I’m an agriculture postgraduate currently working in a bank. I want to do an MBA with specialisation in agriculture or finance. Please suggest business schools in Karnataka offering these subjects.
Nikhil Rao, Bangalore
The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, one of the country’s most prominent business schools, offers an MBA in finance. Among the other reputed B-schools in Karnataka are TAPMI, Manipal (www.tapmi.org), Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, Bangalore (www.xime.org); and Welin-gkar’s Bangalore (www.welingkar.org). You could also consider Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore (www.iipmb.edu.in) for a programme in agribusiness management.
I’m an MBA and have been working in the corporate sector for the past few years. I would like to pursue a Ph D through distance education. Please advise.
Suchitra Banerjee, Kolkata
A distance learning ph d programme in business administration is offered by the All India Management Association, Centre for Management Education in collaboration with Aligarh Muslim University. Admission is through a Research Management Aptitude Test (R-MAT), details of which are available on www.aima.ind.org. IGNOU (www.ignou.ac.in) also offers a Ph D programme in business through correspondence.
Moreover you could consider reading for an M.Phil in biz management offered by several universities, including the Periyar University of Distance Education (www.periyaruniversity. ac.in); Bharathiar University (www.b-u.ac.in); University Centre for Distance Learning, Chaudhary Devi Lal University (www.cdlu.edu.in) and Alagappa University (www.alagappauniversity. ac.in).
I’m a B.Com graduate working in an insurance company. I’m interested in furthering my career prospects, and want to write the Common Admission Test (CAT). Should I quit my job to give 100 percent to CAT? What other options do I have apart from an MBA?
Leena Vaz, Mumbai
There’s no reason to quit your job to prepare for CAT. In fact, your work experience will be a great asset for admission into a B-school. If you don’t do well in CAT, you should consider training to become an actuary through the Institute of Actuaries of India (www.actuariesindia.org) or pursue the certificate course of the Insurance Institute of India (www.insurance instituteofindia.com) to improve your prospects in the insurance industry.
I’ll be completing Plus Two (commerce) next year and want to enrol in a BBA programme. What other study options are available to me?
Sachin Karmarkar, Pune
After class XII, you could enrol in a general B.Com degree programme or specialised B.Com programmes such as BAF (finance and accounts) and BBI (banking and insurance) offered by some universities. You could also consider pursuing a B.Com degree together with cost accountancy/chartered accountancy/company secretary’s courses.
However, you also have the option of signing up for BBA/BMS/equivalent or a five-year integrated law degree, hotel/hospitality management/administration degree, enroling in fine arts/design/allied degree programmes (if you have artistic aptitude), or bachelor of physical education (if you have sports-related interests and achievements). If these don’t interest you, you could enrol in a mass media degree course or BCA/ bachelor of financial and investment analysis (Delhi University).
A BBA degree is a better foundation for a career in business management, but don’t expect it to yield benefits like an MBA degree (which is a professional postgrad qualification). However, a BBA can offer direct entry into the corporate sector. There isn’t any categorisation or ranking for BBA courses or colleges. You should focus on choosing a university or college which has a national-level reputation. In most cases, BBA admission tests are held locally.
I’m in Plus Two (science) and want to opt for a B.Sc degree in agriculture/zoology/botany. What are the career options available to science graduates?
Venkat Subramaniam, Chennai
A degree in agriculture (www.icar.org.in lists the country’s agricultural universities) offers the chance of professional placement, whereas a B.Sc in botany/zoology may not offer placement opportunities. You must consider completing a postgraduate degree to qualify for professional positions, primarily in teaching and research. A bachelor’s degree in botany or zoology is the foundation for pursuing higher degrees such as Masters in biotechnology, bioinformatics, or even an MBA or law degree.
I’ve just written my final year B.Com exam and am now studying for my final CA exam as an articled clerk with an accountancy firm. Which other courses should I pursue?
Neena Shah, Ahmedabad
It would be worthwhile to focus on your CA final exam and the articleship because your job prospects as a freshly qualified CA depend on the quality of your performance in the exam and the articleship, including the reputation of the firm where you are training. However, if you want to add to your knowledge of finance, consider the flexi-mode Chartered Financial Analyst’s (CFA) course offered by ICFAI Uni-versity, Tripura (www.iutripura.edu.in).
I completed my B.Com (banking and insurance) two years ago, after which I acquired a diploma in financial management. Currently, I’m working as an executive in a finance company. Which related courses should I do to help improve my career prospects?
Nalini Furtado, Panjim
You could garner some more work experience and then look to enrol in a part-time MBA programme of a well-reputed business school. This is the best way to enhance your employability and advancement prospects. There is no compulsion to pursue an MBA in banking and insurance, just because you have graduated in this subject. An MBA in finance or HR or marketing will give you the opportunity to work in diverse sectors of the economy.