Top MBA programs

Check out the top MBA programs and learn about the factors to consider when choosing the right Business-school.

MBA is a popular programme among students, and it is a well-established fact that students opt for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree not just to supplement their graduate education but also to get a better understanding of business, for better career prospects and or better salary packages.

• MBA and business administration notes
• NMIMS online MBA Projects and Assignments
• SMU online MBA assignments and projects
• Welingkar online MBA projects and assignments

Top Distance MBA Universities in India

Distance MBA refers to the MBA program that is offered in virtual mode.

Unlike full time MBA students, Distance MBA students need not visit any college everyday for lectures. Distance MBA students are provided books (PDFs) at the start of the semester (after they have enrolled for the course) and they can then attend classes through video lectures or conference. They are given periodic assignments and have to appear for an exam every semester.

The major advantage of Distance MBA is that the students can pursue the programme while continuing their professional responsibilities. Distance MBA programme from top colleges can help you climb the corporate ladder, as it arms you with fresh managerial knowledge and skill set.

Although there are numerous colleges that offer MBA programmes, its difficult to get admission in top B-schools. Besides, those who already have a good job are reluctant to leave their job to pursue a full time MBA. For such candidates, distance learning MBA programmes are a great alternative.

Advantages of Distance MBA for Working Students

Distance MBA works great for working professionals, who often choose Distance MBA to improve their skills and qualifications, which still on a job.

Convenient for Working Professionals
Very convenient for working individuals as there are no fixed time for classes and no college attendance is compulsory. All the lectures can be listened and seen online and hence physical presence is not required. Those who already have a good job or have joined their family business don’t have the time to do full time MBA.

Exams can be scheduled as and when you have the time and also you are given time to complete the course.

Informative but grasping concepts can be challenging
There’s a lot that you can learn through a distant MBA program; the lectures and books are very informative.

However, since it is a distance program, there are chances that you may not study regularly and it could get hectic before exams. Also understanding the subject can be a little difficult with just the reading material and online lectures.​

Limited Exposure, Networking and Job Assistance
You don’t really get to network and build contacts as you meet your colleagues only during exams.

There is no industrial or field visit involved in Distance MBA so the learning is restricted in the terms of exposure.

For distant MBA courses, you usually do not get placement assistance.

Better Salary
While full-time MBA students definitely get paid more because of their MBA, even distance MBA students can hope for recognition of their efforts in their respective companies.

As opposed to a full-time MBA programs, the admission process is much simpler, you just have to pay the requisite fees, and meet the eligibility requirements, and you can get started.

Also, fee for Distance MBA programs is much lesser (compared to full time MBA), so students of Distance MBA need not worry much about their return on investment.

Here’s the criteria for enrolling for a distance MBA programme:

• You should be a graduate in any discipline from a recognised institute or university
• Minimum two to three years of work experience for candidates applying for Executive MBA programmes through Distance Learning

There are many colleges that offer management programs via distance learning and these are quite convenient for working professionals. But do make sure that the program curriculum is intensive and has a wide coverage of important management concepts.

Here are the top B-schools that offer distance learning course in MBA programmes.

1. Symbiosis Centre of Distance Learning, Pune: Besides MBA, this university is also very popular for studying law.
2. Institute of Management Technology – Center for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad: IMT offers several management courses.
3. ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad: This University offers several distance education programmes such as BBA course, Executive MBA, Sectoral MBA, MBA etc.
4. Institute of Management Technology Centre for Distance Learning (IMT-CDL)
5. Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim: University offers several courses along with the management courses such as Health sciences, Biotech, Journalism & Mass communication, Hospitality, Commerce, Engineering and IT.
6. Amity University: University offers hundreds of programmes in several disciplines and is most popular for management courses.
7. Annamalai University, Tamilnadu
8. Alagappa University, Tamilnadu
9. Bharathidasan University – Centre for Distance Education
10. Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak: This university offers several undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral level courses.
11. IGNOU: Established in 1985 and named after former Prime Minister of India ‘Indira Gandhi’, IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) is popular for distance education.
12. NMIMS – School of Distance Learning: Programs offered by NMIMS are highly flexible, and emphasize on self-paced learning.
13. Lovely Professional University
14. Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University
15. Indian Institute of Finance

Top distance MBA programs in Mumbai

• L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research
• Institute of Management Studies and Research, Vivekanand Education Society, Chembur, Mumbai. Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Business Management
• UPES – Centre for Continuing Education, Navi Mumbai. MBA in Oil and Gas Management.

