Going for a correspondence MBA – Time to rethink!
I have come across many people who say that they have a "correspondence MBA" and therefore they should be given weightage for it. I personally believe that, simply, a correspondence MBA is useless. Wastage of time alongwid money. Correspondence accounting courses, technical courses and even economics courses are ok, but a correspondence MBA course, definitely not.
An MBA is not about mugging a few theories and appearing for an exam. Many students, especially the ones who go to tier II and tier III MBAs view the MBA as just another course, or as I often put it, "Advanced BCom".
An MBA is not about Accounting, Costing, Marketing and Operations Research papers. It is about being able to learn concepts and applying them. So, you spend time learning these concepts in your classes and you apply them through your case studies, the projects you take up and the internship that you do during your summer months.
The other thing that a good MBA course teaches is "you are not the only one who is smart". Put in a class of 60 odd people from varied backgrounds - including ones with experience, without experience, military experience, bureaucracy experience and varied educational and social backgrounds - and what you get is a pure intellectual buffet. In a case study, you would think you have covered all angles when a team blows you with another 30 different angles.
The MBA is also a race against time. You are expected to complete 3 or 8 different case studies within 24 hours. How do you do it? Time management, planning are things that really, cannot be taught beyond a certain point. You got to pick up skills as you go along.
It is about team work. For the individual contributor - or those who can never work in a team, it is about being able to work with a team. For the rest, it is about being able to work on your strengths or being able to reduce your weakness by trying something you have never tried.
On the other side a Correspondence teaches you very little. It prescribes a few books and offers you some notes. Yes, it does involve commitment of time, but really not as much as the other options and then again, NO interactions with other teams or professors.
Mannn just reading a few courses and mouthing a few jargons is simply not enough for an MBA (though you can argue that most MBAs at the end are reduced to only that).
At the end of it my simple advice. If at all, you want an MBA and you cannot take a two year full time course, look at a one year MBA or a part time MBA. Part time MBAs (that demand a fair time while you are working) are tough. I would go so far as saying, it is tougher than a regular full time course. Usually the people who enrol for a part time course or a one year executive MBA are very committed and it does make for a wonderful experience. This is what I have gathered from some of my past seniors who have taken the 3 years part time course at XLRI,
Well,Queries,if any, to the above post will be answered by Mr.Anil (my management pal in yesteryears) on my behalf.
28 comments:
Hi,
Your inputs on this MBA correspondence degree is perfectly right...
But, guys like me, who already in a job needs MCA or some degree means what could be the options...
just need a suggestion......
What is your opinion about the Twin MBA programme at Christ College from Pondicharry University(Directorate of Distance Education).
They have classes of 2 hours each Every Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday . Its a 2 Year MBA .
@ the_hawk - I understand the dilemma to leave a good paying job to pursue your degree is quite confusing and difficult to choose from..
What i suggest is that you do a part time degree course if available (there may be classes on few days) or you could take an year leave from the company you working in and then assure them to join them if u wish to or you can ask them to sponsor your education as many companies do..
@ expandinghorizons - i dont know exactly about the college you have mentioned but i guess doing a part time MBA is very beneficial if you are currently working somewhere and i find it better than doing a distance programme...as mentioned in the article..
To Vicky - I hope you know what you are doing in giving the responsibility to answer the queries posted here...I will do my best to give suggestions i find the most suitable among all...I hope i am doing well here..
Hi Anil.
I have some reservations about doin part time MBA ,Firstly I can't attend the evening classes and in some cases even if I can the courses cost a bomb!
So I have decided to do a PG course for 2 years offering a dual specialization and SAP r/3.. Is this a sound plan???
Do advice me since I m not rich and have limited resources .
well wat has been said above is absolitely rue but i would like to put forward one question. is a 1 year MBA programme or a 2 year MBA programme more recognised. I wolud likely to taken up some correspondence course. i am a BE(ECE) graduate so pl suggest me some courses that wolud suited me. i am interested in HRM also. pl tell me which is a wise act. takin up a MBA degree or a MCA degree(both thru corres.)?
Hi there.I was searching for the same topic in the blogs & I found urs.
Well I'm working in a software MNC for the past 4 months.Actually,I feel I'm much better in the management rather than mere coding.I'm really interested in pursuing an correspondence mba as I do not want
to leave this company.I'm in a dilema now.Please advice me what to do.To take a correspondence right now or wait for two years to gain some expirence or to take a part time?Please suggest me the good universities also.
Thank you buddy. It was indeed a gud advice.
Hi Anil. The post & ur suggestion is really helpful.
I completed my B,Tech(textile Technology)last june, and i joined a Textile company in karnataka where am technically assisting our vice president(operations).He is very experienced & intelligent person.Am intending to go MBA in OPERATIONS MNGMT,but i don`t want to leave my current profile right now.earlier i was thinking to go for Correspondence but after listening to my cousin`s advice and ur advice i think its better to go for regular MBA.I am in a dilema that when shall join for regular MBA either after geting 2 years experience or you prefer me to go now itself.Kindly advice me
Hiii Anil...
i am currently pursuing MBA, as a regular course but apparantly i am unable to develop interest in it.I graduated in BCA. i still feel like doing coding,shall i go for MCA after this?if yes,what sort of jobs will i get with both the MBA and MCA qualifications?Please suggest.
It seems Anil is busy (hacking smtgh).
BTW Thankx Anil for doing the job effeciently & i hope u wont mind if I answer sum of them.
