SCOPE OF MBA IN

DISTANCE LEARNING

Introduction

A degree in business administration is one of the most popular

courses being pursued today. There are a large number of colleges
and institutions which offer MBA degrees or PGDM programs.

The most coveted programs are the ones offered by top notch BSchools like IIM, Symbiosis, etc. However not everyone qualifies for
these courses and there are many who are unable to study full time
for various reasons.

The regular courses are also very expensive and this might be a
deterrent for students wishing to pursue an MBA but are unable to
afford the expensive colleges.

One need not lose hope as there are other ways to pursue an MBA
from a good college/institution. We will focus on distance learning
programs as one such method to pursue an MBA.

Top Institutes which offer MBA through

Distance Learning

The Distance MBA program, the name itself suggest is studied via
correspondence mode. The main reason you would pursue an MBA
is to have an edge in the very competitive job market. In such a
scenario if the degree has no relevance or value it is definitely
valuable money and time lost. So the first criterion is to select a
good institute.

Fortunately, there are lot of good institutes and colleges which

offer excellent correspondence courses.

Some of the top institutes are:

Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Yashwantrao C Maharashtra Open University.
Sikkim Manipal University.
Amity University - Centre of Distance Learning.
ICFAI University.
MIT School of Distance Education.
IMT Distance and Open Learning Institute.
Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning.
Dr B R Ambedkar Open University.
Annamalai University.

For more details and information on top Distance MBA colleges and
list of DEC recognized colleges, please click here.

Accreditation

In India there are six types of institutes offering Distance

Learning (DE) today, the prominent ones being National level
and state level open universities. To give them due recognition
and to bring them under a common roof, the UGC-DEB
accreditation was introduced. So any course recognised or
accredited by UGC-DEB is treated at par with regular MBA
courses in India.
Another important institute for accreditation of Distance
learning MBA programs is AICTE (All India Council for Technical
Education). A thorough research is required and you should
choose your college based on its accreditation and recognition
especially if you are looking for an opportunity in career growth.

General Fees Structure

Most of the MBA courses are structured for two years and
the fees range from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1, 50,000 for the entire
course. As you can see the cost of MBA through distance
learning is significantly less. There are various payment
options like EMI and part payments which lessen the
financial burden on the student.

Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for an MBA you must have completed 12 years
of studies under 10+2 pattern followed by a three year
graduate degree. Some universities like IGNOU also expect
three years of work experience. Graduate equivalent
diplomas are not accepted. Apart from this most institutes
conduct an entrance test.

Entrance Exams for Distance MBA

Most institutes conduct an entrance examination and the performance

of the student in these tests are considered along with the basic
educational qualifications as mentioned above for admission.
Some universities like NMIMS, Amity University and etc do not conduct
an admission test and eligibility is based purely on the educational
qualifications of the student. Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning
and Sikkim Manipal University for Distance Education conduct
entrance exams and students who have qualified any state or national
level entrance test for MBA are exempt for taking the entrance test.
IGNOU conducts OPENMAT management aptitude test.
IMT conducts an entrance exam but certain categories of students like
working professional with two years work experience, students who
have scored first class marks above 60%, technical or legal
professionals, and holders of PG diploma of IMT CDLs programme are
exempted for the entrance tests.

General Course Structure and Duration

for Distance MBA
Students
are
provided
study
material
by
the
institute/University. Contact classes are also conducted. Most
of these classes are conducted on weekends so working
professionals can also benefit from these classes. The
Universities provide a list of places where contact classes are
held in your city/town/village and you can choose the most
convenient location to attend. Some Universities like Sikkim
Manipal provide a dedicated student advisor who helps and
guides the students during the entire course. Usually
examinations are conducted twice a year and a certain
weightage is given to the assignments.

Apart from undergraduates, correspondence courses are

the most popular form of study for working individuals
as it is usually taken up for enhancement in career
and/or better prospects for future growth. In some cases
the company itself sponsors the course to enhance
knowledge and keep their employees updated with the
latest in the industry. For working professionals the
added boon of correspondence courses is the flexibility
these courses offer in terms of completion of course,
date of examination etc. For example an MBA from
IGNOU can be completed any time from 2 to 8 years.

So to sum up the advantages of MBA in Distance Learning

1.

2.

3.

4.

Eligibility criteria: Anyone with a graduate degree can apply.

Admissions usually based on performance in an entrance test
Credibility: A degree from an accredited college has same
value in terms of knowledge and job opportunities as a regular
degree
Flexibility: Students can complete the course at their own
pace and convenience which makes it feasible for busy
professionals, housewives and other categories of students to
study an MBA.
Cost factor: Courses are less expensive and there is no
compromise in terms of knowledge or job opportunities.

The only disadvantage is that the salary packet will not be on

par with the ones offered to graduates from top notch Bschools; that is definitely incomparable but since the whole
point of this article is to provide an alternative to the B-school
and regular classes this comparison is actually not relevant
here.

In conclusion we can say that a student aspiring for an MBA

degree can definitely look at distance learning as one the
options without compromising on knowledge, quality of
education and a good opportunity for career enhancement and
future growth in career path.

Tags : top mba colleges in india, mba colleges in delhi, mba

colleges in
mumbai, mba colleges in bangalore, mba
colleges in pune

Thank You