MBA Subjects: Check MBA Course, Syllabus, Topics and Specialisations

The core MBA subjects are common to all courses and specialisations. Check out details of MBA subjects, syllabus and specialisations.

An MBA programme is a comprehensive training in skills and techniques that are essential to run a business organisation successfully. The subjects included in the MBA course pertain to developing and enhancing entrepreneurial qualities of an individual. Some of the key aspects of MBA are financial management, human resource management, customer relationship, marketing research and operations.

The MBA programmes are offered in various specialisations but the core subjects remain common to all. However, many students still have queries related to the MBA subjects such as:

What are the main MBA subjects?
What is the purpose of each MBA subject?

MBA Subjects

Let’s understand the common MBA subjects which are considered the basic pillars of business management.

Financial Management: The most essential part of running a business is to know how to manage the finances. One needs to know how to efficiently utilise the budget allocated to certain tasks and projects. In Financial Management, one learns the financial ratios for measuring efficiency, liquidity and profitability. Other aspects covered in this MBA subject are debt, markets and capital budgeting.

Human Resource Management: Having a team of professionals who perform to their optimum capabilities is the most basic requirement of a business organisation. In this MBA subject, one learns how to manage the workforce. The subject includes knowledge of labour policies, welfare of the workers, hiring, training and retention of employees.

Customer Relationship: For a successful business, one needs to have loyal customers who come back for services, despite competition in the market. Customer Relationship Management teaches how to gain customers, retain customers and improve the product or service based on customer inputs. One also gets to learn how to ensure customer satisfaction at every stage of company-customer interaction.

Marketing Research: To know whether the product or service will be successful, one needs to conduct market research. This subject of MBA teaches Who, Why, What and How of market research that will be useful in making business decisions.

Operations: To run a business organisation successfully, one needs to run the operations smoothly. The business operation part mainly consists of planning, production, supply chain and logistics. This MBA subject teaches skills and techniques necessary for maintaining quality, productivity and capacity of the organisation.

Given below is the detailed description of MBA course and subjects along with the specialisations offered by B-Schools in India.

MBA Subjects: First Year (Core syllabus)

The below table indicates the list of MBA subjects taught in the first year of the full-time course:

MBA Subjects: Term 1	MBA Subjects: Term 2	MBA Subjects: Term 3
1. Corporate Financial Reporting & Analysis	1. Cost Management	1. Corporate Finance
2. Organisational Behaviour	2. Organisational Behaviour	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 Subjects: Second Year (Elective syllabus)

Check the list of elective subjects taught 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. Organisational Behaviour
16. Human Resource Management	17. Public Policy Management
18. Management Information Systems	19. Strategic Management
20. Marketing

MBA Subjects: Top Elective Courses

Finance , Operations, Marketing and HR are the most preferred electives among MBA students in India. Given below are the topics covered in elective courses of MBA Finance, Operations, Marketing and HR:

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

MBA Subjects: Specialisations to Choose

Candidates planning to pursue an MBA programme should preferably opt for a specialisation. Going for a specialisation is beneficial in terms of better career opportunities in a particular field. The MBA course is available in various specialisations. Take a look at the below table for various specialisations offered by MBA colleges in India:

Popular MBA specialisations
Finance	Digital Marketing
Marketing	International Business
Sales	Human Resources
Operations	IT & Systems
Business Analytics	Retail
Infrastructure	Supply Chain
Disaster Management	Pharma
Agriculture & Food Business	Oil & Gas
Energy & Environment	Project Management
Advertising	Rural Management
Import & Export	Sports Management
Product	Entrepreneurship
NGO Management	Telecom
Materials Management	Textile Management
Healthcare & Hospital	Transport & Logistics
Hospitality and Tourism	Forestry
Business Economics	Public Policy

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

FAQs Related to MBA Subjects

Q: How many subjects are there in MBA?

A: There are a total of 46 subjects in a regular MBA course. Out of 46 subjects, 11 subjects are core and 35 are elective subjects.

Q: What are the main subjects in MBA?

A: Marketing, HR management, business planning, finance management, principles of management, business laws, communication skills, entrepreneurship, business communication, computer application, organisational behaviour, taxation, retail management, project work, economics and business environment are the main subjects of MBA.

Q: Which are the most popular specialisations in MBA?

A: The most popular specialisations in MBA are HR, Finance, Operations, Sales & Marketing, IT & System, Digital Marketing, Business Analytics, Supply Chain & Logistics.

Q: Which subjects to study in graduation for MBA?

A: For pursuing an MBA degree course, one can study any subject in graduation. MBA is open to students from all three streams - Science, Commerce and Arts.

Q: Which subjects to study in class 11 and 12 for MBA?

A: For pursuing an MBA degree course, one can take go for any stream of education - Science, Commerce and Arts, as the course is open for all course.

Q: Is Maths compulsory for MBA?

A: No, Maths is not compulsory for MBA. However, candidates planning to pursue MBA Business Analytics, MBA Data Science, MBA Information Technology and MBA Finance must pursue Maths in HSc as these specialisations and sectors requires mathematical skills in many aspects.

Q: Who can pursue MBA?

A: The minimum eligibility criteria for MBA is graduation so any aspirant who has completed graduation or an equivalent degree from a recognised university can pursue MBA.

Q: What is the main purpose of MBA course?

A: The main purpose of MBA course is to train a candidate in management of different aspects of a business and develop leadership qualities in them.

Q: Is full-time MBA better than part-time MBA?

A: For fresh graduates, a full-time MBA is better than part-time MBA as in there is surety of campus placement in the full-time MBA. However, for a working professional, part-time MBA is better as they can continue with their job while pursuing the course.

Q: How can I get a job after MBA?

A: After completing MBA in full-time mode, candidates can seek job through campus placement of the institute. All B-schools conduct campus placements for their outgoing students.

Q: Can I pursue MBA after Class 12?

A: Yes, if one plans to pursue MBA after Class 12, they can opt for Integrated MBA, which is a five-year course encompassing BBA and MBA.

MBA Subjects: Check Course, Syllabus, Topics and Specialisations