What is MBA ?

Master’s in Business Administration or MBA is a postgraduate degree with its importance with recognized not only in India but in other foreign countries as well. MBA is a two-year degree programme that provides an individual with a gateway to an abundance of job opportunities across India as well as overseas. Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree from any background be it commerce, science, arts, can opt for taking a postgraduate degree in MBA. Generally, four semesters form part of an MBA programme and its importance is not limited to only the Private sector. MBA graduates can hold managerial positions in Public and Government sectors as well. The MBA programme was introduced in order to meet the deficit of quality managers at the top level in various organizations. Candidates can pursue an MBA programme either on a regular basis or can opt for online or distance education basis. Apart from regular MBA degree, candidates with work experience can also opt for an Executive MBA programme to enhance their leadership and managerial qualities.
Read: IIM MBA Admission Process to know more details.

1. MBA Eligibility Criteria

Candidates can opt for a regular full-time MBA or distance MBA. Although the basic eligibility remains the same in all institutions providing MBA degrees, some colleges may inculcate some changes in MBA eligibility criteria as per their requirement. The following mentioned are the basic requirements which a candidate should have in order to pursue an MBA degree as a postgraduation:

1. Candidates must have a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline be it technology, science, commerce, humanities, etc, from any recognized University or Institution of National importance.
2. Minimum percentage required in graduation degree is 50% as prescribed by most of the Universities/Institutes.
3. Final year candidates can also apply to apply for an MBA, but they have to provide their final graduation certificate within a specified time duration.

1. MBA Admission

Most of the B-Schools conduct their own MBA entrance exams in order to provide admissions to candidates in the two-year management programme. Whereas, some of the B-Schools admit candidates on the basis of national level tests like CAT/MAT/XAT/ATMA, etc. Admission tests of MBA can be divided into three levels.

S. No.	Level of Test
1.	National Level Test
2.	State Level Test
3.	University Level Test

Detailed analysis of the entrance exams for two years MBA programme is given below-

1. National Level Test – There are certain exams which are common and are conducted at the National level. Scores of such exams are accepted by all participating colleges/institutes. Some of the top national level MBA entrance exams are CAT, MAT, XAT, ATMA, CMAT, IIFT etc.
2. State Level Test – Apart from the national level exams, there are some states that conduct their own entrance exams for MBA. Qualifying candidates can take admission in any of the participating colleges across the state. Some of the top State-level exams include MAH CET, OJEE MBA, TANCET, AP ICET, KMAT, etc.
3. University Level Test – Along with above-mentioned tests for MBA admission, some of the institutes also provide admissions to candidates on the basis of test conducted by them. Such University level tests are NMAT/NMIMS, CUSAT, SNAP, IPU CET, IRMASAT, etc.

Eligible candidates who are willing to take admission in MBA programme in the top B-Schools of India are required to qualify any of the above-mentioned tests depending on their choice of college/university/institute.

Once the candidates qualify any of the above exams, they have to go through a screening/written ability test/personal interview etc depending upon the preference of institute and its selection procedure for MBA admissions.

• Top B-Schools of India for the two years MBA programme

Due to the availability of a number of colleges for MBA, it may happen that one college/institute may sound appealing to one candidate, while the same does not to another candidate. Some of the top B-Schools providing MBA programme are given below:

• B-School of India with Fee Structure of MBA Degree:

Government	Fee* Approx.	Private	Fees* Approx.
IIM Ahmedabad	23 lacs	XLRI, Jamshedpur	10-20 lacs
IIM Bangalore	21 lacs	MDI, Gurgaon	18 lacs
IIM Calcutta	20.1 lacs	SPJIMR, Mumbai	17.5 lacs
IIM Indore	16 lacs	TAPMI, Karnataka	6 lacs
IIM Lucknow	14.16 lacs	IMI Delhi	17 lacs
IIM Kozhikode	17.5 lacs	IMT Ghaziabad	15-18 lacs
NITIE Mumbai	14 lacs	IRMA, Gujarat	10 lacs
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, Mumbai	8.73 lacs	IBS Business School, Hyderabad	14 lacs
IIT Delhi	9.6 lacs	Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development, Pune	5-15 lacs
FMS Delhi	2 lacs	Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai	18.50 lacs

*Fees of MBA programme is tentative for some institutes and may vary as per the selection of MBA programme specialization.

