How is integrated MBA different from MBA courses?

Posted by Shaheen Shaikh on May 2nd, 2018

The changing and ever-evolving world of business requires key personnel at various levels to handle business operations in an efficient manner. With several businesses initiating operations and several more expanding in scope every year, the demand for those proficient in the administration of business is on the rise annually.

This explains why so many graduates are taking up MBA courses in various disciplines. However, there is a growing demand for an offshoot of the conventional MBA course – it is known as the Integrated MBA.

What are MBA and Integrated MBA courses in India?

As the names suggest, both are management programmes in Business Administration. However, any similarities between the two seemingly end at this point. The MBA (Master of Business Administration) course is a postgraduate degree course that delves largely into the techniques involved in administrating a business on a daily and long term basis.

Meanwhile, the Integrated MBA is a long term study into the overall functioning of a business, right from its inception to the duties of the top tier of management within that organisation. The Integrated MBA course in India is so named because it studies the ‘integration’ of business programmes coupled with the administration subjects studied in MBA courses.

The following are three key points of difference between the MBA and Integrated MBA course in India:

1. You are required to be a graduate to pursue the MBA programme, while you can be an intermediate student to take the Integrated MBA course.
2. The MBA course lasts for 2 or 3 years, while the Integrated MBA course lasts for 5 years in top universities and colleges in the country.
3. Graduates must study the MBA course to become a postgraduate, whereas those studying the Integrated MBA course can turn the course into their postgraduate programme.

The applications of the Integrated MBA course

There are several career opportunities to be explored when you apply for Integrated degree courses in India. However, its applications are different from those of the MBA course and the opportunities it provides – viz, jobs in Human Resources, Marketing, Finance, etc.

In contrast, the Integrated MBA course has applications in both public and private undertakings, with opportunities opening up as per the area of specialisation. Normally, students who take Integrated MBA courses can also take Engineering or Business courses as optional ones. Essentially, the course helps students understand the elementary principles and workings of business. Students are also taught about new and emergent trends in the market and business world, and the changing face of managerial and entrepreneurial environments in a free economy.