FACE OFF::: BMS OR MAB?? MBA OR PGD??

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MP Guru
FACE OFF


BMS OR MBA? MBA OR PGD? THREE YEARS OR FIVE? THE MORE SPECIALISED THE MANAGEMENT GAME GETS, THE MORE COMPLICATED THE OPTIONS THAT SPRING UP ON AN ALMOST-DAILY BASIS. AMINAH SHEIKH UNRAVELS A FEW KNOTS TO HELP YOU ALONG THE
PATHWAY TO PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS

- Anuradha Prabhudesai



With every year that passes, we hear of several new management courses booming all over the country. The Bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA) course, popularly known as BMS/ BBM (Bachelor’s in Management Studies/ Bachelor’s in Business Management), is one such course that has made waves in the academic world.
However, with every second person wanting to do an MBA, what scope does a BBA graduate have? Does it make sense to spend three years completing your graduation and then go for a two-year MBA or is it better to do a three-year BMS/ BBA/ BBM and be done with your education?

Graduate diploma in Hotel Management and Food Technology

Year 1:
The first year introduces you to the hospitality industry. This year is devoted to learning the basics of cooking and baking. Understanding nutrition and practical experience of baking and cooking are also incorporated. As the year progresses, you learn in depth about how to handle the front office and what housekeeping is all about.You are also initiated into the exciting world of food and beverages. Along with hotel-specific skills, you learn about human resource management, accounting and law. The highlight of this year is learning French.
Year 2:
You progress into the second year armed with all the basics of running a hotel.This year is devoted to strengthening your skills and introducing new skills sets too. So you learn all about international cuisines and how to cook large quantities of food.Practical training in a bakery, front office management and training in food and beverages continue. You are also sent to assist at parties, luncheon programmes and weddings to gain firsthand experience of the hospitality industry. Financial management and accountancy still form a core. This is the final year of the course so lots of emphasis is laid on practical training and hands-on experience. The salient feature of this year is learning to use a CALC Menu, a specialised software programme for meal and recipe management.

COURSE DURATION:

Two years.

DIFFERENTIATION:

Hotel management and food technology and the food technology course.
The former is about making a career in the hotel industry, but a specific food technology course emphasises preservation, processing, packaging and distribution skills for the food technology industry.

INSIGHT INTO MANAGEMENT


Until recently, MBA was sought-after as it was considered the only lucrative option, irrespective of the course one graduated in.This was also because there weren’t many undergraduate level courses in the country that gave an overview of the industry.Head of Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies for undergraduates,Pune,Dr (Mrs) Bama Venkataramani opines,“MBA came into being with the objective of providing managerial skills to candidates coming from varied academic streams such as engineering, arts, science, commerce, etc. Over the years, realising that the scope of management itself was widening, BBA was then formulated, providing students an opportunity to get a feel of business at the undergraduate level itself.”
BBA, which is a three-year degree course, covers subjects such as marketing, finance, human resources, entrepreneurship, organisational behaviour, business law, business communication, public relations,services marketing,business taxation,quantitative techniques,and so on.Certain colleges also offer specialisations/ elective subjects to students in the final year of the degree course. This widened the scope of undergraduate students who aspire to make a career in the corporate world.“BBA gives students an insight into management education,”informs Dr Sapna Purohit, BMS coordinator, St Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
BBA has certainly gained in popularity at the undergraduate level also for the internships/ projects provided for as apart of their academic curriculum. “Therefore, it is necessary that students take project work seriously because it definitely holds weightage in the industry. Many colleges invite corporate personalities as panelists for seminars or arrange for workshops, industrial tours, etc, which give students exposure to the business world,” informs Dharnendra Doshi, BBA graduate from Karnataka University, who has done his MBA from the Indian Institute of Modern Management, Pune.

WHAT AFTER BBA?


