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Industry Integrated MBA: Bringing Out the Best


A management study has always had a significant position in international education system. Although from the middle of twentieth century the management education has undergone several analytical and technical changes but it still has spawned the maximum number of professionals across the globe than any other discipline in the world. Even at the time of global recession, it has not lost its charm and attraction. "In fact, management study was never more in demand than now, there is no doubt that it is getting stronger day by day", said by academicians. Every year in India over one lakh students graduate from more than thousand B-schools nation-wide but almost 90% of the total MBA are unemployable. Many of the management pass outs lack the required basic skills hence fall unfit for the industry. Considering the given fact, it becomes the necessity to reinvent the MBA and bring in the latest and innovative methods to groom the student to turn him into a complete professional.

Industry Integrated MBA is indeed the fresh and innovative way to imbue skills in students by rendering them the industry exposure. The concept of the program is such that it focuses more on the practical knowledge rather than the theoretical. A student enrolled under industry integrated MBA studies theory at the campus in the starting of the course and rest part of the course is completed by practicing off-campus, i.e., corporate premises. This off-campus training gives them good grounding for the nature of work they will eventually perform. The main reasons quoted by students for choosing to embark upon this industry integrated course especially are for an increase in salary; to open new career opportunities; to further a career and to extend personal networks. A good quality course will allow for all of these by developing participants' personal skills at the same time as extending their knowledge base in the general management disciplines in the context of global business.

In the words of Robert Brown, Director of Recruitment and Management of Head Hunters Grant Thornton "I would venture to say 70 to 80 percent of the MBAs are not worth considering." The statement seems to define that the current MBA curriculum fails to yield a set of skills & knowledge required by the corporate world. Industry Integrated MBA may prove to be a solution of this shortcoming of MBA as it is not just the stereotype studying process but is the learning process in which an individual learn the working patterns of the industry by acquiring training from the professionals at their premises itself. This industry training combination along with theoretical knowledge produces the best possible educational experience which broadens horizons and equips the individual to embrace challenge and change in the future.

Today's business world is quite unpredictable and so are their requirements. The expectations of the employers from their employees are higher than ever. All look for a candidate who has a management degree with both the practical and the theoretical knowledge to solve problems in familiar and unfamiliar business settings. Thus, the MBA can innovate, coping with unforeseen business challenges and adapting to global business changes. In such demanding environment one need to pursue the course which can help an individual to develop skills to beat the competition. An Industry integrated MBA however is not the old concept but it came into existence to cater the demands of the industry. This concept with the focus on the practical knowledge is welcomed and appreciated by the industry people. "The concept of Industry Integrated MBA is beneficial for the company as it helps in reducing the training cost and also in saving time & energy, which can be used else where for the profit of the company", quoted by HR professional.

Although, Industry Integrated MBA is a two year program just like the regular MBA but it provides a little extra to an aspirant that is the practical exposure of the industry which helps him to maintain an edge over the other management graduates. It is an application based course which ensures a positive educational experience leading to degree completion and a career boost.

By: PARUL GUPTA

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Parul is an MBA Professional, having worked with the renowned names of the Corporate World. She has been writing for quite a time and her articles get published at several other sites such as mynews.in, magazines and newspapers.

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