@ Veena & Sumith -
Wait it out. gain experience here for 2 years and then do an MBA. it is more worth it that way...
Khushbu, an MBA really, is not for everyone. Yaar it is not your "advanced bcom" course. Juss dont collect degrees; think before you sign up for a course like this. It is a waste of two years time and then another two for MCA and a lot of disillusionment in between. & Dont worry, either way, there will be enough jobs out there.
@ v.i.p - think of the 2 yrs u gonna spend doing ur course as an investment and not an expense....then only will u be able to give full justice to yourself and to the course.
i think you have taken a wise decision to take up the full time course in pursuing your dreams and as well as doing a SAP course.
@ pappu - it really doesnt matter whether your degree is a 2 yr one or a 1 yr one...at the end of the course what really matters is how much value addition can you do to your employer.
also there are few companies who dont pay much attention to a one yr degree course thinking of it as 'incomplete'...but this is not the case...
for example - ISB Hyderabad has a 1 yr course and they churn out the highest placed students in the country, the Executive MBA course from XLRI is also 1 yr and they too have very highly placed candidates, IIMs are 2 yr degree course and they too r recognised...as a matter of fact ISB is not at all recognised by AICTE...the recognitions really doesnt matter as long as the faculty is great and the course content is par excellence.
As regards taking up MBA or MCA goes..take up a course which interests you the most and your future line of work and not what your parents or peer group tell you to take up...its after all your future and you are goin to make it or break it..
sit down with an education counsellor and decide with them wht wud be best suited for you in the long run.
hey vix..thanks a lot for filling in for me as i was quite tied up with work for past few days.
i am just posting few suggestions of mine which may help in the queries.
@ veena - its too early to decide whether a course will help you in gaining the management knowledge u require to proceed as i think the hands on experience in the company will do you wonders wht these management colleges are no where close to achieving..
as vix sugggested...get yourself atleast couple of yrs experience b4 goin for a management course and till that time you can surely make up your mind to continue with your coding or shift to a management dept.
@ the hawk - thanks a lot for your feedback...and i am glad my advice helped you in some way.
@ sumit - i would advice you to gain 2 yrs experience as my earlier post says...
it will help you to garner support from your manager you are assisting by stayin in the company for that period and you can slowly show him that you are interested in doing your masters and I am sure he would support your decision.
@ Beta PAPPU - Meri Maan; Ek Dhaaba Khol Le!!!
@ khushbu - this happens a lot of times when you have taken a decision without proper analysis and giving enough thought.
i dont want to discourage you by telling you what you should have done or not done but all i can do is suggest you something.
If you are really interested in going back to coding then you should first check whether your college can convert your regular full time MBA into a part time one and whether you can pursue your MCA full time without any difficulties.
If this does not seem possible then you can continue with your MBA and do a diploma course in advanced programming..
Also please make up your mind by taking enough advice from trusted sources and talking to a counsellor about this....this decision can impact your future line of work in a big way..
All the best..
Thanks Anil for such a wonderful suggestion. I must admit - ur inputs on the management programme is simply outstanding.
& I will tell u wt i really opted for after counselling wid sum more.
Thanking you once again.
Take care.
@ khushbu - thanks a lot for your feedback and i am really happy that you found my suggestions worth each word.
Hi Anil.
I have recently graduated & wish to go for the Management programme.I am really confused what to opt for in MBA- Human Resource Management or Marketing?
The majority of my frnds tell me to do Marketing and some of them advice me for HR. Which one has got the better scope in the near future.
Please suggest.Iam in a big dilemna..
@ subhashish - your query is one of the most common ones. This question comes in minds of all whenever they decide to enroll for a management programme.
the most important advice i would like to give you is to NOT to get influenced tell you to take up and take the specialisation which YOU want to do and make a career out of.
Your friends must have given you the advice based on what specialisation they have taken up and not on what you can do full justice to or what your capabilities are.
what i suggest is to work for a couple of years before enrolling for a MBA prog as this will help you filter your thoughts to decide your line.
Also you have to jot down what you are more interested in i.e, if you are more of an outgoing person who likes to interact with a lot of new people and have a good convincing ability to sell your ideas or as a matter of fact your product then you should go for a marketing specialisation
if you are a sort of person who likes to remain in the office and have interpersonal and communication skills to train the employees in the company on the work being done as well as take interviews and recruit for the company then you should go for the HR specialisation.
these are just the basic points which can help you decide what specialisation to take up but the whole decision should lie in your hands on not rely completely on what your friends tell you to take up.
always remember....its you who are going to make or break your future and seldom there will be a hand of your friends in making your future..
all the best with your decision and i hope my suggestion helps you in a way to clear your doubts.
Mann ur an amazing counsellor I must say. Really thankx for the suggestion. Keep up the gud work.
@ subhashish - thanks a lot for your feedback...i am glad i was able to answer your queries.
also you can tell your friends about this blog if they too want to get their queries answered any time..
hi everyone,
i see a lot of fuzz over here whether a mba correspondence program is right for a person or not. My personal view is any kind of education is right for all. it all depends what kind of institute you are availing. i can suggest that ICFAI offers a handsome correspondense program over all. ICFAI has designed their course by keeping the perspective of the people who are already working so that it will help them to boost their careers.... they have weekend classes instead of evening classes... this will ease out the pressure of going to classes straight after the work... anyone can join this program... i can provide you a contact point where you can clear any sort of queries
Name : Praveen Kumar.M
Designagtion: Student Relations Officer
Phone No: +91-9886764625
Email ID: praveenlua@gmail.com
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