Master’s Or MBA? Why Not Both

If you are weighing specialist depth against managerial breadth, EDHEC’s MSc & Global MBA double degree offers a structured way to build both. 

Choosing between a specialised Master’s and a Global MBA can feel like defining your career in a single decision. One promises technical mastery. The other develops leadership perspective and international reach. 

At EDHEC, the question does not have to end in a trade-off. The MSc & Global MBA double degree is designed for professionals who want both depth and breadth, within a structured two-year format. 

For EDHEC dual degree programme alumni Nanni Cotronei and Simran Desai, the dual pathway offered something a single degree could not: it created a progression from expertise to leadership, from discipline to direction. 

The Case For The MSc 

An MSc is built around precision. It prepares students to master the specific demands of a precise business field. Within the double-degree structure, participants complete core courses, electives, a specialised track with an international learning expedition, and the Sustainable Impact Challenge. The emphasis is on technical, operational and problem-solving skills. 

For Nanni, the decision was initially straightforward. “When I first applied to EDHEC, my goal was to deepen my expertise in finance.” The MSc in Finance strengthened his analytical capability and technical grounding before he broadened his managerial lens. 

 

 

Simran approached the MSc from a different angle. After four years in hospitality, she aimed to pivot into consulting. The MSc “equipped me with a strong theoretical base in Strategy and Consulting.” It gave her the disciplinary credibility required to reposition her career. 

The MSc also provides structured exposure to employers. Simran recalls that “during the MSc program, EDHEC’s career center organized several industry-specific days where leading companies from consulting, NGOs, automobiles, FMCG, luxury and more would present their companies and vacancies.” 

For candidates certain about their chosen field, the MSc delivers clarity and authority. 

 

The Case For The Global MBA 

The Global MBA operates on a broader canvas. It develops a 360° global business vision while strengthening leadership capabilities. Admission requires a minimum of three years’ professional experience, shaping a cohort of experienced, internationally diverse participants. 

Nanni describes the shift in scope during the MBA phase. The curriculum covered leadership, psychology of working in groups, strategy, marketing, project management, digitalisation, elements of AI strategy and sustainability in business. He reflects, “Mainly, I think what I gained from the MBA is connections and exposure to fields I had never been exposed to.” 

Learning extends beyond theory. “The opportunity of working in groups with experienced professionals on real-world case studies, often for projects commissioned by actual companies interested in our work, gave me exposure to real business situations that an MSc couldn’t have.” 

Simran highlights the impact of cohort diversity. “Due to the sheer diversity in nationalities, age, previous experience and so much more, I completed my MBA feeling more well-informed and confident.” 

While her MSc focused deeply on strategy, the MBA allowed her to “dabble in Statistics, Finance and Data Visualisation, among many other topics that helped me land my first role after graduation.” 

For professionals seeking cross-functional fluency and leadership evolution, the MBA provides a different dimension of development. 

Why Choose One When You Can Do Both? 

The dual-degree format offers you the chance to do both in a 2-year timeframe. Participants complete both an intensive MSc and a rigorous Global MBA, earning two degrees that reinforce each other. The programme can be taken in either order, allowing candidates to align sequencing with their professional goals. 

Nanni reflects that the combined route “made my profile more versatile. It strengthened my adaptability in team settings, broadened the range of roles I feel equipped to pursue, and gave me more clarity about the kind of impact I want to create in my career.” 

He offers practical advice to candidates hesitating between the two. “If you’re hesitating between an MSc and an MBA, it usually means either you are very certain about a specific field, which points toward the MSc, or you’re open to exploring broader career options, which aligns more with the MBA.” 

Simran describes the dual pathway as “a challenging but rewarding experience.” For her, it enabled what she calls a “triple jump” involving change in geography, industry and position. 

The structure also includes a minimum of four months’ work experience as part of the MBA tailored project, ensuring that learning remains anchored in organisational reality. 

Two Networks, One Leadership Profile 

Beyond curriculum, the dual degree expands professional networks. The MSc cohort often gathers younger professionals at similar stages of experience. Simran notes that “most of my MSc network consisted of people with a similar level of professional experience as myself.” 

The MBA cohort brings a different dynamic. Nanni describes it as “much more international,” with participants focused on career progression and personal growth. He adds that “the friendships and connections I made during the MBA are unvaluable,” and that he feels “more connected and able to find future job opportunities with my MBA colleagues.” 

Simran echoes this view. “The network built during an MBA is invaluable.” Over time, she began viewing professional relationships as long-term friendships rather than transactional exchanges. 

The result is access to two communities. One rooted in disciplinary expertise. The other grounded in international managerial experience. 

Depth And Breadth, Without Compromise 

An MSc builds technical authority. A Global MBA develops leadership capacity and strategic perspective. The double degree aligns these capabilities within a coherent trajectory. 

For early career professionals ready to accelerate toward senior management roles that demand both specialist knowledge and evolved leadership, the choice may not be either or. 

It can simply be both.

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