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Sensex rises 61 points in opening trade Wall Street regains ground; retails, tech up Nikkei dips 0.2% in cautious trade; Sanyo surges Oil settles above $69 on Wall Street gains DLF sole bidder for prime land India to miss power capacity goal: Govt Global economic recovery has started: IMF official GM raises production as 'clunker' sales rise Toyota to buy batteries for hybrids from Sanyo Govt to sell stakes in 6-7 more firms WTO top court rejects US anti-dumping appeal India introduces new mining royalties Energy company AEI seeks up to $862.5 mn in IPO Exxon, China sign $41 bn Australian gas deal MGM replaces CEO Sloan, hires turnaround expert Essar bids for three Shell refineries Bihar CM seeks over Rs 23,000 cr assistance to tackle drought Poor monsoon to affect growth: Ahluwalia Rice output to be lower by 10 mn tn in kharif season: Pawar My BW | Advertise With Us
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PART TIME MBA
To Do, Or Not To Do?
RASHMI BANSAL 03 Dec 2007 Practically every single day I get a couple of e-mails with the following query: 'I am working with XYZ company as a software engineer/ BPO executive/ something-else but fed up with it. But for ABC reasons I cannot do a full-time MBA. What is your opinion of part-time MBA? Can you recommend a good one?' And some put it even more bluntly: Please give all the information about MBA part time and 'crosspondance' courses. The funny bit is they write this after reading this piece written by me on precisely the same subject. While my overall assessment of part-time courses remains the same it has been close to three years since that was published. So, here is an update for those still looking for answers. 'To Do Or Not To Do: The Part time Puzzle' was published in Businessworld's annual 'Mega Indian B-School Guide' earlier this year. As readers of this blog were an important source of feedback and the guide has been out for over six months now, I am sharing with you my findings. Besides, I really can't reply to each of you personally -- answering practically the same questions! Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean? Why is George Bush such a clown? What is the secret of eternal youth? These are mysteries which may yet remain unsolved. But there’s one puzzling question I do have some answers to. 'Should I do a part-time MBA?' is a subject weighing on many minds. Assuming you can’t – or don’t wish to -- give up your job to pursue a full-time course, is it worth spending time, money and effort on? Given that no part-time or distance courses offers placements, will it offer a tangible boost to your career?
Articles Blogs Conversations Placements Events
Business Credit Card from capital One
The answer is: it depends. Part-time courses definitely lack the prestige factor of full-time MBAs. But choose carefully and you will reap benefits. When Zubin George joined JBIMS’ three-year part-time MIM (Masters in Information Management) he was a developer with Innovative Systems. He’s now moved to Citigroup’s information technology division in a management role. And he has no regrets. “The quality and depth of learning was far greater than what I would have got from a full-time course," says George. "The kind of questions raised and the quality of answers from the faculty were outstanding." In other words, more practice than theory -- direct application value. That must be why, despite the gruelling after-work and weekend timings the classes had a healthy attendance statistic of 65-70 per cent. Managing work and studies is always the dilemma for the part-timer. The PGPSEM (Post Graduate Programme in Software Enterprise Management) offered by IIM Bangalore is no
Distance Learning MBA MBA From Top Colleges Low Fees. High Salaries. Search Now
http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/B-School/Part-Time-MBA.html[8/7/2010 2:31:43 PM]
Businessworld - Part Time MBA exception. Thirty-three-year-old Abhinav Agarwal completed his PGPSEM in 2006. “There are students who manage to excel at work and get straight As but then something’s gotta give. Their personal life suffers." Classes are held on every Friday and Saturday but there are also weekly tests and of course, assignments. Is 2.5 years of this self inflicted stress worth it? "Yes," asserts Abhinav. “Over 500 of us have completed the PGPSEM since it kicked off in 1998.” Unfortunately, no formal survey has been conducted to assess its co-relation with individual career growth. But anecdotal evidence suggests many direct and indirect benefits. “I was a product manager with Oracle,” says Abhinav. “I am now a Principal Product