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MBA aspirants search for the above information in different ways:
While they are referring to an Executive MBA course, a part-time course for senior executives, they all really mean to ask something quite different: What are the differences between a 2 Year MBA & an 1 Year MBA course?
| Parameter | One Year MBA in India / MBA for Executives | Two Year MBA in India/ 2 Year PGDM | Significance |
| Format | Full time | Full time | |
| Duration | 12-15 Months | 2 Years | |
| Class room hours | 650-700 | 800 | |
| Meant for | experienced professionals with 3+ years of work experience | freshers with 0-2 years work experience | The one-year full time MBA’s placement process is better equipped to place experienced professionals as opposed to the placement process of the two-year PGP at business schools in India as the bulk of the two-year PGP students, on an average, have less than one-year of work experience and almost forty percent of the students have zero work experience, most of the companies that come to recruit two-years PGP students offer them management trainee profiles |
| Time to discover yourself | yes | no
| The key benefit offered by the one-year full time MBA, we believe, is that the course gives you time to discover yourself before you manage others. In Indian society the pressure to rise above the neighbor’s kid is a constant one. The one-year full time MBA at business schools in India, by adhering to the original mission statement of an MBA as defined by the Association of MBAs – to “enhance and develop previous relevant experience” – gives you on an average five years to pursue what your heart desires |
| Accreditation as per international norms | MBA | Masters in Business Management – not MBA | Candidates pursuing a one-year MBA receive a qualification that is recognized globally as an MBA as opposed to the qualification earned through the two-year PGP course which is recognized as a Masters in Management internationally – a course for candidates without work-experience. |
| The goal of the degree | To help experienced professionals transition to leadership roles | To help fresh graduates gain a grounding in business management | Don’t head into an Two Year MBA in India expecting managerial slots. Most MIM graduates land assignments as Management Trainees. |
| Learning environment | Class has extensive experience | Class has little work experience which impacts the level of discussions | With close to 1000 years of collective corporate wisdom available in a typical class of 100 candidates in a batch of a one year MBA, the peer learning that the course offers is amazing. |
| Opportunity cost | 1 Year | 2 years | The opportunity cost of a one-year full time MBA is half that of a two-year MBA programme. You save one year’s post qualification salary and join work faster. |
| International immersion | yes | no | Students of the one year MBA typically spend one term abroad which helps them gain an international perspective of business |
| Learning pace | Fast paced | Relatively relaxed | The two year course gives you more time to absorb concepts. |
| Recognition in companies | Awareness rising as the course started 10 years back in India | Established – 40-50 years legacy | The industry in India has well established frameworks such as the Management Trainee programme to induct the graduates of the two year course into the workplace – this makes the placement process smoother. Hiring in senior roles out of the 1 Year MBA is however also becoming a standard practice in new age companies. |
| Typical roles on offer | Vice President, General Manager, Senior manager | Management Trainee | |
| Companies hiring | New age companies in IT, E-Commerce | Old school FMCG, FMCD companies | |
| Fee | Higher | Lower | The fees for the one-year course at the IIMs, for instance, ranges between Rs 14 lakh and Rs 25 lakh. The two-year course is subsidized by the government and the average fee across the IIMs ranges between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 35 lakh. The fee at Indian School of Business (ISB) for the 1 Year PGP is a whopping Rs 34 Lakh! |
Read about each of these aspects in more detail in our
One Year MBA vs 2 Year MBA guide:Some more articles for you:
One Year MBA In India – Rankings, Placements, Eligibility, Deadlines, Fee
Applying to a one year MBA in India: Do’s, Don’ts & other lessons