IIMs to graduate from diploma to degree
Garima Upadhyay Rawat
Kanika Malhotra, an MBA aspirant, now has a new reason to bell the CAT. Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Kapil Sibal's announcement of IIMs awarding management degrees has made MBA aspirants quite happy. Says Malhotra, "Nothing can doubt the reputation and value of a PGDM from any IIM. However, the shift from awarding diplomas to degrees was long overdue. With the move in place, we can look at fruitful engagements with various international bodies, without really needing to explain the difference between a diploma and a degree."
Not just with the student community, but the move has found equal support from academicians and experts alike. Says, Professor P Rameshan, director IIM Rohtak, "Awarding degrees in the place of diplomas will prove advantageous to students who want to opt for further studies in India or abroad. Particularly those who wish to study at a foreign institute for a dual MBA or another qualification will gain a lot from this. Most international bodies find it difficult to understand and evaluate a diploma. A degree will bring the qualification at par with world standards, as most B Schools abroad award a degree."
While the move has positive fallouts in the international market, the national scenario remains unaffected. Comments Siddhartha Balakrishna, an author and MBA test prep expert, "In India, the reputation of IIMs is very well-known and is not decided by the nomenclature of the degree it awards. A change in nomenclature will not have a huge impact on their popularity in India. However, in the international circuit, the move is a step forward in management education."
Rameshan seconds that saying, "In the domestic market, the change is not worth talking about." Ask him if this change should be met with some changes to the MBA curriculum and he replies, "Our curriculum is up-to-date. Unlike other universities where there is a long time gap that exists between the market requirements and curriculum, we at IIMs, ensure that there is continuous improvement in our syllabus."
As IIMs are emphasizing more on research, the move comes at a good time. With degrees in hand, many students can branch out into reseach directly (without topping it up with another degree). "The move will trigger research and will impact the world rankings of IIMs. It sure will give us good visibility in the global management education sector," concludes Balakrishna.
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