This blog aims to assess the pros and cons involved in choosing between IIM and ISB for pursuing the Master of Business Administration programme.
The working professionals aim to pursue IIM Online MBA with an eye to better their prospects by upgrading their managerial skills.
IIM Online MBA becomes the right choice for those who don’t want any kind of cessation in their professional journey on account of further enhancing their skills.
Prospective candidates for IIM Online MBA also assess the prospects to pursue MBA programmes from other reputed Universities as well.
In India, the option of pursuing an IIM Online MBA is ideal for working professionals.
IIM courses for working professionals, provide a necessary fillip to the candidates at the right stage of their professional journey.
In addition to the IIM Online MBA, or other MBA online courses, the notable options available to the students are in the form of pursuing either IIM Executive MBA, ISB MBA, IIM Bangalore, or other IIM courses.
Working professionals who look out for pursue an IIM Online MBA also consider pursuing the prestigious Post Graduate Programme(PGP) in Management at the Indian School of Business(ISB) which is a globally acclaimed institute.
The aspirants of the IIM Online MBA or IIM Executive MBA must also be aware of the Post Graduate Programme (PGP), ISB’s full-time, one-year residential management programme.
Indian School of Business-Post Graduate Programme (PGP) in Management
ISB’s Post Graduate Programme in Management is meant for working professionals having 2-25 years of experience. The duration of the PGP is 12 months. The batches are run at Hyderabad and Mohali campuses. The combined total intake on both campuses is around 900 candidates.
The ISB MBA programme is designed to enhance business management skills with a cutting-edge research-based and world-acclaimed curriculum which is taught by renowned faculties.
The Indian School of Business (ISB) is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA).
The flagship program of ISB is the one-year MBA (PGP) which caters to working professionals having more than 2 years of work experience.
At ISB, fresh graduates can seek admission to the PGP program at ISB through the Young Leaders Programme( YLP) and Early Entry Option(EEO), however, they can join the PGP class only after gaining the required 24 months of full-time work experience.
The Early Entry Option is a deferred admission offer to the ISB Post Graduate Programme in Management.
The Indian School of Business (ISB) has academic alliances with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University,
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, London Business School (LBS) MIT Sloan School of Management and The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University.
ISB MBA’s -PGP in Management eligibility criteria :
1) Applicants should possess an undergraduate (Bachelor's Degree)/post-graduate degree in any discipline.
2) A minimum of two years of full-time work experience (for the PGP regular admissions) and less than 24 months of full-time work experience (for a deferred admission through the Early Entry Option) is preferred.
3) A valid GMAT/ GRE score.
4) TOEFL/IELTS score is required for students from countries other than India, where English is not the primary language of instruction
All short-listed applicants are interviewed as a part of the selection process.
Executive MBA in India at ISB- Fee Structure :
Fee item | Amount of fee & GST | Total in Rs. |
Admission Fee | Rs.3,00,000+ 54,000(GST) | 3,54,000 |
Commitment Fee | Rs.200,000+Rs.36,000(GST) | 2,36,000 |
Tuition & Other Fees | 32,77,980 | 32,77,980 |
Books | 20,000 | 2,85,000 |
Laptop | 1,00,000 | |
Meal plans | 90,000 | |
Other expenses | 75,000 |
Candidates aspiring for IIM Online MBA also assess the pros and cons of ISB’s programme in Management.
The pros of an ISB MBA are-It is a year duration and has a strong alumni network.
It enjoys global recognition and the students get better networking through professional and social clubs, larger class sizes and, therefore, a sizable number of companies come for recruitment at ISB.
ISB MBA offers better placement opportunities than IIM owing to the fact that there are more recruiting companies than IIM that rush there due to the large cohort.
The cons of the ISB MBA are that the fee is comparatively higher, the academic immersion is comparatively lower due to the shorter duration, and it is sans internship opportunities owing to the shorter duration of the programme.
Indian Institute of Management(IIM)
The 2-year MBA (PGP), and the IIM courses for working professionals are equally relevant for the freshers as well.
The Executive MBA programmes at the IIM Ahmedabad-(Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives{PGPX }),
IIM Bangalore (Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management{ EPGP }) and IIM Calcutta (MBA for Executives {MBAEX}) are the most sought-after.
The Minimum work experience required for admission to IIM Ahmedabad is 4 years and both for IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, it is 5 years.
