What is MBA (Masters of Business Administration)?

Master of Business Administration or MBA is one of the most popular post-graduate programmes in India and abroad. The two-year programme is a gateway to a plethora of job opportunities in the corporate world. Here are some important facts about the MBA program:

What makes MBA such a popular course is that students from any background – including Science, Commerce and Humanities – can pursue it.

A regular MBA or Post-Graduation Diploma in Management (PGDM) is generally a two-year course divided into four or six semesters. However, there are certain private institutes that offer one-year PGDM programmes as well.

One can pursue MBA in various modes, such as, Regular, Online and Distance-Education. Interested candidates can also find programmes customised based on their professional experience such as Executive MBA.

Many management institutes offer Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) or Post-Graduate Programme (PGP) in Management instead of an MBA degree. There is not much difference between the two, but for their titles.

The full-time MBA is the most popular among all, and includes theory classes, practical projects, and internships.

Fresh graduates as well as candidates with a few years of work experience opt for a full-time MBA. Some colleges prefer fresh graduates while some colleges give higher preference to candidates with a few years of work experience.

On the other hand, the Executive MBA is fit for candidates with more than 5 -10 years work experience as it is designed to enhance their managerial and leadership skills to stay relevant in the job market.

Online MBA, Part Time MBA and Distance MBA programmes are ideal for candidates who wish to study while working.

MBA eligibility

Full-time MBA eligibility criteria are as follows:

The basic eligibility criteria for MBA (full-time) is Graduation in any discipline or equivalent from a recognised university

Most of the institutes follow the minimum score criteria in Graduation which is 50 per cent in average or equivalent. For Reserved category students, the minimum score in 45 per cent in aggregate

Final-year Graduation candidates are also eligible to apply for MBA, provided they present the proof of completion of Graduation degree within the duration specified by the institute

MBA Admissions

Admissions to all B-schools typically take place through an admission test. This test can be one of the following types:

National Level Test conducted by an apex testing body or a top national B-school on behalf of the other participating colleges. eg: CAT, MAT, CMAT or ATMA

State Level Test conducted by a state level testing body or a top state B-school on behalf of the other participating colleges in that state. eg: MAH-CET, OJEE, KMAT, TANCET or APICET

Test conducted by a B-school for entrance to its own MBA programme. In some cases, these scores can be accepted as a qualifying criteria by other B-schools as well. eg: IIFT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, IBSAT

Test conducted by a university for entrance to MBA programmes being offered by colleges that are affiliated to it. eg: KIITEE, HPU MAT.

Top MBA entrance exams

Given below is the list of top MBA exams scores that are valid for admission to various B-schools. 

Popular MBA Specializations

MBA courses and specialisations

Apart from the generic MBA course, there are many MBA specialisations available to candidates. It is recommended that every candidate must choose a branch or specialisation in their MBA programme since it equips them better with the requisite skills for specific domains such as finance, operations, human resources, marketing, to name a few.

Some of the most popular MBA specialisations are listed below:

MBA Subjects

Students pursuing MBA programme are exposed to a range of subjects. In a two year programme, students begin with core subjects such as Organisational Behaviour, Marketing, Principles of Management, to name a few. In the second year, they are exposed to subjects such as Entrepreneurship and Business Law, among others. Often MBA schools classify these subjects as core and electives and give a chance to students to choose between the elective subjects. Listed below are some of the subjects that most MBA courses offer:

• Marketing
• HR management
• Business planning
• Finance management
• Principles of management
• Business laws
• Communication skills
• Entrepreneurship
• Business Communication
• Computer Application
• Organizational behavior
• Taxation
• Retail management
• Project work
• Economics
• Business environment

Scope of MBA: Top Companies

The scope of MBA is huge in the current job market. MBA graduates are in high demand in every industry and in every domain. Most of the MBA institutes provide campus placement to their students on completion of the full-time MBA course for a smooth beginning of their career.

All organisations, big or small, private or government, hire MBA degree holders in various capacities. Below is the list of some of the top companies that hire MBA graduates through campus placements.