Work experience gets weightier at IIM-A admissions

The B-School was ranked 15th in latest Financial Times Masters in Management Rankings 2015 for its PGP

Getting admission to the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad’s flagship postgraduate programme (PGP) in management might soon require a work experience certificate.

In the near future, it plans to admit 80-85 per cent of its students with work experience for the course. “Internationally, work experience is a given when one talks about MBA education. While some steps have been taken in this regard, more could follow,” said  an institute source. IIM-A sees the mix of its class changing in this manner by 2020-21.

The share of students with work experience has been climbing at IIM-A. The 2014-16 batch of PGP saw 63.2 per cent with this. It was 64.65 per cent for the 2015-17 batch. One steps it has recently taken is a scheme during admissions where selected candidates with no or less than three years of prior work experience are assured seats through deferred admissions. The candidates are, instead, encouraged to get work experience before coming back to join.

IIM-A was ranked 15th in the latest Financial Times Masters in Management Rankings 2015, for its PGP. It was 16th a year before. It was ranked number one worldwide on placement-related criteria such as ‘salary’, ‘employed at three months’, and ‘company internships’. It was one of the top ranked in related criteria such as ‘careers’ and ‘placement success’. The institute was also top ranked in ‘faculty with doctorates’; the entire IIM-A faculty meets that metric.

“At the maximum, two years of deferment is permissible. If granted deferred admission, a candidate has to deposit Rs 2 lakh (Rs 1 lakh as deferment fee and Rs 1 lakh as security deposit).  If the candidate fails to join at the end of the deferment period, Rs 2 lakh shall not be returned. A candidate accepting deferred admission has to pay the fee of the batch in which he/she is joining. Granted deferment, a candidate shall send a progress report at the end of the first year, (if the deferment is for two years), and shall keep IIM-A informed of a change in job if it so happens,” said Tathagata Bandyopadhyay, chairperson of admissions and faculty member at IIM-A.

IIM-A was ranked 15th in the latest Financial Times Masters in Management Rankings 2015, for its PGP. It was 16th a year before.  It was ranked number one worldwide on placement-related criteria such as ‘salary’, ‘employed at three months’, and ‘company internships’. It was one of the top ranked in related criteria such as ‘careers’ and ‘placement success’. The institute was also top ranked in ‘faculty with doctorates’; the entire IIM-A faculty meets that metric.