Manager. And yes, I do believe the PGPSEM has accelerated the process.” There are many interesting twists that PGPSEM has introduced in some careers. Arun Narasani, also from the batch of 2006, started ‘Brain League’, an intellectual property services company. The company was incubated at IIM Bangalore’s Nadathur S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning or NSRCEL. Another student who was working with Oracle when he entered the PGPSEM program, joined venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins midway. He is now a vice-president at a mobile applications company funded by the same VC. “Besides what you learn in class, I definitely see a networkng effect,” says Abhinav. “You meet a hundred-odd people from outside your company and your immediate line of work." That’s certainly an aspect of the 18-month executive MBA at SP Jain that Siemens engineer Rashmi Das enjoys. Interestingly, she is based in Bangalore but travels to Mumbai once every 10 weeks for the 10 days of classroom contact sessions. The rest of the time course delivery, quizzes and assignments are conducted online. Rashmi is extremely pleased with the faculty, the quality of case studies and group work. One semester into the course she says, “Meeting people from other companies and altogether different industries has broaded my perspective.” It’s a similar story with Sunil Malik, Senior Manager Public Relations and Corrporate Communications at XIM Bhubaneshwar, after he enrolled in the broadband assisted long PGCBM (Post Graduate Certificate in Business Management) offered by his own institute. While Sunil happens to be on the XIMB campus, other participants log in from Reliance centres in their respective cities every weekend. Assignments and quizzes are conducted online, and so are ‘end-term exams’. The highlight of the 12-month course is a seven-day campus visit during which participants meet and interact on the XIMB campus. As far as impact on career goes, the immediate effect can’t always be pin-pointed but participants are confident of a boost in the longer run. Akhil Agarwal, a CA rankholder and a CS to boot, was part of the inaugural batch of the XIM PGCBM (2005-06). Midway through the course he switched jobs (from Reliance to ICI Paints), with a significant shift in role and salary. But this, he believes, is a break he would have got whether or not he enrolled in the XIMB course. His classmate Shekhar Rao, however, attributes his mid-course job shift within the telecom industry to his enhanced qualification. “I am getting double the salary today and a responsibility for which ‘an MBA’ was a necessary requirement.” The XIMB name, he says, definitely helped tip the scales in his favour. “Besides, I learnt a lot from the course itself." And additional benefit: he can refer back to professors for advice and mentorship on problems. The verdict then is clear: a part time programme from a brand name institution does have its value. Although ‘official’ placements may not be part of the deal, the informal network does contribute to a career boost. While part time MBAs don’t command the same kind of respect as full-time ones, some companies do value them more than others. Case in point: 20-25 per cent of the 2006 PGPSEM class comprised of Wipro employees. Infosys also actively supports the program and recently helped IIMB expand it to Chennai. Says Rashmi, “If you are working in the regional development centre of an MNC, a parttime or executive MBA may not have that much value. But it will really help you in an Indian software company, particularly product managers.” She also believes that one should have 5-6 years of experience and be extremely self-motivated to truly reap benefits. Much also depends on the attitude of your company. Around 50 per cent of students in part time courses like PGPSEM are sponsored. But it’s not clear how many companies are simply using their sponsorship as a retention strategy, and how many have actually chalked out a post-MBA career path for their employees. Of course, none of these courses come cheap. While the three-year Bajaj course sets you back by Rs 1 lakh, SP Jain’s executive MBA costs Rs 2.65 lakhs (excluding travel cost to Mumbai for contact sessions). XIMB’s broadband aided PGCBM is Rs 1.5 lakh for 12 months. Similar certificate courses are also offered by XLRI, IIM K, IIFT, NMIMS etc in collaboration with VSAT provider Hughes Direcway. In conclusion, ‘cause and effect’ are palpable but not always as tangible as in the fulltime programme. But the very act of stretching onself, of seeking knowledge and opening up to new ideas and opportunities is what perhaps makes a difference.
