Academics

About Programme - MBA

Programme

The two-year full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), rated as the toughest MBA programme in the world to get admission, is the flagship programme of IIMA. Its main objective is to develop young men and women into competent professional managers, capable of working in any sector of organized activity, proceeding leadership and achieving excellence in performance while contributing to the welfare of the larger society. The programme specifically attempts to:

  • Equip students with the required conceptual and interpersonal skills and sense of social purpose for managerial decision-making,

  • Develop leadership capabilities to act as change agents and be a source of motivation in the organizations they work in,

  • Nurture the desire to excel in performance without compromising integrity, honesty and fairness.

 

IIMA is known for the depth and rigour of the programme. The curriculum, reviewed and revised periodically, remain relevant and contemporary.

MBA Faculty strength

Curriculum Overview

What is the curriculum like?

Every year the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad admits select students in its post graduate programme. They are hand-picked out of about 20,000 high scorers — the cream of nearly two lakh aspirants who sit for the annual Common Admissions Test. The intense competition to gain admission to IIMA’s flagship management course affirms the Institute’s ability to give graduates the highest level of personal development, career opportunities, career satisfaction, and salary. The IIMA stamp certifies knowledge, practical skills and confidence. Continuous review, with an eye to latest trends in management needs and challenges, keeps the IIMA curriculum up to date. It is both rigorous and flexible, combining intellectual discovery and hands-on learning. While equipping students for their first job and it also prepares them for a lifetime of success.

What can students expect to do through the two years?

The two-year programme shapes competent professional managers, capable of achieving excellence in performance in any sector of organized activity to turn out innovators and leaders who contribute to the welfare of the larger society.

The PGP curriculum is designed to meet three objectives:

Equip students with the conceptual and interpersonal skills and sense of social purpose necessary for managerial decision-making;

Develop leadership capabilities to act as change agents and be a source of motivation in the organizations they work in;

Nurture the desire to excel in performance without compromising integrity, honesty and fairness.

Courses are of four basic types:

Foundational courses:

No matter what career path a student ultimately follows, they are going to need to be grounded in four key disciplines: Accounting, Finance, Marketing, and Organizational Behavior

Courses oriented to tools and techniques:

These are the “how to’s”: among other things, these courses teach operations, costing and control, quantitative methods, research methods, human resource management written analysis,

Functional courses:

Organizations succeed or fail on the basis of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling: Courses such as Legal Aspects of Business, Macro-Economics and Planning, Strategy, Information Technology, Interpersonal and Group Processes are devoted to providing functional competence.

Courses that provide perspective:

Successful managers see the big picture and recognize opportunities quickly. Seeking perspective is a habit of mind that is taught in courses such as Financial Markets, Social and Cultural Environment of Business, Business, Environment and Sustainability, Government Systems and Policy Process, and Internet-Enabled Businesses.

Courses Offered

Compulsory Courses in the First Year (Tentative)

Term 1
No Course Acronym Course Title
1 FM Financial Markets
2 FRA Financial Reporting and Analysis
3 HRM-I Human Resource Management-I
4 ID Individual Dynamics
5 LAB Legal Aspects of Business
6 MGRCMN Managerial Communication
7 MGRCMP Managerial Computing
8 MKT-I Marketing-I
9 ME Microeconomics
10 OM-I Operations Management-I
11 QM-1a Quantitative Methods-IA
12 QM-1b Quantitative Methods-IB
13 OB Area Induction

 

Term 2

No Course Acronym Course Title
1 CCS Costing and Control Systems
2 FM Financial Markets
3 HRM-II Human Resource Management II
4 IGP Interpersonal and Group Processes
5 MEP Macroeconomics and Policy
6 MKT-II Marketing II
7 OM-II Operations Management II
8 PCE Personal and Corporate Ethics
9 QM-2 Quantitative Methods-2
10 SCEB The Social and Cultural Environment of Business
11 TBIT Transforming Business through Information Technology
12 WIP Workshop on Interviews and Presentations
13 WAC-I Written Analysis and Communication-I

 

Term 3

No Course Acronym Course Title
1 BRM Business Research Methods
2 BES Business, Environment and Sustainability
3 CF Corporate Finance
4 GSP Government Systems and Policy Process
5 IEB Internet-Enabled Businesses
6 MKT Marketing III
7 ODY Organizational Dynamics
8 SM Strategic Management
9 WAC-II Written Analysis and Communication-II
10 OM-III Operations Management- III

 

Flexi-core Courses (FC)

11 SHRM Strategic Human Resource Management
TCM Talent and Competency Management

 

 

Courses Offered in the Second Year (Tentative)

List of Electives Courses in Second year (Area Wise) based on offerings in the past 5 years.

