By- Rupali Sharma
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Distance MBA is now being considered equal and important to regular MBA!
Gone are the days when students were only compliant to pursue their courses by offline mode. There were no other alternatives to carry on their studies. Students ought to submit assignments or tasks on time, had to pay a large amount of fees, reaching college or university on time and had to skip their hobbies or jobs. They face a lot of problems. Many students can’t pursue their degree by going to college or university. There are several reasons why students can’t trail with courses offline. This is because some students have financial issues, personal issues, transportation issues, family issues, etc.
Hence, the concept of Distance Education has introduced. As the word suggests, learning from a distance. Distance education is also known as e-learning, distance learning, online learning, web-based learning, home study courses or correspondence. It means a student can learn from a distance and a teacher teaches from another distance. This can be done through the internet, video conferencing, weekend classes, audio tapes etc.
In this blog, we are going into the depth details of Distance MBA in India and why it is worthy. But before going to the Distance MBA details, we would know a bit about regular MBA courses and their types.
Table of Contents:-
- About Regular MBA
- Types of Regular MBA
- About Distance MBA
- Types of Distance MBA
- University affiliation for Distance MBA
- Duration of Course
- Eligibility criteria
- Fees structure
- Career prospects
- Salary paid
- Regular MBA Vs Distance MBA
- UGC on Distance MBA
- Is it valuable?
About Regular MBA
MBA (Master of Business Administration) is a 2 years Post Graduation degree that teaches business and management skills. MBA is not bounded only to the business world but also to the public sector, government sector, private sector, etc. Esteemed universities generally require professional work experience of at least a few months before pursuing MBA. Applicants are required to qualify for different exams to take admission into a renowned university.
These exams are the Common Admission Test (CAT), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT), Management Aptitude Test (MAT), Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT), NMIMS Management Aptitude Test (NMAT), Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP), AIMS Test for Management School (ATMA), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). An MBA consists subjects such as accounting, economics, marketing, and operations, as well as elective courses to allow students to follow their personal or professional interests.
Online MBA Entrance Test Series - CLICK HERE
Types of Regular MBA
There are different types of MBA specialisation studied in India which offers immense opportunities in different sectors. This is to sharpen your skills, expands your skills and make you learn how to interact with different entrepreneurs. Below are the types of an MBA course. We’ll get to know them briefly one by one:-
- MBA in General Management
- MBA in Marketing
- MBA in Human Resource Management are
- MBA in Entrepreneurship
- MBA in Finance
- MBA in Operations Management
- MBA in Management Information Systems
- MBA in Global Management
- MBA in Engineering Management
- MBA in Technology Management
About Distance MBA in India
Distance MBA means pursuing a degree without going to college. The subject content may be imparted without taking classes physically. In this way Distance MBA in India is flexible, cost-efficient and easy to clear, unlike a regular MBA. Distance MBA could be done through video conferencing, sending notes via ppt, weekend classes, etc. Distance MBA is beneficial for those who can’t afford a high fee structure, facing travelling issues, have to do a job, etc.
Types of Distance MBA
- Online MBA Program
- Hybrid MBA Program
Online MBA Program: In this program, you are provided with hard and soft copy of study material. You are also given online classes or videos to prepare for your online exams and assessment. Various universities are providing online MBA program at an affordable fee structure.
Hybrid MBA Program: This is also the same as the online MBA in Delhi program but the basic difference is that you can visit campus along with their online study. This program is now accepted internationally. So with these programs student can build their business and management skills.
University Affiliation for Distance MBA in India
There are only 933 universities in India in which only 33 universities provide affiliated Distance MBA throughout the country. MBA courses in Distance mode are only officially recognized by UGC-DEB/ AICTE if done from an approved university. This concludes that having affiliation for Distance MBA, universities have to meet the parameters of UGC-DEB/AICTE.
Duration of Course
A distance MBA program in India takes the same duration as a Regular MBA takes i.e., 2-3 years which may also differ according to university or personal choices. But there is no fixed period to take admission in the Distance MBA program. That means less competition is there as fewer students opt for a Distance MBA program.
Eligibility Criteria
There are certain criteria fixed by different universities for a student getting admission into the Distance MBA program. However, these criteria may differ because of duration and institute. Some of the eligibility criteria are given below according to 2 years Distance MBA in India.
Graduation Degree: Students must have completed their Bachelor’s degree or graduation from an affiliated college to apply for Distance MBA in India.
Age limit: There is no certain age limit decided for a Distance MBA program in India. Student of any age completed graduation can apply for the course.
MBA Entrance Test: Some universities require students must have qualified and scored well in any of the entrance test like the Common Admission Test (CAT), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT), Management Aptitude Test (MAT), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
Work Experience: Many universities require internship or work experience to apply for Distance MBA in India. But at many universities, it is not compulsory. This is because students may familiar with tricky subjects they are going to study.