Many of the reputed colleges offer placements to students after they graduate in business administration.“We have campus placements and our students are offered an average of Rs 15,000 per month,”shares Shiju Sebastian,PRO,Christ College,Bangalore.St Xavier’s College,Mumbai and Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies for undergraduates,Pune are also known to place their students.“Many students opt to do an MBA as well,”adds Sebastian.On the contrary,Dr Purohit informs,“Many of our students have opted to work after their graduation with the objective of gaining work experience and then study further if they feel there is a need for them to do so.”
Considering the first year of MBA comprises subjects already offered at the undergraduate level in the BBA,is it really necessary for students to do an MBA as well? “Though BBA familiarises students with management concepts,it is better to do a postgraduation because it’s only at the postgraduate level that students go through mental development that prepares them for the corporate scenario,”says Chirag Raheja,graduate in BMS from MMK College,Mumbai,who later pursued his MBA (Marketing) at Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai.
Abhay Kapadia, process manager at e-Clerx, who graduated in BMS from Sydenham College (Mumbai), says,“I had my mind set on business studies so I chose BMS and later did my MBA (Finance) from NMIMS, Mumbai. No doubt the first year of MBA dealt with subjects I’d already studied during my graduation, and there was no value addition as such. Nonetheless,MBA was like a polishing of my managerial skills.”However, it is a known fact that many pursue an MBA for the money it entails.“ Majority of the people regard MBA as a stepping stone to make money.This is a misconception the general populace has and one has to realise that MBA is intended to give candidates a wholesome idea of how a company functions,” voices Amit Chhangani, an MBA (Marketing) from ICFAI, Mumbai, currently an account manager with Radio Mirchi.
However,with the present trend indicating specialisations as the need of the hour,many management institutes are now offering postgraduate diplomas in specialised subjects for a duration of one year (two years in some cases).For example,PGD in advertising or public relations or finance or marketing and so on.
“I chose to do my PGD in Advertising from St Xavier’s College simply because I’d already had a strong concept base with my BBA.What I needed to learn was the application part of the theory I learnt which this PGD has helped me with,”says Clayton Gomes, who completed his BBA from SV’s College of Commerce & Management,Goa.Gomes is currently working with Lintas in their client servicing department.
Ritesh Porwal, BBA graduate from Karnataka’s Bhartesh College confirms,“A PGD in a specialised course gives in-depth knowledge of the
particular area one chooses.” Porwal too has done his diploma in retail management from Welingkar Institute, Mumbai.

WHAT WEIGHTAGE DOES A POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA HOLD, POST BBA?


“No doubt an MBA will fetch you a handsome salary but this is true only if you do it from a reputed college. But money should not be your main consideration. It is an individual’s performance that will determine his/ her success. However, today, the industry looks forward to having candidates with functional managerial skills.This is the reason management institutes are offering industry-specific courses by way of postgraduate diplomas,”shares Dr NM Kondap,vice chancellor,NMIMS,Mumbai.“However, institutes offering these courses must bear in mind that no compromise should be made on education due to the short duration of the course. Institutes should be equipped with ace faculty and focused course content,”adds Dr Purohit.
“Students should not go by flashy advertisements,websites,brochures, etc and should do their own research before deciding on an institute,” warns Freddy Pereira, manager, placements and corporate training, SIES College of Management Studies, Nerul.

IN A NUTSHELL…


“Management studies are all about enriching your knowledge and skills. Therefore, one has to trace his/ her own career path,”says Dr ML Srikant, dean, SP Jain Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.
“A management course at the graduate level definitely gives students an introduction to management techniques. However, one should seek further education so as to enrich one’s knowledge.Post BBA,students can opt to do a PGD if they are sure of what specialisation they prefer. One could also opt to work and later enrol for an executive management programme offered by a reputed management institute.
“BBA has gained immense momentum and is bound to create a ripple effect in the future due to its multidisciplinary approach.The undergraduate course has weightage since the industry today believes in catching them young, moulding them and then retaining them,” concludes Dr Venkataramani.

LIST OF POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA COURSES


Finance

Marketing

Retail management

Family business management

Public relations

Human resource management

Service management

Advertising


LIST OF COLLEGES OFFERING A DEGREE IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

St Xavier’s College, Mumbai

Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai

Jai Hind College, Mumbai

KC College, Mumbai

Mithibai College, Mumbai

KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Mumbai

Symbiosis Centre for management Studies for undergraduates, Pune

Christ College, Bangalore

Mount Carmel Institute of Management Studies, Bangalore

Shri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College, Bangalore

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Courtesy :: Times of India.. Education Times.. dtd:8th May'06
 
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