How to Choose the Right MBA Program

Here are the different parameters on which students must judge management colleges & courses.

Often students think about completely changing streams after getting admission in colleges, in order to achieve their goals. Thus it is important that you take a rational and well informed decision while choosing an institution so that you can save valuable time in the future.

Any post graduate management degree has lessons in management at its core, and is expected to sharpen students’ leadership skills and confidence. This, in turn, leads to bigger opportunities and a better career graph.

Factors to Consider

Important Factors to Consider:  Selection Process,  Affiliation/accreditation/collaboration, Learning Components, Curriculum, Faculty, Pedagogy, Future Orientation, Global Exposure, Industry Interface – Interactive/live projects/corporate internship, Potential to network/alumni outreach, Infrastructure and living experience, Facilities provided, Extracurricular activities, Fee Structure, Placements

Here are a few factors that you must evaluate:

Focus on Core Skills

What gives a cutting edge to the top Business schools is that these are the very essence of learning acquired in these colleges. These Institutions believes in putting the focus back on the core of management education and bringing out students with the right skill sets – be it for managerial jobs or entrepreneurship.

This objective is achieved by providing hands-on education through the case method and mentor-ship programs. Innovative problem solving techniques such as Design Thinking and Management simulation are also taught and practiced here. The pedagogy not only provides rich knowledge based on real life situations but also equips them to handle stress, make critical decisions and develop team management skill sets. It enhances recruitment opportunities as well as productivity, thus facilitating better growth opportunities.

Credibility
A plethora of institutions across the country today offer management education. Ascertain the credibility of an institute before taking the plunge. “Ideally, a student must select an institution that has been offering the course for a few years at least and is recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) or All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE),” says R.S.S. Mani, vice president, Institution for Technology and Management, Navi Mumbai. It is also important to not be swayed by institutes that flaunt awards received from private institutions with no academic or industrial relevance.

Popular & Recognized Courses

The AICTE approved PGDM program from these colleges offer students double specialisation whereby the students not only gain knowledge to be better professional but also acquire in-depth knowledge in the field of their choice. This unique feature of dual specialisation has made the program very popular with students and Corporates. The MMS program, affiliated to Mumbai University, is also very popular among students due to the depth of knowledge imparted and interactive case study based pedagogy.

Faculty
The list of faculty members along with their qualifications for most institutions is provided on their website. Take initiative and try to know more about them. According to Anuj Jain, chief counsellor at EduGroomers, a career guidance institute, students must rely more on first-hand information about the faculty if possible. “It is difficult to trust college rankings and faculty information as published by different organizations because there is always a chance that one or more institutions may have paid for them. Students who are already studying in the institution will definitely give honest feedback about the faculty members,” he says.

Curriculum
The fundamental principle with regards to the curriculum is that the course offered must determine the college for a student and not the other way round. “Nowadays choosing an MBA college has become akin to choosing from a menu card. Students give more importance to the brand name of a college than to the course they want to study,” says Jain. In addition to this, students must also look at how a college syllabus adds to their competencies and skill sets. Although the basic syllabus remains the same, each institution can choose to conduct extra projects, workshops etc. for better understanding of the subject. Says Mani, “Students must look at what an institution is offering apart from the usual academic syllabus which all institutions are required to offer. They must make sure that the institution teaches them how to communicate with people in different situations, take responsibility and act like a leader.”

