Technology is the driving force in today’s world, but what makes the drive smooth and in control is how it is managed. With extensive variety of domains such as human resource, finance, logistics, operations, marketing, energy, systems and technology, there is wide scope for professionals trained in various spheres of management. To pursue a course in management a student does not require a specific field of study. All that it takes is willingness to learn and a desire to grow in the preferred industry. In fact this is one of the reasons to opt for a career in the management field – to rise up in the hierarchical ladder in an organization. Therefore, if one is confident, organized, and logical, has the analytical ability and is comfortable with multitasking, management is the ultimate career choice.
Career Courses in Management
In this modern age, every area of work requires some form of management. A company needs managers to manage a project at every level – from its inception to delivery of the final product to the client or consumer. Due to this, branches in management study have grown in the last decade. Management is no more only business administration. Along with the traditional and sought after specializations of Marketing, Finance, Operations, Human Resource, Information Technology and International Business, new and diversified courses are being taught in several business schools in India. The newest in the list is Petroleum Management, offered by the School of Petroleum Management in Gandhinagar. Such specializations are offered in the post graduate level of studies. One can also consider any of the following top career courses in management, depending on their area of interest:
| Export | Hospitality | Health care |
| Systems | Telecommunication | Public Policy |
| Accounting | Brand | Production |
| Banking | Supply Chain | Strategic |
| Tourism | Transportation | Logistics |
| Administrative | Industrial | Quality Assurance |
| Hotel | Energy | Forest |
| Risk | Disaster | Customer Relationship |
| Retail | Construction | Event |
| Environment | Software Enterprise | Computer Aided |
| Cooperative | Career | Real Estate |
| Executive | Rural | Materials |
| Shipping and Port | Infrastructure |
Eligibility Criteria for Management Courses
A student can pursue a course in management from the undergraduate level. This course, although, will not be enough to get a job. To have a career in management, one needs to at least study a management course in the post graduate level. If an aspirant wishes to conduct research in a management field of choice or impart education in management, a doctoral level study will be required. Following are the eligibility requirements at every course level:
Undergraduate level:
- Age limit is between 17 years and 19 years
- Must have completed high school with at least 60% marks in both the board exams of class X and class XII
Post Graduate level:
- Must have passed graduation with 50% aggregate marks
- Graduation degree can be done in any subject, except when one wishes to specialize in a niche area. For instance, to study a post graduate in software enterprise management, the aspirant will need to have a graduation degree in software or computer science or information technology or a related field.
- Work experience is optional and depends on the college one applies to
Doctoral level:
- Must have a post graduation degree, in any subject, with 55% marks, and at least 50% aggregate in the bachelors degree level
- Work experience is optional and depends on the college one wishes to apply to
Top management colleges in India
Management study does not only depend on the course, management colleges, popularly called B-schools, play a major role in landing a better and more lucrative job offer. Aspirants can make their choice considering the following top B-schools in India, according to the Business Today-Neilsen survey 2011:
| Rank | Name of College | Location | Courses Offered | Entrance Exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) | Bangalore | Post Graduate: Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), Post Graduate Programme in Software Enterprise Management (PGSEM), Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy Management (PGPPM), Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP)
Doctoral: Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) |
Post Graduate: Common Admission Test (CAT) (Indian aspirants), Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) (International aspirants)
Doctoral: Research Aptitude Test (RAT) |