Strategy

No Course Acronym Course Name
IIMA Ventures
1 MCLB Managing Creative & Lifestyle Businesses
2 NTADBM New Technology Application, Design and Business Models

 

Centre for Management in Agriculture

3 CINE

Understanding Creativity, Innovation, Knowledge
Networks and Entrepreneurship

4 G2G From Grapes to Glass: The Value Chain Management
Story
5 MIT Managing International Trade
6 SY Shodh Yatra

 

Communication

7 CCR Communicating Corporate Reputation
8 CST Communication Skills for Team & Leadership
Effectiveness
9 DC Difficult Communication
10 EPETMC

Media and Society: The Economics, Politics, Ethics,
and Technologies of Mass Communication

11 IC Intercultural Communication
12 MC Managerial Communication
13 OC Organizational Communication
14 PC Persuasive Communication
15 SCDE Strategic Communication in the Digital Era
16 SNS Strategic Negotiation Skills
17 SST Strategic Storytelling

 

Economics

18 AMD Auctions and Market Design
19 BEE Behavioral and Experimental Economics
20 EDPG Economic Development Policy and Growth
21 EEPI Economic Environment and Policy in India
22 EFQ Economics Of Food Quality
23 EIAI Economic Ideas from Ancient India
24 EMBI Economics and Management of Biopharmaceutical
Industry
25 EoO Economics of Organization
26 GAW Gender and Work
27 GFT Global Finance and Trade
28 GRFS Governance and Regulation in the Financial Sector
29 GTA Game Theory and Applications
30 HE Health Economics
31 HITCH Hitchhiker's Guide to Business and Economies Across
Five Centuries
32 IEST Indian Economy and Society Today
33 IPBD Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Big Data
34 MEM Managerial Econometrics
35 MTP Monetary Theory and Policy
36 PAN Pandemics!
37 PIAR Polycrisis: Innovation, Automation and Regulations
38 REM Real Estate Management
39 SPI Social Policy in India
40 WEBGP World Economy: Business, Government, and Policy

 

Finance and Accounting

41 ABS Asset Backed Securitization
42 AI Alternative Investments 
43 AMS Analyzing and Managing Start-ups
44 AVI Applied Value Investing 
45 BB Bitcoin and the Blockchain
46 BF Behavioural Finance
47 BFI Banking and Financial Intermediation
48 BSGR Black Swans and Gray Rhinos: Managing under
Financial Crises
49 CFS Corporate Financial Strategy
50 CG Corporate Governance 
51 FD Financial Derivatives
52 FF Foundations of Finance
53 FoF Financing of Firms 
54 FIS Fixed Income Securities
55 FORM Futures, Options and Risk Management
56 FRM Financial Risk Management
57 FSA Financial Statement Analysis
58 IFM International Financial Markets
59 InB International Banking
60 MACR Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Restructuring
61 MFI Management of Financial Institutions
62 MFM Microfinance Management
63 MIPM Modern Investment & Portfolio Management
64 OML Optimization Methods in Logistics
65 PEHF Private Equity, Hedge Funds and Corporate Finance
66 PFWM Personal Finance and Wealth Management
67 PMI Private Markets Investing
68 PTP Principles of Transfer Pricing
69 QAT Quantitative & Algorithmic Trading
70 SCF Stochastic Calculus in Finance
71 SPB Strategic Perspectives in Banking
72 SR Securities Regulation
73 UEPC Unlisted Equities & Patient Capital
74 VoF Valuation of Firms 
75 VREI Valuation of Real Estate Investments

 

Human Resource Management

76 AIHRM AI and Human Resource Management
77 BS Business and Society 
78 BTOT Business Turnaround and Organizational
Transformation
79 GPP Games People Play: Psychology of HRM
80 HRMSS Human Resource Management in Service Sector
81 LDT Leading the Digital Transformation
82 MCEO Making of a CEO
83 MHCP Managing Human Capital in Projects
84 MHWSHRM Mental Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable HRM
85 PA People Analytics
86 PCIH Personal Competencies for International HRM
87 SMT Service Management
88 UBG Understanding Bhagavad Gita: Managerial Perspective
89 UIOP

