MBA Center Global 
A Master in Management (MiM) and a specialised Master of Science (MSc) are both common next steps after a bachelor's degree, and both are heavily represented at European business schools. The real difference is depth versus breadth.
MiM: breadth across functions
A MiM teaches the core of general management: strategy, finance, marketing and operations together. It suits candidates who know they want a business career but have not decided which function yet, and it tends to lead into consulting, finance or general management roles.
Specialised MSc: depth in one area
A specialised MSc goes deep into a single function instead, such as marketing, strategy, or data science and business analytics. Some of the most interesting specialised MSc programmes are run jointly between a business school and an engineering school. ESSEC's programme with CentraleSupélec in data science and business analytics is one example: two-thirds of the teaching happens at the engineering school, with the business school providing the remaining third.
Be honest about your starting point
This matters more for technical specialised MSc programmes than for a MiM. If you come from a social science or humanities background with no programming or statistics training, a joint data science degree can be genuinely demanding, and a two-year format exists specifically because candidates from those backgrounds need the extra time to catch up. Don't assume a business school environment will make a technical subject easier than it actually is.
The GMAT question
Most specialised MSc programmes accept the GMAT or GRE, and candidates without a strong quantitative background sometimes find the GRE's maths section more approachable than the GMAT's. If your undergraduate degree was quantitative already, the GMAT may be the faster path since your transcript will already support the rest of your application.
How to decide
Ask yourself one practical question before anything else: do you already know which function you want to work in? If yes, and a specialised MSc exists for it, that focused path usually serves you better than a broader degree. If you are still exploring, a MiM gives you more room to figure that out during the programme itself rather than before you apply.
We help candidates make this call based on their actual background and goals, not just which programme sounds more impressive. See our specialised Master's admissions consulting or our MiM admissions consulting, or get in touch for a free consultation.
