Hi,
I am working as a Business Analyst(Retail) with one of India's top Analytics firms. I am a fresher to the analytics industry, but i do have prior work experience in IT.
I wish to do an MBA about 2-3 years from now. My question is "What is the specialisation that i should be looking for when i apply for an MBA?"
My target is to become a consultant in this domain. My novice understanding of this field tells me that an MBA in strategy should be the way to go. But after looking up on the net, i did not find any info for colleges offering something like this.
Request experience people to please guide me.
Mangesh,
When I did my MBA (30 units), it was very much a Generalist Business Degree, with the focus on Business, Marketing, Economics, Finance/Accounting, business behaviour (Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Org Development) and Strategy. Nowadays you can do an MBA with 8-12 units, which includes a specialization. At Melbourne uni the MBA/MIS consists of 26 units. My point: MBAs differ widely and so do the quality; and having an MBA might not be such a grand differentiator as you might think, it depends very much on the Management School.
Strategy is a CORE unit in any MBA; I’m surprised that you are finding MBAs without this CORE unit. Perhaps you should give those MBAs the flick!
Sometimes an undergraduate Business Degree is just as good; and then a good Graduate Diploma in IT (which recognises your work experience in the field). Now remember, I’m writing from an Australian Perspective, where this combination of Undergraduate/Grad diploma is quite an acceptable combination and sometimes better valued. (Seen ads that says MBAs need not apply).
All the best with your deliberations!
Warm regards,
Hi K,
Many thanks for the insights into the importance(or the lack of it in some cases) of an MBA.
To drive home the point that you made about Strategy being a core subject in any MBA syllabus, i would like to present the curriculum of 2 of India's best management schools in the links below.
www.iimidr.ac.in/iimi/pages/programmes_main/pgp-curriculum.php
www.iimk.ac.in/pgp/pgp-corecourses.php (present in core, but better options present in electives)
Both these MBA colleges have strategy as a subject but it is an elective subject, not a core one.
With regards to my undergrad degree, i have one in IT, hence the urge to go in for an MBA to gain a better understanding of the business domain.
Hope that Indian B-schools make some changes to their syllabus soon! Else i might be forced to look outside the country for my graduate degree.
Thanks,
Mangesh
Awesome institutes! IIMIDR does STRATEGY MANAGEMENT as a CORE subject in TERM-III; and so does IIMK (Strategic management and International Business).
All the best!
K
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