IIM Kozhikode- Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management:
IIM Kozhikode offers the Executive Post Graduate Programme
in Management, a two-year MBA for working professionals.
The Programme fee (Non-Refundable) of ₹14,70,000 is charged which is required to be paid in seven instalments during the programme.
Admission process for IIMK-EPGP :
IIMK adopts a three-stage selection process for its admissions to the EPGP 2023-2025 batch. The details of these stages are given below.
Stage 1: Shortlisting of applicants based on eligibility criteria
The applicants are shortlisted for the selection process based on the information provided in the online application form and supporting documents uploaded. The applicants meeting the eligibility criteria are called for stage 2.
Stage 2: Executive Management Aptitude Test (EMAT)** of one-hour duration consisting of 40 questions & Personal Interview.
Admission to the programme is based on the score obtained in the EMAT and Interview.
The test and interview will be conducted online and the details will be communicated to the shortlisted applicants after the registration closure date.
**In lieu of an EMAT score, applicants are permitted to choose a CAT/GRE/GMAT score not older than 3 years from the date of the EMAT test. The cut-offs for GRE/GMAT/CAT are as follows:
- Minimum of 75 percentile in CAT
- A minimum score of 650 on the GMAT
- GRE verbal reasoning score of 151, quantitative reasoning score of 152, and analytical writing score of 3.5
IIM Indore- Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP)
IIM Indore offers Flagship One Year Full Time Residential MBA
Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), designed specifically for seasoned working professionals.
IIM Indore is in the Top 100 Business Schools in the FT Rankings in the Global MBA Programmes 2023 for its flagship One Year Full-Time Residential Post Graduate Programme for Executives (EPGP).
The core courses focus on laying the foundation for the specialisations offered through a number of electives offered in the subsequent terms.
After completion of the Programme, the students are primarily equipped with the following skills:-
-Data analytical skills to identify and appraise viable solutions to solving business situations and
-Interpersonal cohesion and ability to inculcate team spirit.
-Awareness to tackle the legal and financial environment of business and be effective communicators.
-To develop integrated and strategic thinking.
If we compare the Return On Investment (ROI) of the one-year MBA at ISB and IIM, we find that the program fee and average CTC are more or less the same at ISB and the top-ranking IIMs.
In a span of 2-3 years, the entire expenditure incurred in studying the program can be recovered in case no education loan is raised, however,
If the education loan is raised, the same, depending on the ability and business acumen of the individuals is expected to be recovered in a period of 5-6 years.
ISB MBA Fees are in the range of INR 41.5 Lacs to INR 44 Lacs (depending on the type of accommodation & and payment plans) while for IIMA PGPX One year MBA for Executives, it is in the range of INR 31.5 Lacs to 33.5 Lacs (depending on the type of accommodation & payment plans);
IIMB EPGP One year MBA for Executives Fees is in the range of INR 30 Lakhs to 32 Lakhs (depending on the type of accommodation & payment plans)
For college students or fresh graduates aiming to pursue an MBA without any work experience, studying at IIM would be a good option.
Fresh graduates can pursue MBA at ISB, by applying through the deferred modes of entry. However, such aspirants can join the PGP classes only after gaining the required 24 months of work experience.
Conclusion Of Online MBA From IIM Or Online MBA From ISB
Both ISB MBA and IIM MBA programmes are internationally reputed and acclaimed.
It is a matter of personal choice for the individual to choose any one of the options, based on the various pros and cons and the salient features discussed above.
Both ISB and IIMs, impart state-of-the art quality education by focussing on the core subjects and industry-oriented electives. The pedagogy involves experiential learning, case studies and capstone projects.
During the MBA programmes, the emphasis remains on developing business acumen and the ability to establish networking with potential employers.
The Post Graduate Programme (PGP) is ISB’s full-time one-year residential management programme.
In terms of the course content and the commitment involved, The PGP is comparable to a regular two-year full-time MBA programme offered by global business schools.
MBA online courses are now in vogue as these are not only cost-effective but also provide freedom to learn anytime, anywhere.
These programmes are ideally suited for working professionals who want to accelerate their career progression.
The seasoned team of the Distance Pathshala is always keen and ready to help both fresh graduates and working professionals find the best Online programmes in Management and help them register for the best MBA online courses from renowned Universities.
