Executive MBA ISB vs Executive MBA IIM Ahmedabad

Both of the executive MBA degrees offered by both these institutions are competent in their own ways. Choosing the programme and the course is a matter of personal preference.

Most aspirants in the country have wide range of options when it comes to studying MBA. For example, there are traditional two-year MBA degrees, one-year post-graduate diplomas, executive MBA degrees, executive diploma certification courses, etc. What makes this degree more lucrative is the number and the quality of institutes that offer these courses. Though the executive MBA programmes were introduced by the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), the trend is followed by a number of other universities as well. Let us compare the Executive MBA offered in Indian School of Business (ISB) with that of IIM Ahmedabad here.

MBA from ISB Vs MBA from IIM Ahmedabad

IIM-Ahmedabad is one of the biggest and the most reputed business school in the country. Founded in 1967, the institute is government-owned and internationally recognised management institution build in collaboration with business visionaries.

On the other hand, ISB has been set up by a group of industrialists and academicians in association with Wharton and Kellogg. Started in 2001, the institute has grown significantly to compete with IIM-A as the country’s best business school. We have drawn comparison among both the institutions based on certain parameters such as duration of the course, eligibility, placements, course fee, etc.

Nature of Course: ISB offers a Post-Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGPPro). This is a weekend MBA program for executives designed to equip those working in the mid-management tier with the required skills, to escalate them to the top management levels. The course is offered at the ISB centers located at Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Candidates can choose to specialise in marketing or finance management. During the entire course duration, students are entitled to two weeks of on-campus residence and international immersion week for global exposure.

The Executive MBA course at IIM Ahmedabad is also known as PGPX and is rated among the best management programs of the world. It is a full-time one-year residential program that caters to the professional requirements of enthusiastic and aspiring executives.

Eligibility Criteria: The eligibility criteria to apply for PGP at ISB is that one needs to hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in any discipline. Candidate should also possess full-time work experience of 5-12 years. There is no mandatory sponsorship required for admission. However, if there is any support from the organization, then the business school requires a letter of acknowledgment.  Although the GMAT score is not required, if the candidate possesses a valid one, they can send it along with their application.

The eligibility criteria to join PGPX at IIM-A include 50 per cent aggregate marks in the under-graduate degree, a valid GMAT or GRE score and four years of full-time work experience after completion of graduation. Candidate should have completed 25 years of age at the time of admission as well.

Selection Process: For PGP at ISB, candidates are selected and offered admission based on their academic performance. The final selection for the programme depends on the interview round.

To apply for E-MBA at IIM-A online, candidates must pay an application fee of Rs 2,000. Following the submission of application, the institute shortlists candidates on the basis of their CAT scores for the exams taken within the last three years or the GMAT/ GRE scores for the exams taken within the past five years. The shortlisted candidates are interviewed at the IIM-A campus and the professional experience gained post completion of graduation will play a major role in final selection.

Course Duration and Curriculum: The duration of the program is about 15 months and includes a two-week period of international exposure in the USA, at Kellogg and Wharton. The course includes analytical concepts in business and finance, fundamental management concepts, understanding functional expertise, etc. The candidate can specialise in either finance or marketing.

The EMBA at IIM Ahmedabad is a full-time one-year in-house program for executives with significant work experience. The PGP is a hybrid program with online lessons conducted through study centers and classroom lessons taught at IIMA campus along with project work.

Fees and Placements:  If candidates do not get sponsorship, then they have to arrange their own tuition fee of $47,800, excluding the taxes. Cost of accessories, laptops, travel, lodging and boarding are extra.

The total program fee payable by the students is Rs 20 lakh, excluding GST. The program fee is payable in six installments.

Placements and Career Opportunities: After completing the Executive MBA at ISB, the students are entitled to the excellent placement and career services to help them out with suitable job roles and handsome payouts. The top recruiters at ISB include Amazon, CitiBank, Apple, Google, RBL Bank, Microsoft, Paytm, Deloitte, etc. The median placement salary for ISB was Rs 20.7 lakh per annum.

IIM-A has arguably the best placement statistics and the students of PGPX are hired for roles such as CTO, Vice President, GM, Assistant Vice president, Directors and other senior managerial positions. Some of the top recruiters are Boston consulting group, Accenture, Wipro, Infosys, Google, Oracle, Goldman Sachs, etc. The median placement salary for international placements was $127,275 per annum and for domestic placements the median value was Rs 22 lakh per annum.

Student Exchange Programs and International Tie-ups: IIM-A has a better student exchange programme when compared to that of ISB. It has about 50 leading business school partners whereas ISB has only 39 partners. IIM-A offers better student exchange programs in Europe, Asia and South America. IIM-A was in close relationship with the Harvard Business School during its early days and was influenced by its teaching methods.

The ISB conducts its student exchange programme in collaboration with the Kellogg School of Management. It also has ties with London Business School and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Executive MBA degrees offered by both these institutions are competent in their own ways. Choosing the programme and the course is a matter of personal preference. PGP offered at IIM Ahmedabad has the obvious advantage of IIM tag attached with it which might help candidates with better future job prospects and packages.

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