Are you an MBA aspirant interested in Human resources? But not sure about doing a general MBA or an HR management? Are you confused about which can be better for your path? No worries, we have your back. Here you can find answers to all the questions. In this blog, we talk about the General MBA, its pros and cons, and also what an MBA in HR can provide you. Hopefully, at the end of the article, you will be able to make a decision on which path to choose for your future career.

Let’s have a glimpse at the meaning of General MBA.
What Is a General MBA?
A General MBA provides a broad and versatile knowledge in various business functions, such as finance, human resources, marketing, and operations. Rather than studying a particular area of business, it aims to cover every part of business. This program generally equips a graduate to achieve leadership roles and provides wide opportunities for a career. It is a two-year program, where in the first year, students can learn about core subjects, whereas in the second year, you have electives along with other core subjects. The electives are selected by the students and are supposed to obtain credits for the evaluation of electives. Electives can be finance, marketing and HR or from any subjects the college provides. Unlike a specialised MBA, though you study finance as an elective, the degree cannot be considered an MBA in finance. The internships and projects you work on later give a clear indication of your goals.
But most of the companies look for an experienced person in one field during the selection process. Having a deep knowledge of one niche field of business helps you grow fast in your career. To study and develop a career, one must have an intense passion for the subject.
Are you a person intrigued by the recruitment process and managing human resources? Specialisation will provide you with an in-depth understanding and the different options available in HR management.
Moving forward, let’s delve more into the comparison, as you can choose a better career path.
Detailed Comparison of HR vs GENERAL MBA
FOCUS OF LEARNING
GENERAL MBA:
Generally, the curriculum covers all the key areas of business management so that candidates get an absolute skill set for running and developing a business organisation.
MBA IN HR:
Human resource management is all about engaging with employees, their behaviour, work and their pay. Starting the process from recruiting the personnel to retaining employees of the organisation can be studied in human resources management.
CAREER OPTIONS
GENERAL MBA:
Graduates with a General MBA have a wide career options as they study all areas of business. They can apply for any position as they possess knowledge in finance, marketing, HR, and operations. Actually, they are eligible for leadership roles, similar to the manager of a company.
MBA IN HR:
Modern practices in management, built up with information technology, have made administrative tasks easier. Utilising technology has made information more accessible within organisations and allows businesses to run globally and reduce costs. The evolution of E-recruitment, virtual management, Human Resource information systems, and HRM consultancies has created enormous career opportunities for graduates of an MBA in HR management. HR Director or the Chief HR Officer is the highest rank, typically reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and sometimes working along with the Board of Directors.
FLEXIBILITY
GENERAL MBA:
Finding a job in any role is easy with a General MBA. As it allows you to learn all the nitty-gritties of management, and surely with the wide range of knowledge, you can shift to any section of management.
MBA IN HR:
A master’s in human resources management equips a graduate with comprehensive knowledge in human resources. It is restrictive when it comes to switching jobs. However, it provides a vast career options.
Building upon this, let’s learn more about the comparison between an HR and a GENERAL MBA: Till then, “KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN”.

Why Choose HR?
If you want to know what drives people in the workplace, an MBA in Human Resources gives you the perfect opportunity. This equips you with the skills to manage talent, shape work culture, and solve real challenges that businesses face every day. You manage employee hiring, training, pay, and performance, which attributes organisational development. Businesses require HR specialists who can lead with vision and adjust to new challenges evolving rapidly. A full-time course usually spans two years, and you delve into a wide range of learning experiences.
If you enjoy working with people, solving problems and making an impact, an MBA in human resources opens doors to a rewarding career.
Some information on salary growth, approximately, with experience levels in India.
LEVEL | ROLE | EXPERIENCE | SALARY |
Entry level | Recruiter | 0-2yrs | 3 LPA to 5LPA |
Mid-level | Manager | 3-7yrs | 5LPA to 9LPA |
Senior level | Director | 7yrs+ | 9LPA above |
Hence, as we discuss in detail the MBA in Human Resources and the General MBA, choosing which is a better career path solely depends on the personal interests of the individual. Hope you find this helpful and take your pick.
And, if your choice is to do a Master’s in HR management, and you are in search of how to pursue it, we provide you with a reliable and trustworthy platform.
HUMAN RESOURCE COURSES FROM HENRY HARVIN

Henry Harvin is a prominent online learning platform operating since 2013 and offering several courses in multiple categories across the world. It provides corporate and college training programs, and the clientele list is huge. The affiliations, accreditations, and awards make it a perfect platform to enhance your career path. As everything moved online in this digital era, Henry Harvin presents the course online in MBA Human Resources. Below, we name some of the MBA Human Resource courses offered by Henry Harvin. The courses are HR Generalist, HR Analyst, HR Payroll and HR Manager and many. The demand for Human Resource experts is growing in India, and your chances of becoming an HR professional are not off. What are you waiting for? Grab this opportunity to flourish as a graduate in MBA Human Resource Management and create a successful career path.
CONCLUSION
However, the choice of a General MBA or in Human Resources is a decision you make for yourself. It totally depends on your interests and your career goals. To conclude this blog, a General MBA prepares you to handle all the business roles, whereas an MBA in HR makes you an expert in human resource management. Both paths lead to exciting and rewarding careers; you just need to add on amazing skill sets.
RECOMMENDED PAGES
- Concept of HR Management- What You Need to Know?
- How To Become an HR Generalist/HR Specialist?
- A Complete Guide to HR Payroll; 2024 Edition
- What is HR Analytics?
- Best HR Generalist Courses Online with Certificates
FAQs
It is a specialised MBA that teaches you detailed human resource management.
Yes, you have a wide career options to switch in General MBA.
You will gain basic knowledge about every field of business, like finance, marketing and HR
Q4-What are the career options with an MBA in HR?
As you study in depth in HR, you will be offered job roles as HR Specialist, HR Analyst, Talent Acquisition Specialist, HR Manager and many more.
Most of the companies prefer employees with in-depth knowledge, and organisations always look for HR professionals as they only work on selecting, training, and managing the employees.