VoiceTAP (what’s VoiceTAP?) conducted a call recently on the topic Whether to go in for a one-year MBA or a two-year MBA programme, for those who are interested in pursuing the degree from institutes overseas. The experts on call were Mrigank Tripathi, who is an alumnus of INSEAD France (he did a one-year MBA course there), and Suruchi Pandit, a consultant for Education Abroad. You can listen to a podcast of VoiceTAP experts discussing all aspects of this issue right here, for free. If you’re interested to know more about how to prepare for GMAT English section click here.
Click here to listen to VoiceTAP One-year vs two-year MBA call podcast
In a nutshell
Two-year MBA course: If you are a fresher or some with less that four years of work experience, go for a two-year programme since it starts right from the basics. After learning these basics you can choose to go in for a specialization – and with a better grounding in the basics you will be able to make a better choice as to which field to go into a specialization for. However, the exception to this rule is that whether you are looking for a career jump (climbing up the ladder in the same organization) or a career shift (changing your line of work). If you are interested in the latter then a two-year course might be more suited for you. This type of course typically goes in-depth into different concepts, so you will be able to learn from the basics. Most two-year courses also have placement training periods included in them.
One-year MBA course: This type of course is well-suited for professionals who have 4-5 or more years of work experience. Typically, such people are also not in a position to give up the financial stability provided by their job for periods longer than a year. A one-year course helps make you a better ‘overall’ general manager rather than giving you a specialization in any particular field. It is expected that someone who has been working for a few years probably already has a specific area they’re working in, and is doing the MBA to fine-tune managerial skills so that they can provide a boost to their career. While it is possible to apply for a one-year course with less than four years of experience, you will need an exceptionally brilliant track record to impress colleges to get in. When going in for a one-year course do keep in mind that it is usually more intensive than a two-year programme as course content is compressed to a shorter period of time (but still not as in-depth as a two-year course).
Scholarships: To bag a scholarship you definitely need a score of 700+ in GMAT, along with a good academic record which helps you stand out from the crowd. You might also apply to Indian scholarship schemes once you get your admission letter. In the matter of scholarships, women applicants have an edge compared to men since a lot of foreign institutes put stress on empowering women. You may often find that between male and female candidates on an equal footing, institutes will be more inclined to offer scholarships to women candidates.
Applying to an institute: Application procedure to both type of schools is pretty much the same. GMAT score is a must, along with 4-5 essays on various topics including an essay which lists a statement of purpose, recommendation letters, et al. Many institutes also conduct a telephonic interview or an interview which is conducting in India itself by an alumnus of the institute. Some schools (like Kellogg) have multi-stage admission process with pre-application / post-application stages; you will need to check up specific requirements for whichever institutes you plan to apply to. Each institute has its own process for deciding; for instance, some might place greater emphasis on essays while some others might place more emphasis on interviews. The important thing is that you must do a reality check while applying to any B-school – you should have realistic expectations on which places you have a chance of getting through in.
Bottom Line
An MBA degree from an overseas B-school provides you unparalleled exposure, with top minds from different nations studying in the same batches as you. Take the right choice on which MBA programme to go in for after analyzing your needs carefully.