• MBA Specialization

MBA whether as a full-time programme or correspondence offers exposure to candidates in a variety of MBA specializations. Some institutes give the option of selecting MBA specialization in the very first year, while some institutes let candidates study basics in the first year of the MBA programme and then select MBA specialized area in the second year. Whereas, sometimes the candidates are given the option to select core and elective subjects either in the first year or the second year. Some of the major MBA specializations which are offered by B-Schools in India for MBA programme are given below.

Major Specializations of MBA Degree:

Specialization	Specialization	Specialization
Marketing	Finance & Accounting	Computer Application
Human Resource Management	Entrepreneurship	Business Communication
Information Technology	Economics & Social Sciences	Production & Operations Management
International Business	Business Economics	Retail Management
Public Policy	Forest Management	Supply Chain Management
Telecom	Agriculture & Food Business	Disaster Management

• MBA Syllabus

Candidates who pursue an MBA degree are exposed to a wide range of subjects as the MBA syllabus is quite wide and aims to provide complete exposure to candidates about the business tactics. In the two year duration of MBA degree, the candidate begins with core subjects such as Organisational Behaviour, Sales & Marketing, Principles of Management, Business Communication, Entrepreneurship, Business Law etc., Almost all B-Schools offering MBA degree have classified these subjects as core and electives as this allows candidates choose between the elective subjects of their interest. Below-mentioned are some of the subjects that candidates study in while having MBA degree-

1. Finance Management
2. Principles of Management
3. Principles of Marketing
4. Business Laws
5. Business Communication
6. Organizational behaviour
7. Economics
8. Business environment
9. Taxation
10. Human Resource Management
11. Ethics
12. Corporate Social Responsibility

• Scope of MBA Programme

Before candidates decide to opt for an MBA programme, it is essential that they understand the scope of the two years programme, the benefits associated along with the average pay package they can get. Currently, candidates from all domains are planning to take up the MBA Programme for uplifting their career path. The importance of having an MBA degree can not be neglected. Candidates having MBA degree are demanded in every industry.

Advantages of MBA Degree

1. Upliftment in Career Growth
2. Enhancement in Core Values
3. Ingenious Attitude
4. Time Management
5. Innovative Outlook
6. Expansion in Job Opportunities

• MBA Programme – Top MBA Recruiters

Although MBA graduates are required in all domains, yet in India, there are certain top MBA recruiters that specifically hire MBA graduates. The hiring capacity may differ due to certain factors, but the core aim will remain the same. Recruitment can be done through any source like campus placement, direct hiring, agency recruitment, third party sourcing, etc. Some of the top recruiters hiring MBA graduates are listed below:

1. Google
2. Deloitte
3. NTPC
4. Citibank
5. ITC
6. Vodafone
7. Larsen & Toubro
8. Nestle
9. Flipkart
10. Microsoft
11. Amazon
12. Wipro etc.,

• MBA Skill-Set

A candidate after completing his/her MBA duration is expected to work as a manager. Companies expect their managers i.e. MBA graduates to professionals and hence expect them to have not only good communication and leadership qualities but much more. Let us have a look at some of the skill-sets required from a candidate having an MBA degree:

1. Managerial Skills
2. Goal-Oriented
3. Decision-Making Skills
4. Analytical Thinking
5. Problem-solving Skills
6. Business Acumen
7. Ability to work under pressure
8. Persuasive Skills
   

• MBA Salary Package

Keeping in view the current scenario, it is likely that MBA graduates will see a shift in the increase of the average package. As per the annual survey report submitted by GMAC, more than 50 per cent of the participating companies planned to increase the base salary of MBA graduates from the academic year 2019. Top government B-Schools, IIM Ahmedabad offered an average package of 30.40 lacs per annum in the year 2019 while Private sector-top institute XLRI Jamshedpur offered an average salary package of 22.35 lacs per annum in the year 2019.

Candidates holding an MBA degree are expected to take up the managerial responsibilities in their job profile. A manager’s job profile not only includes well-planned working, strategy formulation but includes execution of the plan, falling within the deadlines of work, leading/managing a group, coordination across departments, reporting daily tasks to concerned higher authorities and much more.