MBA Courses: Subjects, Syllabus and Specialisations

Check out details of MBA courses, subjects, syllabus and specialisations. The core MBA subjects are common to all B-schools but the elective courses can be different.

Master of Business Administration or MBA course has nowadays essential for a rewarding career. Companies across sectors expect their prospective employees to have prior training in business management and leadership. MBA is one of the most sought after post graduate degrees in India and abroad. It is a preferred choice for students from every stream. The MBA course curriculum is vast and includes various aspects of running and managing a business organisation. The MBA subjects range from organizational behaviour, business communication, marketing strategy, etc. to information technology and business law. The MBA syllabus can be understood as a set of subjects essential for developing managerial and entrepreneurial skills in an individual.

Types of MBA Courses

MBA is a two-year course divided into four to six semesters. The MBA courses include internship at the end of the first year and campus placements in the final year. In the first year of an MBA programme candidates are taught core subjects and in the second year, they are given an option to choose an MBA specialisation. In this article, we will share all about MBA subjects, syllabus and specialisations for aspirants to understand the core of MBA.

Popular MBA Courses

There are various types of MBA courses. Some are taught in full time mode, whereas some are taught in part time mode. Some MBA programmes are degree courses where as some of them are diploma courses. Here’s a brief description of types of MBA courses:

MBA Degree Courses: MBA is a full-time two-year course divided into four to six semesters. The MBA courses include internship at the end of the first year and campus placements in the final year. In the first year of an MBA programme candidates are taught core subjects and in the second year, they are given an option to choose an MBA specialisation. There are about 5,000 Full Time MBA colleges in India.

MBA Diploma Courses: MBA Diploma course as popularly known as PGDM or PGP programmes. These courses are available in full-time, part-time, distance as well as online modes. The pedagogy, syllabus and recognition of MBA diploma courses is same as a degree courses. The only difference is universities award MBA degree whereas institutes can award only diploma.

Distance MBA Courses: These are the MBA degree programmes that are taught in distance education mode. Students can pursue this course while working on a 9-5 job or while pursuing another full-time course. The key benefit of distance MBA course is that it is cheaper compared to a full-time MBA course. There are over 490 Distance MBA colleges in India. The most popular being IGNOU.

Read All About Distance MBA

Part-Time MBA Courses: Part Time MBA course is not a residential programme and best suited for working professionals who wish to learn key managerial skills. In part-time MBA programmes, there is no campus placement or internship opportunities. Both private colleges and government universities offer part Time MBA courses. There are about 300 Part-Time MBA colleges in India. Course fee ranges between INR 1 lakh to 10 lakh. Read All About Part Time MBA. There are about 300 Part-Time MBA colleges in India.

Read All About Part Time MBA

Online MBA: This type on MBA is a popular option among working professionals owing to convenience and flexibility. In Online MBA, classes are conducted online and tests, assessments, etc. are done in Learning Management System (LMS). There are no physical classes in this type of MBA so anyone can pursue a course in any university from any location. There are about 170 Online MBA colleges in India.

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Executive MBA: This programme is exclusively designed for working professionals with more than three to five years of work experience. Executive MBA is usually of 15-18 months and includes physical classes. There are about 440 Executive MBA Colleges in India.

Read All About Executive MBA

5 year-Integrated MBA: This is a five-year dual degree MBA course which includes both UG and PG degree. Minimum qualification required for Integrated MBA class 12 or HSc pass. BBA+MBA or BTech+MBA programme are two of the most popular Integrated MBA programmes in India. The Integrated MBA course is offered by top B-Schools such as IIM Rohtak, IIM Indore, IIM Ranchi, IIM Jammu, IIM Bodhgaya, NMIMS, Xavier University and Nirma University among others.

Read All About Integrated MBA

MBA Subjects and Syllabus

MBA subjects may differ from college to college in minor aspects but the basic areas of study are same. Given below is the table indicating core and elective subjects included in the MBA syllabus.

MBA First Year: Core Subjects

Given below are the MBA subjects taught in the first year of the full-time programme:

MBA Syllabus: Term 1	MBA Syllabus: Term 2	MBA Syllabus: Term 3
1. Corporate Financial Reporting & Analysis	1. Cost Management	1. Corporate Finance
2. Organizational Behavior	2. Organizational Behavior	2. India and the World Economy
3. Marketing Management	3. Marketing Management	3. Production and Operations Management
4. Microeconomics	4. Macroeconomics	4. Strategic Management
5. Statistics for Management	5. Risk Management	5. Human Resources Management
6. Indian Economic & Political History	6. Operations Research	6. Indian Legal System
7. Environment & Development	7. Information Technology and Systems	7. Indian Social Structure
8. Qualifying Mathematics	8. Managerial Communication	8. Business Ethics
9. Managerial Communication

MBA Second Year: Elective Subjects

Given below is the list of elective subjects in the second year of an MBA course:

MBA Subjects: Elective
10. Business Ethics and Communication	11. Management Centre for Human Values
12. Economics	13. Operations Management
14. Finance & Control	15. Organizational Behaviour
16. Human Resource Management	17. Public Policy Management
18. Management Information Systems	19. Strategic Management
20. Marketing	19. Strategic Management