| 2. | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) | Kolkata | Post Graduate: Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Aided Management (PGDCM), Post Graduate Programmes for Executives (PGPEX), PGPEX for Visionary Leadership in Manufacturing
Doctoral: FPM |
Post Graduate: CAT / GMAT
Doctoral: CAT / GMAT / GRE / GATE / UGC-JRF |
| 3. | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) | Ahmedabad | Post Graduate: PGP, PGP in Agribusiness Management (PGP-ABM), PGP in Public Management and Policy, PGP in Management for Executives
Doctoral: FPM |
Post Graduate: CAT / GMAT
Doctoral: : CAT / GMAT / GRE / GATE / UGC-JRF |
| 4. | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) | Indore | Undergraduate: Integrated Programme in Management (IPM)
Post Graduate: PGP, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) Doctoral: FPM, FPM (Industry) |
Undergraduate: SAT-1 (optional)
Post Graduate: CAT / GMAT Doctoral: : CAT / GMAT / GRE / GATE / UGC-JRF |
| 5. | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) | Lucknow | Post Graduate: PGP, PGP-ABM, International Programme in Management for Executives (IPMX), PGP in Business Management for working managers (WMP)
Doctoral: FPM |
Post Graduate: CAT / GMAT
Doctoral: : CAT / GMAT / GRE / GATE / UGC-JRF |
| 6. | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) | Kozhikode | Post Graduate: PGP, EPGP, Management Development Programme (MDP)
Doctoral: FPM |
Post Graduate: CAT / GMAT
Doctoral: : CAT / GMAT / GRE / GATE / UGC-JRF |
| 7. | Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) | Delhi | Post Graduate: MBA (International Business), MBA (Part time), Executive Post Graduate Diploma in International Business (EPGDIB), EPGD in Industrial Management, EPGD in Capital And Financial Markets, Certificate Programs
Doctoral: Ph.D. |
Post Graduate: IIFT Written Test (Indian aspirants) / GMAT (NRI and international aspirants)
Doctoral: Written Entrance Exam |
| 8. | Indian School of Business (ISB) | Hyderabad | Undergraduate: Young Leaders Programme
Post Graduate: PGP, Post Graduate Programme in Management for Senior Executives (PGPMAX) Doctoral: FPM |
Undergraduate: GMAT
Post Graduate: GMAT Doctoral: GMAT / GRE |
| 9. | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) | Shillong | Post Graduate: PGP, Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), Executive Post Graduate Programme (PGPEx) in International Business | Post Graduate: CAT |
| 10. | Faculty of Management Studies | Delhi | Post Graduate: MBA, MBA Part Time, MBA (Management of Services) Full Time, MBA Health Care Administration Part Time
Doctoral: Ph.D. |
Post Graduate: FMS Entrance Test |
| 11. | Xaviers Labour Resource Institute | Jamshedpur | Post Graduate: PGDBM, Postgraduate Diploma in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations (PGD in PM & IR), Executive Post Graduate Program (ExePGP), General Management Program (GMP), Satellite Program (PGCBM), Management Development Program (MDP), PGC-ABM
Doctoral: Fellow Program in Management (FPM) |
Post Graduate: XAT / GMAT
Doctoral: XAT / GATE / UGC JRF / GRE / GMAT |
| 12. | Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD) | Pune | Post Graduate: MBA, MBA in Infrastructure Management, Exe-MBA, PGD in Finance, PGD in Business Analytics (PGDBA), PGD in Information Technology (PGDIT), PGD in Operations Management (PGDOM), PGDM, PGDHRM | Post Graduate: SNAP |
| 13. | Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) | Pune | Post Graduate: MBA, Executive MBA, PGD in Marketing Management (PGDMM), PGD in Financial Management (PGDFM), PGD in Human Resource Management (PGDHRM), PGD in Operations Management (PGDOM), PGD in Service Sector Management (PGDSM) | Post Graduate: SNAP |
| 14. | Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology (DMS – IIT) | Delhi | Post Graduate: MBA, MBA Part Time
Doctoral: Ph.D. |
Post Graduate: CAT
Doctoral: Based on Interview |
| 15. | S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) | Mumbai | Post Graduate: PGDM, PGPM, PG Certificate in International Management (PGCIM), PG in Development Management (PGCDM), PG Executive Management Programme (PG EMP), Family Managed Business | Post Graduate: CAT / XAT / GMAT |
Management Entrance Exams
A management entrance examination score is a pre-requisite for an aspirant to be considered in a B-school in India. The pattern of these tests is usually multiple choice objective type. Some entrances like Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) require aspirants to also write an essay. All the exams generally test students on their logical reasoning, verbal ability, quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, and of course, time management! From year 2012 onwards, a new post graduate level examination has been announced by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) called CMAT or Common Management Admission Test, the score of which will be acceptable in all the non-IIM institutions in India. Here is a list of the top management entrance tests in India that an aspirant can take, depending on the management college one wishes to apply to:
