Planning MBA after 12th? Know admission process, placement record & more about Integrated MBA

Considering that IPM Indore is supposed to be the best college among the integrated MBA so far, Shiksha.com got in touch with Professor Shruti Tewari, Chair-IPM, IIM Indore to know more about the advantages, usefulness, placement record of the Integrated Programme in Management.

Yes, you can do MBA right after Class 12! Completing a bachelor's degree and then opting for a management programme is outdated. Integrated MBA programme initially introduced by the Indian Institute of Management Indore and later joined by IIM Jammu, Rohtak, Ranchi and Bodh Gaya is gaining popularity among the management enthusiasts. Apart from IIM, various other institutes such as NALSAR, Hyderabad has also started offering this five-year integrated program (BBA+MBA). Meanwhile, there are reports that state that the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) will also launch IPM soon.

Integrated Programme in Management Admission Process

Every year, IIM Indore and Rohtak conducts its National Aptitude Test (IPMAT). Whereas IIM Jammu and Bodh Gaya conduct Joint Integrated Programme in Management Admission Test (JIPMAT) to facilitate admissions to the five-year integrated program in Management. Approximately 20000 students appear for the exams annually. The IPM admission process involves various stages, starting with the IPM Aptitude Test (IPMAT), Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI).

While talking about the conduct of JIPMAT 2021, IIM Bodh Gaya Director, Dr Vinita Sahay said, “When we started IPM, we as a school decided that meritocracy must prevail. We conducted JIPMAT as a joint admission test by India's most trusted testing agency called NTA. Our whole philosophy was that every student across the country should get an opportunity to do undergraduate in the high-quality premium institution in business management that too at the least inconvenience and cost. We also kept it affordable for every section of society to come and give the test.”

She further added that JIPMAT turned out to be a huge success, “We are extremely happy with the outcome because you know, why should a parent suffer by paying multiple fees across multiple campuses? Something as high as INR 4000 to INR 5000 for every test. No, it is not desirable. What is needed is that we give equal opportunity and we reduce the hassle for the student as well as a hassle for the parents and make it more accessible. That is the philosophy with which we are working and JIPMAT has been a huge success this year.”

Integrated Programme in Management: Popularity, placement, advantages and more

Considering that IPM Indore is supposed to be the best college among the integrated MBA so far, Shiksha.com got in touch with Professor Shruti Tewari, Chair-IPM, IIM Indore to know more about the advantages, usefulness, placement record of the Integrated Programme in Management.

Q. Reason behind introducing a 5-year integrated program

A: The 5-years Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) aims to build a strong foundation of management. To build future-ready leaders who can come up with innovative and sustainable business solutions, it is necessary to develop strong foundations in the disciplines that contribute to management science such as Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Humanities & Social Sciences. IPM also fosters enabling skills of IT and business communications. It exposes the students to an array of activities and learning experiences like the fine arts, performing arts, foreign language training, physical and mental development through sports and yoga. This is the fundamental academic motive behind starting the integrated programme in management, where the first three years are used to train the students in foundational disciplines of management followed by core management training of the last two years of MBA. 

Q: How is integrated MBA beneficial for students after 12? Why should s/he go for it?

A: The IPM Program is a multidisciplinary course, and provides exposure to a unique blend of subjects and activities that can only be found at IPM Indore. It offers foundational courses ranging from quantitative courses such as mathematics, statistics, programming, and economics, to the Humanities courses on psychology, philosophy, political science, law, and sociology. The program also focuses on making them socially conscious by providing opportunities for social internships at the end of their second year of the UG program. 

Q: Is IPM popular among students?

A: Yes, the enrolment for IPMAT suggests it’s one of the most sought-after programs after the 12th. For the first three years, the programme focuses on developing a strong foundation of management, after which they are merged with the flagship MBA program. Around 20,000 students write the entrance exam for the program, and this number has been increasing every year. 

Q: How is IPM different from a regular MBA programme?

A: MBA is a regular two years post-graduate programme. IPM is a five-year dual degree (UG + PG) integrated programme. Participants are awarded an undergraduate degree of ‘BA in Foundations of Management’ for the first three years and a PG degree of MBA after successfully completing the last two years. Both the degrees are awarded on the convocation day after five years of the programme. The option of exit and up to two years of sabbatical leave after the first three years are also available. The last two years of IPM are equivalent/ identical to the regular MBA (two-year programme) offered by IIMI. For example, after completing the first three years, the participants of IPM 2019-24 batch will be merged with PGP 2022-24 batch for the MBA program. IPM is not a BBA+MBA program rather BA (foundations of Management)+MBA program.

Q: What is the placement record for IPM at IIM Indore?

IPM placements have been scaling new heights since the graduation of the first batch in 2016. The placements for the fourth & fifth-year participants of IPM programme are completely integrated with that of the PGP batch. Placement statistics of IPM are at par with those of PGP participants. IPM participants have succeeded in garnering prestigious placements across all domains and sectors. Prominent recruiters who have reposed their faith in IPM participants include VOIS, AB InBev, Amazon, Bank of America, Barclays, BCG, BMW, Capgemini, CarDekho, Credit Suisse, DE Shaw, Deloitte, EY, FinIQ, Flipkart, GE, Goldman Sachs, HDFC Bank, HSBC, HUL, IBM, ICICI Bank, IDFC First Bank, JPMC, Kotak Mahindra Bank, L’Oreal, Mahindra, Nomura, OYO, PepsiCo, Philips, PhonePe, PwC, Rapido, RBI, Rebel Foods, Redseer Consulting, Salesforce, Samsung, Spinny, State Street, Tata Steel, TCS, Tech Mahindra and Udaan, amongst others. This is a result of the holistic education participants receive in the first three years of the program. A sound foundational knowledge, built on the pillars of economics, statistics and social sciences, results in IPM participants demonstrating a deep understanding of management principles. A wide variety of internships, live projects and research projects provide students help in application of classroom knowledge. Recruiters appreciate the participants’ analytical rigor, wide exposure and strong communication skills, which equip IPM students for leadership roles across industries.

Students’ Speak

Aradhya Vats, IPM 2015-20, alumnus, IIM Indore talked about her experience and gains from Integrated Programme in Management. Commenting on how IPM placements helped in her career growth, Aradhya said, “The placement process helped me land an internship in Product Marketing at Google and a Full-time offer in Consulting at PwC. IPM helped me build a strong resume - adding variety in subjects, projects, and extra-curricular opportunities.” She further added that she chose IPM programme because of its holistic nature - it focuses on overall hard and soft skill development. “The IIM Indore brand brings in the best-in-class faculty to teach courses ranging from Econometrics to Political Science. The curriculum aims to build socially-conscious managers, which itself is the need of the corporate hour. Internships, projects, leadership opportunities at student clubs, committees at a young age all come together to create best-in-class professionals,” Vats added.

Rohit Shukla, IPM Alumnus, IIM Bodh Gaya, talked about how the programme contributed to his learning and introduced him to approaches for knowledge assimilation and skill acquisition. “IPM provided strong foundations of management, law, philosophy, and psychology. It also helped in all-around personality development.”

Shukla added, “ The programme provided practical exposure in diverse decision scenarios, realities, and complexities as a part of their summer internships and live projects so as to develop deepened and contextualized understanding.”

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