MBA Courses: Elective

Given below are the topics covered in elective courses of MBA Finance, Operations, Marketing and HR:

Finance Management	Operations Management
1. Management of Banks and Financial Institutions	1. Quality Management
2. Security Analysis and Portfolio Management	2. Materials Management
3. Fixed Income Markets	3. Analytics and Business Forecasting
4. Advanced Corporate Finance	4. Management of Technology
5. Social Banking and Microfinance	5. Decision Support System
6. Merchant Banking and Financial Services	6. Soft Computing
7. International Finance	7. Supply Chain Management and Logistics
8. Business Valuation	8. Advanced Decision Modeling
9. Corporate Restructuring	9. Services Operations Management
10. Infrastructure and Project Finance	10. Operations Strategy
10. Infrastructure and Project Finance	11. System Dynamics
Marketing Management	Human Resource Management
1. Sales and Distribution Management	1. Human Resources Development
2. Advertising and Promotion Management	2. Personnel Management and Industrial Relations
3. Services Marketing	3. Group Dynamics and Industrial Psychology
4. Product and Brand Management	4. Compensation Management
5. Advanced Market Research	5. Training and Development
6. Consumer Behavior	6. Performance Management
7. Retail Management	7. International Human Resource Management
8. Online Marketing	8. Management of Excellence & Innovation in Organizations
9. International Marketing	9. Management of Self
10. Customer Relationship Management	10. Strategic Human Resource Management
11. Rural Marketing	10. Strategic Human Resource Management

MBA Specialisations

The MBA course is available in various specialisations. The most popular MBA specialisations in India are Finance, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Human Resources, Business Analytics, International Business and Digital Marketing. Given below is the list of all specialisations offered by MBA colleges in India:

List of MBA specialisations
1. Finance	2. Agriculture & Food Business
3. Infrastructure	4. Advertising
5. Marketing	6. Materials Management
7. International Business	8. NGO Management
9. Sales	10. Oil & Gas
11. Disaster Management	12. Pharma
13. Human Resources	14. Retail
15. Energy & Environment	16. Project Management
17. Operations	18. Rural Management
19. Import & Export	20. Sports Management
21. Product	22. Supply Chain
23. IT & Systems	24. Telecom
25. Business Analytics	26. Textile Management
27. Healthcare & Hospital	28. Transport & Logistics
29. Digital Marketing	30. Forestry
31. Business Economics	32. Public Policy
33. Entrepreneurship	34. Hospitality

Top MBA Entrance Exams

Admission to all MBA courses is based on entrance exam. Check below the list of top MBA entrance exams:

Top MBA Entrance Exams
CAT	XAT
CMAT	MAT
SNAP	NMAT
IIFT	ATMA

Also Read: List of all MBA entrance exams

FAQs on MBA Courses and Subjects

Q: What are the types of MBA courses?

A: There are various types of MBA courses available as degree and diploma, in full-time, part-time, distance and online education modes.

Q: Which are the most popular MBA courses?

A: Some of the most popular MBA courses are Full-Time MBA, Online MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA and five-year Integrated MBA.

Q: What is Executive MBA course?

A: Executive MBA course refers to the post graduate degree course in Management meant only for working professionals with more than three years of work experience.

Q: What are the benefits of Online MBA courses?

A: Online MBA is flexible and convenient. One can attend classes from any location anytime. The lectures are presented via video conferencing. They are recorded and saved in the LMS for students to access later too. Study material is also shared online among students. Since there is no constraint of geographical location, one doesn’t need to change cities to pursue the course.

Q: Is part-time MBA equivalent to Full-Time MBA?

A: In terms of course curriculum, a Part-Time MBA is equivalent to Full-Time MBA however, a part-time MBA has less acceptability in the job market as the course doesn’t provide industry exposure via practical projects and internships, etc.

Q: Do students get campus placement in Distance MBA courses?

A: No, there is no provision of campus placements in Distance MBA as the course is mostly pursued by working professionals. Also, most of the Distance MBA courses do not have internships and pratical training, which is why companies do not prefer to hire freshers with Distance MBA degree.

Q: What is the MBA syllabus?

A: Some of the core topics of MBA syllabus are Organizational Behaviour, Managerial Economics, Business Communication, Financial Accounting, Marketing Management, Quantitative Methods, Human Resource Management, Marketing Research, Financial Management, Management of Information System, Legal Environment of Business, Business Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility and Strategic Analysis.

Q: What are the subjects to study for pursuing MBA?

A: The MBA course is open for students from all streams. Candidates from any background – Arts, Commerce, Science can pursue MBA.

Q: Is Maths compulsory for doing MBA?

A: No, Maths in not compulsory for MBA. However, it is an added advantage for those who wish to take up specialisations such as IT & Systems, Business Analytics, Finance, Accounting, Taxation, etc.

Q: Which is the top MBA specialisation?

A: Some of the top MBA specialisations include Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Operations, Supply Chain, Sales, Business Analytics, IT & Systems and Digital Marketing.

Q: What is the MBA course curriculum?

A: MBA is a two-year course, which is taught semester wise. There are usually four semesters in the MBA courses and it includes theory classes, internship, industry interaction and business projects.