SPJIMR's Programme for Management Education in the Development Sector Receives AMBA Accreditation

/ -- The UK-based Association of MBAs, or AMBA, has accredited the Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGPDM) offered by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR). The formal accreditation announcement came in earlier this month, adding a new achievement to the PGPDM, a programme that has in the short span of a decade grown to be accepted, recognised and become an important part of the learning journey of many in the development sector.

As a top-ranked school of management, SPJIMR offers programmes that help build managers and leaders not only for businesses but for a wide variety of roles and sectors that can benefit from professional management education. With its focus on the fast-growing development sector, SPJIMR's PGPDM helps prepare managers and leaders to serve some of the most under-served segments of society.

The AMBA accreditation further cements the PGPDM programme leadership in management education for the development sector, and opens up opportunities for more organisations and non-profits to join, partner and participate in its unique learning journey.

AMBA says its accreditation denotes the highest standard of achievement in postgraduate business education. A rigorous accreditation criteria and assessment process ensure that only programmes that demonstrate the highest standards in teaching, learning and curriculum design; career development and employability; student, alumni and employer interaction achieve AMBA accreditation. AMBA is one of the top three global accreditation bodies in business education.

SPJIMR's PGPDM programme is an 18-month journey over three semesters, offered over nine contacts of about six to eight days per contact. Contacts are scheduled every two months for a batch of about 25-30 participants.

The courses include Design Thinking, Resource Mobilisation, Leadership, Social Marketing, Project Management, CSR & Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals, Communication Skills and Documentation, Management of Volunteers, Advocacy & Networking and various other subjects tailored to the needs of the development sector. AMBA called it PGPDM's "globally unique pedagogy" that reflects the changing trends and innovation in the postgraduate education sector.

PGPDM Chairperson Prof. Rukaiya Joshi, under whose leadership the programme was launched in 2011, said: "We aim to prepare professionals for the development sector, and help provide them a deeper understanding of the social issues. We run as a work-cum-study programme that enables the application of management principles and practices in the day-to-day operation of social organisations to influence practice and achieve sustainable growth. We are proud to have received the AMBA accreditation."
SPJIMR Dean Dr. Ranjan Banerjee said: "We believe that management principles are universal. Wherever better management can create superior social outcomes, there is an important role for us as a management institute to play. The students of this programme are among our most committed and learnable students, and the programme enables real social change at the grassroots."
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