www.studyplaces.com/Distance-M
Distance MBA Colleges Find Info about Top Distance MBA Colleges and Courses in Bangalore
minglebox.com/Distance-MBA
IIM Executive Programs for 2+yr Working Professionals at Convenient Timings. ADIB/IT/Finance
NIITImperia.com/ManagementProg
Executive MBA Courses Mgmt.courses for executives with 3Yrs experience,In Mumbai.Apply Now
iifmonline.com/part-time-MBA-cou
Planning Your MBA? Sikkim Manipal Offers Distance MBA. 700+ Learning Centers Across India.
Smude.edu.in/AdmissionOpen201
http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/B-School/Part-Time-MBA.html[8/7/2010 2:31:43 PM]
Businessworld - Part Time MBA
Speaking of success in terms of ‘formulas’, a participant on an online MBA forum obseves, “Whenever a chemical reaction happens where A mixes with B to produce C, this catalyst helps speed up the process so that C is produced sooner... The catalyst CANNOT alter the chemical reaction to produce D instead of C”. Given quality raw material, a good part-time MBA could be that career catalyst.
WLC College CFA Institute Management Courses in Enroll Before 24th August and Mktg/Fin/HR/ Branding/Retail/Digital Enjoy Lower Rates on Your Fees! www.cfainstitute.org Marketing
www.wlci.in/MBA
IIPM MBA UGC Approved Study MBA from a UGC Approved Inst. Register Now for free prospectus.
iipm.info/MBA_Admissions_2010
About Us | Careers | Feedback | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Subscribe BW | Advertise With Us An ABP Pvt Ltd Publication Copyright © All rights reserved.
http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/B-School/Part-Time-MBA.html[8/7/2010 2:31:43 PM]
Saturday 7 August 2010
search...
Submit
Free Gift Offer Subscribe Now
BW Home » B-School » Part Time MBA
News Update
Sensex rises 61 points in opening trade Wall Street regains ground; retails, tech up Nikkei dips 0.2% in cautious trade; Sanyo surges Oil settles above $69 on Wall Street gains DLF sole bidder for prime land India to miss power capacity goal: Govt Global economic recovery has started: IMF official GM raises production as 'clunker' sales rise Toyota to buy batteries for hybrids from Sanyo Govt to sell stakes in 6-7 more firms WTO top court rejects US anti-dumping appeal India introduces new mining royalties Energy company AEI seeks up to $862.5 mn in IPO Exxon, China sign $41 bn Australian gas deal MGM replaces CEO Sloan, hires turnaround expert Essar bids for three Shell refineries Bihar CM seeks over Rs 23,000 cr assistance to tackle drought Poor monsoon to affect growth: Ahluwalia Rice output to be lower by 10 mn tn in kharif season: Pawar My BW | Advertise With Us
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Login
Lost Password? Register
Home Magazine Key Sectors Web Exclusives In The News BW Opinion Columns Photo Gallery BW-Leadership Interviews Surveys Deal Tracker Cases BW Books Events Archive Press Release Subscribe BW Quick Take Fianchetto
PART TIME MBA
To Do, Or Not To Do?
RASHMI BANSAL 03 Dec 2007 Practically every single day I get a couple of e-mails with the following query: 'I am working with XYZ company as a software engineer/ BPO executive/ something-else but fed up with it. But for ABC reasons I cannot do a full-time MBA. What is your opinion of part-time MBA? Can you recommend a good one?' And some put it even more bluntly: Please give all the information about MBA part time and 'crosspondance' courses. The funny bit is they write this after reading this piece written by me on precisely the same subject. While my overall assessment of part-time courses remains the same it has been close to three years since that was published. So, here is an update for those still looking for answers. 'To Do Or Not To Do: The Part time Puzzle' was published in Businessworld's annual 'Mega Indian B-School Guide' earlier this year. As readers of this blog were an important source of feedback and the guide has been out for over six months now, I am sharing with you my findings. Besides, I really can't reply to each of you personally -- answering practically the same questions! Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean? Why is George Bush such a clown? What is the secret of eternal youth? These are mysteries which may yet remain unsolved. But there’s one puzzling question I do have some answers to. 'Should I do a part-time MBA?' is a subject weighing on many minds. Assuming you can’t – or don’t wish to -- give up your job to pursue a full-time course, is it worth spending time, money and effort on? Given that no part-time or distance courses offers placements, will it offer a tangible boost to your career?
