Comparing MBA and MPA Programs: Purpose, Career Paths, and Salary

This report provides a comparative analysis of Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs. It examines the distinct purposes of each degree, highlighting how MBAs cater to the private sector with specializations in operations, marketing, finance, and supply chain management, while MPAs focus on public accounting and preparing students for the Certified Public Accountant examination. The analysis further contrasts career options, noting that MBA graduates can pursue roles like accountants, investment bankers, and consultants, whereas MPA graduates often become budget analysts, auditors, or revenue agents. The report also discusses salary structures, indicating that while the median salary for accountants with either degree can be similar, career prospects and industry knowledge differ, with MBA graduates potentially having broader options. The report concludes that both courses are different because one focuses on the accounting filed while the other focuses on the activities outside and inside of the financial industry. The main similarity between both is both involve learning of the financial industry.

RESEARCH PROJECT
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Table of Contents
Does the MBA meet a different purpose entirely or does it supplement or replace MPA?............3
References........................................................................................................................................5
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Does the MBA meet a different purpose entirely or does it supplement or
replace MPA?
MBA (Master of Business Administration) aids the students so that they can perform with their
best possible efforts in the private sector. This stream of learning mainly helps the students to
utilize their skills in special parts of the business organizations. According to the study of Finardi
and Rojo (2015), pursuing studies in MBA helps the students to excel in operations management,
marketing, finance, accounting and the supply chain management. In this perspective considering
the study of Buenviaje et al., (2016), t can be seen that MBA course is undertaken by students
who aims at gathering more knowledge about the business world on the other hand MPA
( Master of professional Accounting) is selected by the students who wish to serve the public
accounting organizations.
As opined by the study of Bunney (2017), it has been observed that MPA is more attainable by
students who want to gather knowledge about accounting procedures because this study aids
them to prepare Certified Public Accountant examination. Thus from this aspect it can be said
that MBA did not replace MPA as the fields provides different outcomes. Caglio and Cameran
(2017) and Zeff (2016), in their study has shown that MPA prepare the students to nurture their
analytical skills on the financial reporting.
As pointed by the study of Kruss et al., (2015), working in public sector and nonprofit sectors
requires more responsible actions than working in private sectors because public sectors always
generates situations which are uncertain and thus pursuing course of MPA aids the students to
act promptly in emergency situations. Kwong and Thompson (2016), in their study have shown
that after MBA courses completion one can choose career options like accountant, investment
banker, consultant and senior executive, Lupu and Empson ( 2015) and Pincus et al., (2017), in
their study has shown that after pursuing MPA course students can choose career options like
budget analyst, revenue agent, auditor and accountant. Thus, it can be observed that career
aspects of MPA student are very different from that of students of MBA.
Mathew (2019), in his study have displayed that salary structure of the individuals who opted the
MPA course is different from that of the individuals who opted the MBA course. Median salary
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of the individuals if he/she serve the role of accountant in an organization is $68,150 and this
salary structure is provided to those who have completed the MBA course (Shafritz et al., 2016 ).
On the other side, it can be observed that median salary of the individual after completing MPA
course is also $68,150 if he/she works as accountant. Thus from this perspective it can be said
that salary structure for same role after completing two different courses is same. MPA
graduates if join job have limited options to choose from because this course provides general
industry knowledge while MBA graduates if wish to join job has many options to choose from
because this course module provides broad perspectives of the business activities (Mousa and
Alas, 2016).
Thus from the above analysis on MPA and MBA it can be said that both courses are different
because one focuses on the accounting filed while the other focuses on the activities outside and
inside of the financial industry. The main similarity between both is both involve learning of the
financial industry.
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References
Buenviaje, M.G., Encio, H.A., Refozar, R.F., Anuran, A., Camello, N.C. and Laguador, J.M.,
2016. Employability andSkills of MBA Graduates fromLiterature Review asInput to Student
Development Program. Journal of Research in Business and Management Volume, 4(5), pp.16-
21.
Bunney, D., 2017. Facilitating the transition to postgraduate studies: What can we learn from the
First Year Experience?. Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 11(1), pp.A23-A38.
Caglio, A. and Cameran, M., 2017. Is it shameful to be an accountant? GenMe perception (s) of
accountants' ethics. Abacus, 53(1), pp.1-27.
Finardi, K.R. and Rojo, R.A.O., 2015. Globalization, Internationalization and Education: What is
the connection?. IJAEDU-International E-Journal of Advances in Education, 1(1), pp.18-25.
Kruss, G., McGrath, S., Petersen, I.H. and Gastrow, M., 2015. Higher education and economic
development: The importance of building technological capabilities. International Journal of
Educational Development, 43, pp.22-31.
Kwong, C. and Thompson, P., 2016. The when and why: student entrepreneurial
aspirations. Journal of Small Business Management, 54(1), pp.299-318.
Lupu, I. and Empson, L., 2015. Illusio and overwork: playing the game in the accounting
field. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 28(8), pp.1310-1340.
Mathew, A., 2019. An enquiry into the career and specialisation choices of final semester MBA
students of Dublin Business School (Doctoral dissertation, Dublin Business School).
Mousa, M. and Alas, R., 2016. Cultural diversity and organizational commitment: A study on
teachers of primary public schools in Menoufia (Egypt). International Business Research, 9(7),
p.154.
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Pincus, K.V., Stout, D.E., Sorensen, J.E., Stocks, K.D. and Lawson, R.A., 2017. Forces for
change in higher education and implications for the accounting academy. Journal of Accounting
Education, 40, pp.1-18.
Shafritz, J.M., Borick, C., Russell, E.W. and Hyde, A.C., 2016. Introducing public
administration. Routledge.
Zeff, S.A., 2016. John B. Canning: a view of his academic career. In Memorial Articles for 20th
Century American Accounting Leaders (pp. 98-136). Routledge.
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