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

The qualifying exam is usually followed by a second level screening round that could be a group discussion or a personal interview conducted by the college that the student has qualified for. Also Read: MBA admission process and selection criteria


Top MBA entrance exams


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


CAT XAT
CMAT MAT
SNAP NMAT 

Popular MBA Specializations

List of all MBA entrance exams
MBA Finance MBA Marketing
MBA IT MBA HR

MBA Skillset

A manager is expected to lead a team of professionals hence the most important skills for a successful manager are good communication and leadership qualities. Take a look at some of the skills required for MBA/PGDM, below:

Full-time MBA: Required Skillset

Business acumen

Good communication skills

Problem-solving Skills

Management skills

Strong mathematical skills

Research oriented

Analytical thinking

Leadership qualities

Eye for detail

Goal-oriented & ability to work under pressure


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/PGDM specialisations

Finance Infrastructure
Marketing International Business
Sales Disaster Management
Human Resources Energy & Environment
Operations Import & Export

Product

IT & Systems
Business Analytics Healthcare & Hospital
Digital Marketing Business Economics
Entrepreneurship Agriculture & Food Business
Advertising Materials Management
NGO Management Oil & Gas
Pharma Retail
Project Management Rural Management
Sports Management Supply Chain
Telecom Textile Management
Transport & Logistics Forestry
Public Policy Hospitality

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

The regular MBA course is a two year programme divided into four-six terms/semesters. Listed below are the semster-wise MBA subjects for general course:


MBA Semester I Syllabus

Organizational Behaviour

Marketing Management

Quantitative Methods

Human Resource Management

Managerial Economics

Business Communication

Financial Accounting

Information Technology Management


MBA Semester II Syllabus

Organization Effectiveness and Change

Management Accounting

Management Science

Operation Management

Economic Environment of Business

Marketing Research

Financial Management

Management of Information System


MBA Semester III Syllabus

Business Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility

Strategic Analysis

Legal Environment of Business

Elective Course


MBA Semester IV Syllabus

Project Study

International Business Environment

Strategic Management

Elective Course


View Top MBA Colleges by Location


Delhi/NCR Chennai Andhra Pradesh
Mumbai Kolkatta Karnataka
Bangalore Maharastra Kerala
Pune Uttar Pradesh All Locations >>

View Top MBA Colleges by Exam


Colleges Accepting CAT Colleges Accepting ATMA
Colleges Accepting MAT Colleges Accepting GMAT
Colleges Accepting XAT Colleges Accepting MAHCET
Colleges Accepting CMAT Colleges Accepting TANCET MBA
Colleges Accepting NMAT by GMAC Colleges Accepting OJEE

MBA/PGDM Jobs and Career Opportunities

An MBA degree holder is expected to take up the managerial responsibility of the department they are hired for. A manager’s job profile broadly includes planning, strategising, execution, leading the team, liaison with clients, coordinating with other departments, delegation of work and responsibilities, reporting to higher authorities regarding projects undertaken.


MBA jobs

Average salary per annum (Rs in lakh)

Finance Manager

9.6

Marketing Manager

10

Sales Manager

10

Human Resources Manager

4

Operations Manager

7

Product Manager

15

Data Analytics Manager

14 

Digital Marketing Manager

4.5

Advertising Sales Manager

8.5

NGO Manager

5

Project Manager

13

Telecom Manager

7

Transport & Logistics Manager

6

Infrastructure Manager

11

International Business Manager

9

Risk Manager

10

Energy & Environment Manager

6

Import & Export Manager

6

IT & Systems Manager

7

Healthcare & Hospital Manager

4

Materials Manager

6

Retail Manager

5

Supply Chain Manager

8

Public Policy Manager

7


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


MBA: Top Companies

BCG

Citibank

Deloitte

ITC

Avendus

Samsung

Mahindra

ITC

Reliance

Vodafone

ICICI Bank

EXL

HDFC

Larsen & Tubro

JP Morgan Chase & Co.

HSBC

PWC

Philips

McKinsey & Company

Nestle

Aditya Birla Group

Cipla

RPG

Flipkart

Tata

Saint Gobain

TAS

Crisil

Wipro

Credit Suisse

Microsoft

Bajaj

Accenture

Infosys

Microland

GAR

Amazon

Pidilite

Asian Paints

McKinsey&Company