What is Executive MBA/PGDM?
Executive MBA/PGDM is a post graduate management programme exclusively meant for working professionals who wish to upgrade their managerial skills in their field of work or industry to be able to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment and stay relevant in the job market.
There is not much difference in the course content of the regular MBA/PGDM programme and the Executive MBA/PGDM programme. However, they both are designed for different people with different needs.
Since Executive MBA/PGDM is designed for working professionals with considerable work experience, it is of shorter duration (1 year or 18 months) and often imparted in part-time mode. Although the fees of an Executive MBA programme is more than the regular MBA programme (Rs 10 lakh to Rs 40 lakh), the benefit of pursuing the former is that the employer company often provides financial assistance by sponsoring its employee for the programme.
Over the years, Executive MBA has gained a popularity across the globe. Now, more graduates prefer to work for a few years and pursue Executive MBA, as it gives them a competitive edge. Previous work experience adds to their professional profile. Moreover, top B-schools like IIMs provide campus placement for their Executive MBA graduates. The average salary offered after completion of Executive MBA programme is Rs 13 lakh and above.
Executive MBA: Eligibility Criteria and Top Entrance Exams
Eligibility criteria for Executive MBA is similar to Regular MBA, the only difference being work experience, which carries a lot of weight during selection process. Take a look at the basic eligibility criteria for Executive MBA/PGDM below:
- Any candidate who has completed Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks in aggregate or equivalent from a recognized university. At many institutes, there is no minimum cut off marks for Executive MBA admission
- The candidate must have at least 2 years of work experience at managerial or executive level. Work experience in part-time mode is not acceptable
- The number of years viz the work experience vary from 2-10 years for every institute. The candidate must check the eligibility criteria of the chosen b schools before applying
Executive MBA entrance exams
Admission to most of the executive MBA programmes in India is done on the basis of entrance exam scores. Listed below are the top Executive MBA entrance exams:
| CAT | GMAT |
| XAT | EMAT |
| NMAT by GMAC | CMAT |
Syllabus of Executive MBA Course
The syllabus of Executive MBA/PGDM course is almost the same as that of a regular MBA programme. The only difference is that in Executive MBA/PGDM, the topics are taught in a more focused manner. The programme includes core and elective courses, allowing the candidate to opt for a specialization if he/she wishes to.
Given below are some of the topics common to all Executive MBA syllabus:
| Executive MBA syllabus | |
|---|---|
| Financial Reporting and Analysis | Designing Organizations |
| Competition and Strategy | Macroeconomics |
| Decision Sciences | Entrepreneurial Management |
| Corporate Finance | Managing People & Performance in Organizations |
| Business Law | Managerial Economics |
| Corporate Governance & Ethics | Marketing Management |
| Operations Management | |
Elective courses of Executive MBA include
| Corporate Strategy and Policy | Economics and Social Sciences |
| Entrepreneurial Learning | Decision Sciences and Information systems |
| Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Management | Finance and Accounting |
| Production and Operations Management | Marketing |
Executive MBA: Job Profiles & Top Companies
The demand for Executive MBA is on the rise in the present scenario. Placement numbers of EPGP programmes of top B-Schools show that more recruiters are now interested in MBA graduates with work experience.
At IIMs and other top institutes, the average salary offered to graduates of executive education programmes has been Rs 13 lakh per annum and upwards. Executive MBA/PGDM holders are best suited for senior level managerial and consulting jobs and entrepreneurship. Such candidates are hired by all kind of companies and business houses for profiles in senior management in domains like finance, marketing, sales, human resources, IT, digital marketing, business analysis, operations, banking, insurance, consulting etc.
Some of the companies, which participate in campus placement process to hire Executive MBAs are mentioned in the table below:
| Executive MBA: Top Companies | |
|---|---|
| HCL | Infosys |
| Vedanta | Trident Group |
| Grey Orange | KPMG |
| Reliance Industries | Larsen & Toubro(L&T) |
| Cadbur | Hindustan Unilever (HLL) |
| UltraTech Cement | Mahindra and Mahindra |
| ITC Limited | Tata Motor |
| Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. | Asian Paints |
