Pursuing an MBA is a necessity if one is looking to differentiate himself in the job market, fast-track one’s skills and knowledge and lay the bedrock for future success. But an MBA is a big commitment – not only financially, but in the very real terms of your time and energy.
Depending on your goals, your needs, your personal circumstances and your career progression to date, you might well be tempted to opt for a part-time MBA. But there are a number of pros and cons that you might want to weigh up first.
Full-time MBA or Distance MBA; it is a tough decision to make. Many students and experienced professionals face this question after deciding to pursue MBA. Let us understand the main difference between Distance MBA and Full-time MBA first.
The full-time MBA (master’s of business administration) degree is a general management degree that seeks to give students a detailed understanding of how business functions and how business leaders rise to meet an ever-changing set of circumstances and challenges.
Correspondence MBA programs are especially popular with working professionals who would like to continue their jobs while earning their MBAs. Many correspondence MBA programs are accredited, which means the degree is recognized by other universities and potential employers.
There are certain differences between Distance MBA and Full-time MBA. Some of them are quoted below:-
Delivery of Program
Mostly, online in case of part-time MBA program. Some institutes though send across study material through the post.
Classroom study with a tight and fixed schedule is the mode of program delivery in a full-time MBA program.
Duration
A distance MBA program could range from anywhere between 1-3 years.
The duration of a full-time MBA program is 2 years.
Placement
There is no placement process involved in distance MBA and job search and job change need to be done by the candidate himself.
A placement process is conducted at the end of each final academic year and students have the opportunity to get hired in the best of companies tied-up with the program.
Networking
Since it is online, there is no interaction between the students and faculty or even between the students themselves.
There is continuous interaction between the students and faculty hence networking takes place on a large scale with students, guest faculty and other members which is an advantage.
Course content – content-wise, distance education MBAs are more succinct while the full-time ones are comprehensive. The distance education offers the course in easy to grasp manner.
Admission – The admission process for distance MBAs are a lot simpler. Once you fulfill the eligibility criteria in terms of minimum qualification and pay the course fee, you are good to go. For full-time MBAs, colleges refer to CAT, MAT or other relevant test percentiles followed by an interview.
These are some of the key differences.