Articles Blogs Conversations Placements Events
Business Credit Card from capital One
The answer is: it depends. Part-time courses definitely lack the prestige factor of full-time MBAs. But choose carefully and you will reap benefits. When Zubin George joined JBIMS’ three-year part-time MIM (Masters in Information Management) he was a developer with Innovative Systems. He’s now moved to Citigroup’s information technology division in a management role. And he has no regrets. “The quality and depth of learning was far greater than what I would have got from a full-time course," says George. "The kind of questions raised and the quality of answers from the faculty were outstanding." In other words, more practice than theory -- direct application value. That must be why, despite the gruelling after-work and weekend timings the classes had a healthy attendance statistic of 65-70 per cent. Managing work and studies is always the dilemma for the part-timer. The PGPSEM (Post Graduate Programme in Software Enterprise Management) offered by IIM Bangalore is no
Distance Learning MBA MBA From Top Colleges Low Fees. High Salaries. Search Now
http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/B-School/Part-Time-MBA.html[8/7/2010 2:31:43 PM]
Businessworld - Part Time MBA exception. Thirty-three-year-old Abhinav Agarwal completed his PGPSEM in 2006. “There are students who manage to excel at work and get straight As but then something’s gotta give. Their personal life suffers." Classes are held on every Friday and Saturday but there are also weekly tests and of course, assignments. Is 2.5 years of this self inflicted stress worth it? "Yes," asserts Abhinav. “Over 500 of us have completed the PGPSEM since it kicked off in 1998.” Unfortunately, no formal survey has been conducted to assess its co-relation with individual career growth. But anecdotal evidence suggests many direct and indirect benefits. “I was a product manager with Oracle,” says Abhinav. “I am now a Principal Product Manager. And yes, I do believe the PGPSEM has accelerated the process.” There are many interesting twists that PGPSEM has introduced in some careers. Arun Narasani, also from the batch of 2006, started ‘Brain League’, an intellectual property services company. The company was incubated at IIM Bangalore’s Nadathur S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning or NSRCEL. Another student who was working with Oracle when he entered the PGPSEM program, joined venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins midway. He is now a vice-president at a mobile applications company funded by the same VC. “Besides what you learn in class, I definitely see a networkng effect,” says Abhinav. “You meet a hundred-odd people from outside your company and your immediate line of work." That’s certainly an aspect of the 18-month executive MBA at SP Jain that Siemens engineer Rashmi Das enjoys. Interestingly, she is based in Bangalore but travels to Mumbai once every 10 weeks for the 10 days of classroom contact sessions. The rest of the time course delivery, quizzes and assignments are conducted online. Rashmi is extremely pleased with the faculty, the quality of case studies and group work. One semester into the course she says, “Meeting people from other companies and altogether different industries has broaded my perspective.” It’s a similar story with Sunil Malik, Senior Manager Public Relations and Corrporate Communications at XIM Bhubaneshwar, after he enrolled in the broadband assisted long PGCBM (Post Graduate Certificate in Business Management) offered by his own institute. While Sunil happens to be on the XIMB campus, other participants log in from Reliance centres in their respective cities every weekend. Assignments and quizzes are conducted online, and so are ‘end-term exams’. The highlight of the 12-month course is a seven-day campus visit during which participants meet and interact on the XIMB campus. As far as impact on career goes, the immediate effect can’t always be pin-pointed but participants are confident of a boost in the longer run. Akhil Agarwal, a CA rankholder and a CS to boot, was part of the inaugural