Welingkar Institute Of Management

20 Nov, 2003 - The Bus to the B world
MID DAY - Mumbai.

Want a management degree? IIMs are not the only option. Shalini Seth examines alternatives

An MBA degree from an IIM would make your neighbors go green with envy, and fill you with pride. But today, students are exploring other options. Some of them are considered premier institutes, but others end up being just another entry in your bio data, leaving you to prove yourself.

The prestigious institutions in and around Mumbai include the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, which offers a degree in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations; Sydenham, Somaiya and Welingkar’s. All these institutions have their own tests, which are of two to three hour’s duration. Some of the universities have more than one paper.

The paper usually is objective type (multiple choice) in nature and covers areas like reasoning reading comprehension, quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, general awareness, business communication skills etc.

The other alternative you could explore is correspondence courses or a part time MBA, Several universities like University of Delhi, Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Gujarat, Osmania and Punjab offer part-time MBA courses. These have five to seven semesters, classes for which are held in the evening. Apart from a good bachelor’s degree, part-time programmes also require some experience at supervisory level. MBA courses offered through
Correspondence/self-instructional method are perfect if you want to combine studies with a career.
Says Mrinal Malhotra, a software engineer who has completed his MBA by correspondence from Symbiosis, “I was already moving up in the career ladder and did not have the time to pursue another degree. This suited me since I had to do assignments that they sent. The interaction progamme at the end of the course also helped me sufficiently.”

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) also offers an MBA Programme through a nationwide network of its 170 study centers. Internationally recognized as a centre of excellence for studies, IGNOU offers a five semester MBA programme and also Provides counseling. It also awards diplomas like PG Diploma in Marketing, HRD, Financial Management, etc., depending on the number of papers passed by the candidates. In Mumbai, the Welingkar Institute offers a three-year part time Masters Degree in Marketing Management (MMM), Masters in Human Resource Development Management (MHRDM), Masters in Financial Management (MFM) and Masters in Information Management (MIM). Their evening programs include Diploma in Business Industrial, Marketing, Materials, Human Resource and Financial Management. There are other local options too.

The London Institute of Technology and Research (LITR) offers specializations like Management Accounting, Strategic Management, Corporate Finance/International Finance, Marketing Management, Health, medical and executive management studies, MIS/IT/Computer studies, MIS/IT/Computer studies and Public Sector areas of health and education. You can opt to study on a full-time or part time basis for one or two years, respectively. The minimum requirement for enrolment is a bachelor’s degree in any discipline with or without management work experience. Says Registrar in Mumbai, Umesh Khandelwal, “We select candidates on the basis of a personal interview and offer students the option to study in India or in London.” The costs for India are Rs. 45,000 per year while the London course costs Rs. 2-3 Lakhs per year.
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (School of Management), Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies also offer part time MBA courses and are ranked amongst top schools in Asia. Birla Institute of Technology and science or BITS offers a distance MBA.

You can also acquire a virtual MBA from certain companies in Hong Kong and Japan that award these degrees through the Net. Hong Kong based MBA delivers Internet-based lectures and tutorials through a broadband network. Visual imaging means students can ‘attend’ a live class through their computer.

While options are many, you should be careful in choosing your ticket to the business world. Check to see whether the institute has a permanent faculty and whether the faculty is professionally qualified with practical orientation and experience. Another thing to look out for is whether the institute offers campus placements after completing the curse. Often companies agree to hire students as trainees for a semester or two, but do not absorb them later. So think twice when you see that list of corporates on the brochure!