Very Good Reasons to do an MBA-By Ravi Kulkarni, 3rd semester student

With some top 50 graduate schools of business across the north Karnataka, the M.B.A. degree has clearly become a commodity.

Even among elite schools, courses and case studies are pretty much water from the same well (i.e., finance, operations, marketing, HR).

So how do you choose? By using the rankings? Which ones? The Economist’s? Business week’s? The Financial Times’s? And if you do, how do you tell the difference between a school ranked No. 6 and a school ranked No. 7?

Don’t ask none. Don’t ask the schools, either. Their polished brochures try to be everything to everybody, and in the process they obscure rather than illuminate.

An MBA, or a Master of Business Administration, is a very hot topic nowadays. Is this just a trend, a touch, or is there real value in pursuing such a study programme? It is expensive and demanding and it has high entry requirements, so why should you opt for an MBA?

1. Higher remuneration

The average salary for an MBA graduate is considerably higher than that of an employee with a regular master qualification. For MBA graduates the average salary ranges from 8000 INR (in governmental or non-profit Institutions) to 28000I NR (in consultancy, finance or healthcare). That is almost twice as much of what you can expect to earn with a regular University degree. In this case, in 2-3 years, you cover the investment made in your MBA education, which is estimated to cost, for a 2 year MBA at a top business university, 35000 INR on average.

2. Better career opportunities

This advantage of an MBA degree goes hand in hand with the first one and it is actually the cause of the first one. Graduates of an MBA programme have, due to their qualification, higher chances of obtaining and holding a high level management position. It is estimated that 70% of the MBA graduates worldwide are senior managers or board directors. This type of position brings along a higher salary but of course also a higher responsibility and longer working hours.

3. Better fused business network

As an MBA student you have great networking opportunities. Through this type of study you get to know and interact in a relevant manner (in a context that emphasizes your business management capabilities) with colleagues (future high level managers), professors and teaching staff (usually former or current potent business people, with great on-field experience). Furthermore if you are not doing a part-time MBA next to your job or within your company you have good chances to meet potential employers through the various internships that are part of most top MBA programme.

4. A holistic viewpoint over the business world

As mentioned before, through studying an MBA you become part of a great network of professionals and companies and you constantly challenge yourself with the newest problem-solving. These things together give you a great overview of the business world, a deep understanding and certain receptiveness to the slight changes of this environment. This type of overview and sensitivity is very hard to achieve without spending a lot of time on it.