuing a full-time MBA program, then post the first year, you must choose your specialisation. Depending on the specialisation, the subjects would greatly vary.
MBA Specializations
M.Com Specializations
MBA vs M.Com – Why Join?
Both of the courses are advantageous in their respect. For decision-making, measuring their effectiveness concerning your career objective is important. Pursuing an MBA makes more sense if you wish to assume a managerial role. We will discuss in detail what all job profiles are available with this degree. But in the meanwhile, students should understand that MBA prepares them for decision-making roles.
advantages of the MBA
When we talk about M.Com, graduates feel confident about their knowledge in the financial arena. Gaining a master's degree exclusively in commerce is an advantage no one can deny in the financial job market. It would be much easier to get promoted to better designations if you finish your master's degree in commerce than simply having a bachelor's degree.
The advantages of the M Com program, we can say that it:
MBA vs M.Com - Scope and Job Opportunities
No matter how interesting an academic program may be, the most important concern is always the job opportunities it can offer. Therefore, it should be your top priority. Fortunately, between the choice of a master's in commerce and a master's in business administration, the job opportunities are ample. Many job profiles are available in various sectors that offer lucrative salaries with reputed designations.
Following are a few of the communal job profiles offered to MBA candidates:
Following are a few of the common job profiles offered to M.Com candidates:
MBA vs M.Com - Salary and job profiles
Not only do these postgraduate programs have reputed job profiles, but all of these profiles have attractive salary packages. However, students should remember that the salary package ranges depending on their chosen sector and work experience.
It should be kept in mind that these are professional degrees and value appreciated after gaining significant work experience. In the initial years as freshers, young graduates may feel they are not earning as much as their seniors. But they should be assured they would get a significant salary hike after a few years.
The average salary offered to MBA graduates is as follows:
Designation |
Average Salary (INR) |
Marketing Manager |
INR 5.5LPA |
Regional Sales Manager |
INR 3.6LPA |
Operations Manager |
INR 5.4LPA |
Digital Marketing Analyst |
INR 5.1LPA |
The average salary offered to M Com graduates is as follows:
Designation |
Average Salary (INR) |
Accountant |
INR 2.2LPA |
Finance Analyst |
INR 3.9LPA |
Finance Manager |
INR 3.9LPA |
Executive Assistant |
INR 3.1LPA |
M.Com or MBA - What should be your choice?
Now that you know the type of postgraduate programs, MBA and M.Com, it is time to weigh other relevant factors that will be important in your decision-making. Individual preferences and career objectives would lead to different choices. One should feel confident in their choice depending on their preferences and circumstances.
M.Com or MBA- Fees Structure
Pursuing an MBA degree is costlier than a mcom degree. Not only are the tuition fees much higher than the latter, but all the sundry expenses accompany it. For example, the average fee for an MBA program from a reputed institute in India would cost around Rs. 15 Lakhs. In comparison, you can pursue M.Com. In less than half of the amount, around Rs. 3-5 Lacs.
Acceptance of the degree
MBA caters to the global demand for corporate skills. The whole postgraduate course is designed so that students are prepared for corporate workforces around the globe. Naturally, this would have a higher acceptance rate around the globe than M.Com. If a student aims to work abroad, pursuing an MBA would be a much better choice.
Focus of subjects
MBA courses are not just focused on the specialisation area. Instead, they will teach various subjects, such as presentation skills, data analytics, financial costing, etc. Only in the program's second year would the students have a choice to select the subjects they are interested in. Thus, if students are only interested in studying commerce, they should choose M.Com as their postgraduate degree.
Hence, students should carefully consider their options and choose the degree that fits them the best. The choice should be made independently, taking into consideration the individual's strengths, career objectives, and long-term goals regarding the field theta re interested in,