| Exam Level | Name of Exam | Conducting Body | Month of Issue of Forms | Exam Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Level | Scholastic Aptitude Test-1 (SAT-1) | College Board, USA | All year round | January, August (months applicable for entry into IIM Indore) |
| Post Graduate Level | CAT (Common Admission Test) | IIMs – Prometric | August | October – November |
| IIFT Written Test | IIFT | July | November | |
| GMAT (General Management Aptitude Test) | Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) | All year round | All year round | |
| FMS Entrance Test | FMS, Delhi | September | December & January | |
| Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) | XLRI | September | January | |
| Symbiosis National Aptitude test (SNAP) | Symbiosis International University | October | December | |
| Management Aptitude Test (MAT) | All India Management Association (AIMA) | 4 times a year | 4 times a year (February, December, September, May) | |
| Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) | All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) | December | February | |
| Doctoral Level | IIFT PG Written Entrance Examination | IIFT | February / March | May |
| Graduate Record Examination General Test (GRE) | Educational Testing Service (ETS) | All year round | All year round | |
| Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) | Same as above | Same as above | Same as above |
How to Prepare for Management Entrance Exams
Preparing for management entrance exams is not difficult, but it requires a lot of practice and an aim to succeed. Aspirants need to give themselves at least 4 months time for focused preparations. The following tips need to be followed to succeed the tests:
- Go back to the Mathematics books. Practice, practice, practice!
- Learn new words, their meanings and their usage in sentences every day to increase vocabulary
- Update on all the latest happenings through news, magazines, editorials and blogs of eminent people. Also have a habit of reading fiction and non-fiction novels. All this helps in personal interview and group discussion
- Timed-reading helps in increasing the speed of reading
- Take mock tests in a timed environment and learn through the mistakes made in them
Numerous books are available to guide students in their management entrance preparation, like:
- Mathematics For MBA Entrance Exams by R. S. Aggarwal
- The Pearson Complete Guide to the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha
- How to Prepare For Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning for the CAT by Arun Sharma
- How to Prepare for the CAT by Muneer
- The Official Guide For GMAT Review by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
- GMAT Strategy Guides by Manhattan GMAT
- CMAT Entrance Guide by Disha Experts
- CMAT: Common Management Aptitude Test by Sahrawat, Khurana
- MAT (Management Aptitude Test) Entrance Exams by G K Publications
- Study Package For Management Aptitude Test (MAT) by Arun Sharma
If one requires help in management entrance exam preparations, several coaching centers are available as well. Popular names are
- IMS
- Erudite
- TIME
- Career Launcher
Career prospects in Management
After completion of a course in a field of management, most colleges offer placement opportunities to post graduates. The job offer usually includes a fat pay cheque and subsequently, opportunities to rise up the company ladder, the reasons which had brought the student to pursue an MBA course. Dreams unfold now. Depending on the Management College, location of work, industry wishing to work in and previous working experience, one can expect to draw anything between 2 lakhs to as high as 25 lakhs per annum. There are a range of industries that one can work in including financial institutions including banks, credit rating agencies, investment agencies and financial advisory services, consulting firms, marketing companies, IT organizations and even niche industries like hotels, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, steel plants and other manufacturing units, petroleum and energy companies, governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations. One can also start their own venture or enter into their family business. Even in the present global economic situation, MBA graduates are still in demand.