Certificate Programs

Another interesting component of education of the top B-schools are the Professional Certificate Programs (PDP) in Retail Management, Entrepreneurship Management, Media Management & Digital Marketing, Capital Markets, Event Management New Business Creation – Incubation. These are short term programs which are offered to the public and also as an option to the Colleges’full time students. These well-designed courses facilitate practical knowledge of the particular area and enhances professional skills. The experiential training programs do wonder for students creativity and update their skill sets. These programs have been designed by industry experts along with experienced college faculty.

Focus on People Skills

As there is increased acknowledgement that people skills are business critical, the courses have ample focus on them and include tools and techniques to enhance soft skills. Many events and workshops, driven by students, are organised through the year to nurture leadership, team management as well as collaboration skills. Among these are Industry Conclaves, Research Conference, Retail Carnival, Business Quiz, Global and Local Industry visits, and much more.

Training and Placement Cells
It is perhaps the most important factor for students while deciding on a college. Often this becomes their only decision making criterion.

The training and placement cells in these institutions play a vital role, not only in facilitating best of placement opportunities but also in training students in soft skills, and enhancing their confidence. This not only enhances placement opportunities but also enables the alumni to stay at the top of their game. The top colleges also have an active Alumni cell in which Alumni are engaged with the institute for various institutional activities.

Check up placement data provided by colleges on their websites. It could be decked up for advertising purposes. “In addition to audited placement reports provided online, students must speak to the recently graduated batch to get an idea about the placement scenario. They must aim for institutions which offer a package that will be a decent return of investment,” says Mukund Kumar, joint secretary, placement cell, Faculty of Management Studies, New Delhi. Another important aspect is the kind of internships offered by the institution. “It gives students a chance to interact with people who are doing practical work and allows them to be better prepared for the job,” says Mani.

Good companies from various industries come to these colleges for campus recruitments, to name a few – ITC, TATA group, Reliance (ADAG), Decathlon, Godrej, OLA, Pepsi, L&T constructions, IDFC, Motilal Oswal, Cadbury, Ernst & Young, SBI Life, Axis Bank, Omnicom, and many such companies.

It is not surprising then that these colleges bag a number of awards in the past, from industry bodies and large media groups.

Avoid institutions which have:
1) No proper accreditation
2) No attendance structure
3) Website which only look good but have little substance

MS vs MBA: Which is better?

Master of Science(MS) or Master of Business Administration (MBA), is a popular choice for many students who want to do further studies. Here’s more about the two courses, including their differences.

Both MS and MBA, are vastly different courses, with their own benefits. You can take up MS or MBA taking into consideration your interest area, and the scope of advancement.

Here’s more information that will help you to make the right decision.

• MBA is a business graduate degree. If you aspire to play professional roles in your life and believe that you can be good in business or entrepreneurship, then MBA would be the right choice for you.On the other hand, MS degree focuses on a single specialty. If you wish to focus on engineering as your core passion, work in an engineering-related sector and conduct researches in engineering, then MS would be the right path for you.
• For admissions in MBA you need an undergraduate degree from a recognized university. For admission to MBA, your entrance examinations scores in CAT, XAT, MAT, NMAT, GMAT will be taken into consideration.To take admissions in MS, you need an undergraduate degree and then you need to appear for Graduate Record Examination(GRE).
• MBA will give you the flexibility to move into a more general role, away from one’s functional specialization. You can shift from one MBA branch to another over time as business management covers a holistic education.While MS is a much more specialized program than MBA. In MS you will be restricted to one specific area within a business or science. For instance, an MS program in Marketing will necessarily require one to pursue career options only related to Marketing.
• If you pursue MS, then you will be concentrated in a specific area. Some popular MS specialisations include- Computer Science Engineering, Statistics, Biomedical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Marketing.In case you opt for MBA then you’ll learn about basics of management, leadership, critical thinking and do MBA specialisations in- Business Analytics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Media & Entertainment, and Operations.
• If you pursue MBA, then you’ll have higher starting salaries and salary growth than MS graduates do. This may vary according to function and program though, the employer and the demand within a particular function.
• Taking up MS might be a niche. Hence your acceptability across employers and companies will be lesser. On the other hand, as an MBA professional, you will be more accepted across geographies and industries.