Fees Structure
As compared to a regular MBA, a distance MBA has comparatively fewer fees. But various universities have their own criteria for fees selection. Fee structure may vary from institute to institute but there are many factors due to which fees variations are there. The more renowned an institute, the more expensive it will be. This also depends on the type of institute you are studying because private institute usually charges more than government institutes. But overall, as Distance MBA is a professional course, then its fee criteria will eventually be high.
Despite paying a large amount of fees, students ought to pay for their textbooks, books and other commodities. But as it is a course from distance then it will have fewer fees than a regular MBA.
| The table below provides an apt overview of the fee criteria of some accredited universities | ||
| S. No. | University | Approx. Fees (INR) |
| 1. | IGNOU | 37,800/- |
| 2. | NMIMS | 1,20,000/- |
| 3. | Chandigarh University | 57,800 |
| 4. | DYPU, Navi, Mumbai | 1,40,000 |
| 5. | Amity University | 1,50,000 |
These are some of the examples of fee criteria of some of the renowned universities that will give you an idea of a better decision.
Career Prospects
After completing a Distance MBA from any University, students can get a job in any sector according to their interest and expertise. These sectors include finance, accounting, marketing, human resources, risk management, engineering management, technology management, global management, etc. If taking into consideration the designation prospects then students can be :
- Corporate associate
- Portfolio manager
- Finance analyst
- Credit risk manager
- HR manager
- Employee relation manager
- Brand managers
- Sales manager
- Digital media manager
- Advertising
- Market research
If students are looking for a job overseas then a distance MBA degree in International Business can fetch them a job in export and import, shipping, consultancy and international placement. Media and communication in a distance MBA program will make you unique from others. IT management is another specialisation where you find various prospects.
If a student seeks a government job then suitable opportunities are there in this field too. There is as much eligibility requires in the government sector to apply for railways, airports, PSUs, banks, etc.
Salary Paid
Salary expectations for Distance MBA in India are based on quality and experience. If you have the required skillset then your career will grow incrementally. The different specialisation of Distance MBA has different salary expectations. This is also true for the designation you have after completing the course. Here we have a list of salary paid after completion of course according to job specialisation.
| S. No | Job | Salary |
| 1. | Marketing Manager | Rs. 805,157 |
| 2. | Human Resource Generalist | Rs. 298,975 |
| 3. | Human Resource Manager | Rs. 689,343 |
| 4. | Business Development Manager | Rs. 612,831 |
| 5. | Business Analyst, IT | Rs. 621,755 |
| 6. | Operation Manager | Rs. 769,362 |
| 7. | Financial Analyst | Rs. 402, 487 |
Regular MBA Vs Distance MBA
There are several criteria on which we can judge how distance MBA is different from a regular MBA. Distance MBA has its own benefits as a regular MBA has. This table will give you an insight brief of difference courses has.
| S.No. | Features | Distance MBA | Regular MBA |
| 1. | Mode of Conduct | Online mode. Colleges send study material via post. | Offline classes with tight schedule |
| 2. | Duration | Could start from any time and range from 1-3 years | Regular MBA takes a full time 2 years |
| 3. | Fees | Anywhere between 30K- 2 lakh | Comparatively higher than distance MBA. Anywhere between 2.5 lakh – 18 lakh |
| 4. | Admission Process | Quite simple and easy to get admission. | Complex processes are there to get yourself enrolled. |
| 5. | Exposure | There is no such industrial visits. So learning is restricted | Industrial visits and practical are there in the curriculum. |
| 6. | Placement | There is no campus placement, students have to manage on their own. | Campus placements are there at the end of the sessions. |
| 7. | Portfolio | Popular for students who already have a career. | Students at the starting of their career. |
UGC on Distance MBA
Now distance education will be treated equally to the regular course, a few days back UGC has stated. This is because all over India only 33 universities provide Distance MBA providing which is difficult for them to get its affiliation. That’s why distance MBA is in vogue these days.
UGC also revealed that the programs that require practical experience, for example, engineering, medicine, dental, pharmacy, nursing, architecture, physiotherapy, etc. will not be permitted to be offered under Open and Distance Learning mode (ODL). That’s why the value of Distance MBA can't be ignored nowadays.
Is it Valuable?
Students always are in a fix whether recruiters hire a Distance MBA student or a Regular MBA student? Are they equally treated or not? Do they get preference or not?
The answer is YES for now! This would be not true a few years ago. But now the scenario has changed. India has been taking advanced steps in the field of technology and has made distance education alternatives for those students who could not prefer to take regular classes and could not follow a tight schedule.
Distance education has now proved a boon to those students who want to pursue two post-graduation degree at a time. This facilitates students to save money and time. Every year thousands of students enroll themselves into distance education, throughout the globe.
It is being noticed that distance learning mba in Delhi is mostly opted by those who are already specialists in their field and they only want promotion. That is why people seeking more distance learning to grow their chances in career.