Difference Between CA vs MBA
In this article, we will learn about the difference between CA vs MBA. CA is the abbreviation used for Chartered Accountants, whereas in MBA is the abbreviation used for Masters of Business Administration. A Chartered Accountant can work in various finance and business fields that includes taxation, auditing, and general management. A Chartered Accountant can work in both the private and public sectors. ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) offers CA courses, and aspirants can enroll for the same right after they have finished their high school studies. CA takes an average of 5 years to complete, and the enrolled students will need to qualify for four levels of the exam, starting from CPT to IPCC to 3 years article-ship under a CA firm to the final exam. The aspirants will need to qualify for all four levels of a CA exam to earn the degree. A 3 years article-ship under a CA firm is mandatory for aspirants, and a failure to do so will disqualify them from getting hold of the CA degree. On the other hand, an MBA is a post-graduate program in India as well as abroad. It is a two-year program, and an aspirant can enroll for the same once he or she is done with their graduation. Aspirants can even pursue an MBA through online, part-time, and distance education programs.
Head to Head Comparisons Between CA vs MBA (Infographics)
Below are the top 11 comparisons between CA vs MBA:
Key Differences between CA vs MBA
Let us discuss some of the major key differences between CA vs MBA:
- The CA course takes an average of four to five years to complete, whereas the MBA course takes around 2 years to complete.
- CA is widely recognized in India and some Middle Eastern countries, too but is not much recognized in other foreign countries, while MBA is recognized all over the world.
- Only ICAI or the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India offers a CA course, whereas there are multiple universities around the world that offers an MBA course.
- The MBA course can be pursued through regular, offline, part-time or distance education, whereas the same thing is not applicable in a CA course.
- CA course may take a long time to complete, but it is not that expensive as compared to a regular MBA course. A regular MBA course from a reputed university can be at least ten times expensive to the overall expenses incurred in pursuing a CA course.
- CA course is much harder as compared to the MBA course.
- A CA course can be completed after one has cleared all the four levels that are Common Proficiency Test (CPT), IPCC/ IPCE (Intermediary exams), three years of mandatory Article-ship under a CA firm and Finals exam, whereas the MBA course can be completed after the aspirants have cleared all the semesters and exams.
- A CA course can be pursued right after class 12 exams, whereas the MBA course is a post-graduate program that is graduates can only pursue it.
- A three-year article-ship under a CA firm is mandatory in a CA course, whereas, in an MBA course, internships are mandatory.
CA vs MBA Comparison Table
Let’s look at the top comparisons between CA vs MBA:
| Basis of Comparison | CA | MBA |
| Full-Form | The full form for CA is Chartered Accountant. | The full form for MBA is a Masters of Business Administration. |
| Who Organizes the Course? | CA course is organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). | MBA course is offered by a lot of institutes in and out of India. |
| Levels | A CA course has four levels, namely –
|
MBA is a two-year course. The aspirants will have to appear for semesters and exams as and whenever planned by their institute. |
| Article-ship/ Internship and its tenure. | A 3-year article-ship under any Chartered Accountant or a CA firm is mandatory. | Aspirants must not miss on internships after finishing their MBA course. |
| Tenure | A CA course can be time taking since it takes a minimum of four to five years to complete. | An MBA course takes around two years to complete. |
| Expenses | A CA course is not that expensive as compared to an MBA course. | MBA course can be really expensive as compared to the CA course. The expenses involved in an MBA course will vary from institute to institute and country to country and the type of course too. |
| Difficulty Level | A CA course is way tougher than an MBA course. | MBA course is not that tough as compared to CA. |
| Subjects | CA course provides an insight into subjects like business environment and financial accounting as well as reporting, auditing, taxation, and general management. | MBA focuses on subjects like accounting, economics, operations, human resource, marketing, etc. |
| Job Roles | A CA can work as a public accountant, management accountant, government accountant, internal auditor, etc. | MBA can apply for the role of managers, leaders, sales heads, operations, HR, project managers, etc. |
| Recognition | A Chartered Accountant profession is highly recognized in India and few Middle Eastern countries as well but remotely recognized in other international English speaking countries. | MBA is widely recognized not just in India but in many other foreign countries too. |
| When Can an Aspirant Pursue the Respective Courses? | An aspirant can enroll for the CA course right after he or she has completed his or her high schooling. | An aspirant can enroll for the MBA course right after he or she has completed his or her graduation. |
Conclusion
An aspirant must consider CA as his or her career option only he or she has an interest in and wants to make a career in business and finance. The aspirants who are very much interested in learning financial accounting and reporting that include taxation, auditing, and general management and are ready to invest a minimum of 4 to 5 years for getting hold off this degree can readily opt CA over any other course. On the other hand, graduates who are interested in making a career in business and management and have the qualities of becoming a good leader can readily apply for an MBA program.
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