The Best MBA Programs For Experienced Professionals

In today’s world, MBA programs function as the bridge that takes one from that proverbial ‘just another job‘ to a fulfilling career path. Candidates with an MBA earn significantly more than their counterparts. The best part about going through an MBA program is the fact that you get to meet an amalgamation of people from diverse backgrounds.

People with prior work experience have an edge while competing for seats in the top B-schools in the country and abroad. That is because such educational institutions recognise the fact that work experience promotes managerial skills. Colleges that encourage such a holistic learning approach offer executive MBA programs for experienced professionals.

As you concentrate on your GMAT prep and work towards getting that ‘dream percentile,’ you need to keep your options open and evaluate the pros of the different business programs that you can enrol in. In this article, we will focus on the top six MBA programs that are crafted for professionals with more than a decade of industry experience.

Two-Year Post-Graduate Diploma in Management

The two-year post-graduate diploma course covers the finer intricacies of management and is one of the most coveted courses. Many candidates with ten years of industry experience are in a position in their careers where they can afford to take a sabbatical, thereby increasing the chances of them going for this.

The IIMs, S P Jain college, IMI, and NMIMS are a few of the top institutions to offer a PGDM course. There is immense competition, and you need to work on your CAT and/or GMAT prep and ensure that you have a decent percentile if you want to pursue this course. While pursuing your PGDM degree, you can choose to specialise in HR, International Business, Finance, Marketing, etc.

Two-Year Executive MBA Program

The two-year executive MBA program is the one that is the most popular and covers subjects such as IT systems, finance, human resource, marketing, and hospitality management. While the first two semesters cover general management, the last two semesters are reserved for the specialised papers. Most business colleges across the country offer this course, and you can choose to take it up either as a part-time or a full-time MBA program.

One-year Executive MBA Program

The one-year executive MBA program is the concise version of its two-year counterpart, and this causes the schedules to be hectic. In most colleges, the generic management subjects are completed within one semester, and only the sharpest minds can keep pace with the pressure.

S P Jain, ISB, and Great Lakes are some of the top colleges offering this program. It is a highly taxing full-time course, and you need to be ready to walk the extra mile if you want to take it up.

Correspondence Executive MBA Program

Many working professionals, in spite of having more than a decade of corporate experience, cannot afford to give up their jobs and concentrate on their GMAT prep. Even if they do manage to ace the exam and get the desired percentile, such people cannot afford to take a couple of years off to pursue an executive MBA degree.

In such situations, pursuing a correspondence executive MBA program is a win-win situation. Institutions like IGNOU send study material by postal service so that the professionals can study them at their convenience. Exams are scheduled such that the professionals can walk up to the nearest centre to sit for the exam.

Online Executive MBA Program

In recent years, virtual and remote learning has seen a steady increase. The coronavirus pandemic and the social distancing expectations have further fuelled the popularity of such online MBA programs.

Leading institutions such as XLRI are now partnering with technology solution providers to come up with virtual classrooms where experienced professionals can earn their post-graduate certifications. The 12-month consolidated certification program on ‘Business Management’ is offered solely on a digital basis and is one of the most popular courses from XLRI.

Weekend MBA Program

For working professionals who wish to experience the academic environment, but do not want to give up on their jobs, weekend MBA programs can be a preferred choice. Usually, these courses have 14-15 hours of weekly classes that are spread over the weekend. Professionals with considerable work experience are bound to be good at time management and capable of handling the pressure of such a course. S P Jain college, ITM, and several IIMs offer weekend MBA courses for seasoned professionals.

Thus, you see that there are several MBA options for a professional with ten years of industry experience. Depending on how much time you can devote to your MBA programs, you need to pick a program that works the best for you. Once you have your goal in mind, you can devote your efforts to working towards it and procuring all that you need to land yourself a seat in the college.

All the programs discussed above require you to have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline with 50% marks. Some elite institutions have a cut-off CGPA as well. Sound understanding of the English language, along with a valid CAT or GMAT score is another prerequisite.Having a decade’s worth of industry experience makes a candidate eligible for executive MBA courses offered by any B-school in the country. As you venture towards making the most of your MBA, here’s wishing you the very best of luck for your GMAT Prep. For that extra boost on your GMAT score, you can always check out CareerLabs to further your research and preparation.