The dilemma of regular MBA vs executive MBA

D2C Admin

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The dilemma of regular MBA vs executive MBA

0 min read

“It's not about making the right choice. It's about making a choice and making it right.” ―J.R. Rim. CAT and other MBA entrance examinations are over. You either nailed them and came out with flying colours or you didn’t and are now looking at Plan B. This, of all other Plan Bs stops at the question, Regular MBA vs Executive MBA. In line with the famous quote above, the decision you make does not matter much until you’re willing to set things right for yourself. To help you plan your career trajectory, here are a few answers that will help you sleep better at night.

The question: Regular MBA vs Executive MBA

Before we begin talking about the pros and cons of both, let us get into the details of what both these courses comprise.

Regular MBA

Essentially a two-year program, a regular MBA is divided into four or six semesters. Providing specializations in a number of domains, this program is also one of the most sort after post-graduate programmes both, in India and abroad. Students from any background, be it Science, Commerce or Humanities, can pursue their post-grad in this field. Candidates who are fresh out of college and the ones with relevant work experience, both, can apply for a Regular MBA. Being a full-time course, it lays emphasis on theory classes, practicals, internships and projects.

Most institutes have a minimum eligibility criterion, i.e., a score beyond which students are not allowed to sit for the entrance exam. This criterion generally lies between 45 to 50%. Students are required to appear for a Common Admission Test, CAT, based on which the colleges call students for further rounds of GD/WAT/PI post which the students are granted admission. Few colleges also accept GMAT scores for providing admission to their PGP courses.

Executive MBA

Executive MBA, on the other hand, is specially designed for working professionals. It is curated in a fashion that exclusively upgrades their managerial skills in their industry or field of work. This helps them get accustomed to the rapidly changing business scenario. Crafted for people with considerable work experience, executive MBA programmes are of shorter durations, typically ranging from 1 year to 18 months, and are often part-time.

Although the fees of an executive MBA is generally higher than that of a regular MBA, the fact that many a time the employer company provides financial assistance is what may come to your rescue.

In recent years, the Executive MBA programme has gained popularity. More students are now looking forward to working for a few years and then pursuing an Executive MBA. Not only does this give them a competitive edge over the others, but also adds relevant work experience to their professional profile. In addition to this, prestigious B-Schools like IIMs also provide campus placements to students pursuing an Executive MBA.

The Comparison

Now that we know what the two programmes comprise, let us have a quick look at their comparison. In the most literal terms: Regular MBA vs Executive MBA.

Attributes	Regular MBA	Executive MBA
Work Pressure	Students pursuing a full-time MBA course have a rigorous schedule with classes and projects. This makes it difficult or nearly impossible for them to pursue anything beyond their program.	Here is where students enrolled in the Executive MBA program get benefit. Students can work full-time and attend weekend classes to manage both, work and studies.
Academic Curriculum	Regular MBA students get an opportunity to study a particular subject as specialization. The various specializations include that of Marketing, Finance, Operations, Entrepreneurship, amongst others.	Studying the same course as that of regular MBA students, the ones in EMBA have to attend classes at a faster pace.
Place of Study	If you’re opting for a regular MBA, location will not be a constraint. You can shift to the place where your college is located and attend classes accordingly.	But just in case you’re a working professional, you’ll be bound to join a college in your area and will not be able to shift to any other location.
Duration	2 years.	1-3 years, varies from college to college.
Area of focus	A regular MBA programme focuses more on the business-related specializations like that of Marketing and Finance.	EMBA, on the other hand, encompasses everything, covering every aspect of the industry with a strategic perspective.
Student’s Profile	Students from any field of study, be it Science, Humanities or Commerce, can opt for this programme. Generally, the ones lying anywhere between the age of 22-25 years opt for this course. Experience isn’t mandatory.	With a minimum mandatory experience of 5 years, candidates applying to this course lie in the age group of 27+ years.
Campus Life	A better and more student intensive programme, you should opt for a regular MBA if you’re willing to enjoy the student experience at college. Opportunities like that of fests, competitions, student exchange programs amongst many others will come your way.	Networking opportunities for the students of EMBA are less because the class strength is low. Along with being less eventful, EMBA does not account for interaction with larger student groups.
Course requirements and Acceptance rates	The regular MBA programme does not require work experience. The chances of getting into this program are higher because plenty of B-Schools across the country and beyond offer seats for this programme.	With a limited number of seats and a minimum number of required work experience (differs from college to college), the acceptance rates of EMBA programmes are low.
Cost of study	On the basis of how prestigious the B-School is, the cost varies somewhere between 15-20 Lacs.	For pursuing an EMBA, the fees is usually covered by your employer, as he gets benefits from the knowledge and skills you learn. Depending upon the reputation of the B-School, the fees varies and lies anywhere between 1 Lac to 33 Lacs.

What are the options?

To judge which program and college is better and whether or not you fit into the criteria of your dream college, have a look at the following requirements, necessary for entering a B-School:

Institute	Program	Entrance Exam	Duration	Min. Work Ex
Indian School of Business	PGP MAX	GMAT	12 Months	10+ years
IIM Ahmedabad	PGPX	GMAT	12 Months	6+ years
IIM Bangalore	EPGP	GMAT/ GRE	12 Months	5 years
IIM Calcutta	PGPEX	GMAT	12 Months	5+ years
IIM Kozhikode	EEPGM	CAT/ GMAT/ EMAT	24 Months	5 years
IIM Indore	EPGP	CAT/ GMAT	12 Months	5 years
FMS Delhi	EMBA/ EMBA (HCA)	Test conducted by the institute	24 Months	5 years
IIFT Delhi	EPGDF	No exam score required	18 Months	5 years

To each his own

Regular MBA vs Executive MBA: the question still lies bare. In the midst of two equally competent options, which one should you choose? In the simplest words, the answer depends on your preferences and the path you’d want your career to follow. If you’re looking forward to switching your specialization (for instance, from Marketing to Finance), a regular MBA programme will suit your needs the best. However, if you’d like to stick to the company that you’re working in and would just like to upgrade your existing skills, EMBA is a better option.

Sit down, calm your nerves and consider all aspects before you and decide which path you’d like to tread. The choice is yours to make. And remember, whatever path you choose, you always can make the best out of it, if you want. All the best!

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D2C Admin

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MBA Engineering B-School CAT GMAT MBA Aspirants Arts and Science GRE