batch of the XIM PGCBM (2005-06). Midway through the course he switched jobs (from Reliance to ICI Paints), with a significant shift in role and salary. But this, he believes, is a break he would have got whether or not he enrolled in the XIMB course. His classmate Shekhar Rao, however, attributes his mid-course job shift within the telecom industry to his enhanced qualification. “I am getting double the salary today and a responsibility for which ‘an MBA’ was a necessary requirement.” The XIMB name, he says, definitely helped tip the scales in his favour. “Besides, I learnt a lot from the course itself." And additional benefit: he can refer back to professors for advice and mentorship on problems. The verdict then is clear: a part time programme from a brand name institution does have its value. Although ‘official’ placements may not be part of the deal, the informal network does contribute to a career boost. While part time MBAs don’t command the same kind of respect as full-time ones, some companies do value them more than others. Case in point: 20-25 per cent of the 2006 PGPSEM class comprised of Wipro employees. Infosys also actively supports the program and recently helped IIMB expand it to Chennai. Says Rashmi, “If you are working in the regional development centre of an MNC, a parttime or executive MBA may not have that much value. But it will really help you in an Indian software company, particularly product managers.” She also believes that one should have 5-6 years of experience and be extremely self-motivated to truly reap benefits. Much also depends on the attitude of your company. Around 50 per cent of students in part time courses like PGPSEM are sponsored. But it’s not clear how many companies are simply using their sponsorship as a retention strategy, and how many have actually chalked out a post-MBA career path for their employees. Of course, none of these courses come cheap. While the three-year Bajaj course sets you back by Rs 1 lakh, SP Jain’s executive MBA costs Rs 2.65 lakhs (excluding travel cost to Mumbai for contact sessions). XIMB’s broadband aided PGCBM is Rs 1.5 lakh for 12 months. Similar certificate courses are also offered by XLRI, IIM K, IIFT, NMIMS etc in collaboration with VSAT provider Hughes Direcway. In conclusion, ‘cause and effect’ are palpable but not always as tangible as in the fulltime programme. But the very act of stretching onself, of seeking knowledge and opening up to new ideas and opportunities is what perhaps makes a difference.
www.studyplaces.com/Distance-M
Distance MBA Colleges Find Info about Top Distance MBA Colleges and Courses in Bangalore
minglebox.com/Distance-MBA
IIM Executive Programs for 2+yr Working Professionals at Convenient Timings. ADIB/IT/Finance
NIITImperia.com/ManagementProg
Executive MBA Courses Mgmt.courses for executives with 3Yrs experience,In Mumbai.Apply Now
iifmonline.com/part-time-MBA-cou
Planning Your MBA? Sikkim Manipal Offers Distance MBA. 700+ Learning Centers Across India.
Smude.edu.in/AdmissionOpen201
http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/B-School/Part-Time-MBA.html[8/7/2010 2:31:43 PM]
Businessworld - Part Time MBA
Speaking of success in terms of ‘formulas’, a participant on an online MBA forum obseves, “Whenever a chemical reaction happens where A mixes with B to produce C, this catalyst helps speed up the process so that C is produced sooner... The catalyst CANNOT alter the chemical reaction to produce D instead of C”. Given quality raw material, a good part-time MBA could be that career catalyst.
WLC College CFA Institute Management Courses in Enroll Before 24th August and Mktg/Fin/HR/ Branding/Retail/Digital Enjoy Lower Rates on Your Fees! www.cfainstitute.org Marketing
www.wlci.in/MBA
IIPM MBA UGC Approved Study MBA from a UGC Approved Inst. Register Now for free prospectus.
iipm.info/MBA_Admissions_2010
About Us | Careers | Feedback | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Subscribe BW | Advertise With Us An ABP Pvt Ltd Publication Copyright © All rights reserved.
http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/B-School/Part-Time-MBA.html[8/7/2010 2:31:43 PM]