Unleashing individual and organizational potentials:
Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS)
and Yoga

 

Information Systems

90 BDA Big Data Analytics
91 DMBI Data Mining and Business Intelligence
92 DMDP Developing and Managing Digital Products
93 DPPDT Digital Products, Platforms, Disruption and
Transformation
94 DT Digital Transformation
95 DVDM Data Visualization for Decision Making
96 LTAA Leadership through Analytics and Automation
97 MSPE Management of Software Projects and Enterprise 
98 ODA Strategic Management of Information Systems
99 TISM Tapping into Social Media

 

JSWSPP

100 DBG Doing Business with Government
101 PPC Public Policy Communication
102 PPIDI Public Policy for Inclusive Development of India
103 PPDPA Public Policy Design Principles and Applications

 

Marketing

104 AIDP Privacy Paradox: Artificial Intelligence and Digital
Platforms
105 AIM Artificial Intelligence & Marketing
106 B2B Business to Business Marketing
107 BM Brand Management
108 BOPM Bottom of the Pyramid Markets
109 CB Consumer Behaviour
110 CBBS Customer Based Business Strategies
111 DBBD Driving Better Business Decisions Through Superior
Customer Insights and Sensemaking
112 DBMS Design Based Marketing Strategy
113 DEIM Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Marketing
114 DM Digital Marketing
115 DMCDM Descriptive Models of Consumer Decision
116 GDBCE Gamification: Designing Better Customer Experience
117 IM Influencer Marketing
118 IMCM Integrated Marketing Communications Management
119 INL Innovation, Live
120 HPDS Health-tech Products and Delivery Systems
121 LMSF Leading and Managing Sales Force
122 MAIT Monetizing Artificial Intelligence and Technology
123 MFS Marketing for Startups
124 MME Mobile Marketing Essentials
125 MCVD Managing Customer Value Delivery
126 ML Marketing Luxury
127 MMMG Mobile Marketing - Mindshift for Growth
128 MMW Marketing Management in the World of High Tech.
and Innovation 
129 MRB Managing Retail Business
130 MRIS Marketing Research & Information Systems
131 MS Marketing Services
132 NCB Neuroscience and Consumer Behaviour
133 NFS Not for Sale : Psychology of Promotions
134 NPCD New Products Creation and Development
135 NPD New Product Development
136 PCG Pricing
137 PGH Product Growth Hacking
138 SBM Strategic Brand Management
139 SM Strategic Marketing
140 SMBC Semiotics: Strategies for Media and Brand
Communication
141 SMM Strategic Models in Marketing 
142 UNG Understanding the New Gold: Digitalization, Fintech
and Associated Technology, Regulation
and Adoption

 

Organizational Behaviour

143 CIW Contemporary Indian Workplaces: Decent Work and
Diversity
144 CSW The Creative Self at Work
145 ERI Explorations in Role and Identity
146 HPT High Performing Teams: A Journey
147 HEAL Mindfulness-based Happiness, Emotional Intelligence
and Authentic Living
148 ITES Inner Theatre: An Encounter with Self 
149 NS Negotiation Strategies
150 PPO Power and Politics in Organization

 

Operations and Decision Sciences

151 ACD The Art and Craft of Decision Making
152 AMDA Advanced Methods of Data Analysis
153 AMMMD Advanced Mathematical Modeling for Managerial
Decisions
154 BA Business Analytics
155 BMDA Bayesian Methods for Data Analysis
156 CTC Coordinating the Crowd
157 DEALS Deals
158 EC Elephants and Cheetahs: Systems, Strategy and
Bottlenecks 
159 LOG Logistics
160 MDS Manufacturing Design and Strategy
161 MAOR Managerial Applications of OR
162 MAP Marketplaces and Platforms: Gaining Insights,
Orchestrating Interactions
163 OS Operations Strategy
164 PaC Partnerships and Coalitions
165 RMA Revenue Management and Analytics
166 SCM Supply Chain Management
167 SCT Supply Chain Thinking: Value Creation and
Adaptation
168 SMDA Statistical Methods in Data Analysis
169 UCR Why Projects Fail? Uncertainty, Complexity and Risk in
Projects
170 WwN Working with Networks

Public Systems Group

171 BLCA Business Leadership and Corporate Accountability
172 CaF Carbon Finance
173 EBD Experimentation for Better Decisions
174 EBPD Experiments for Business and Policy Decision-making
175 GDPP Gender and Development Policy and Programmes
176 GGPLP Good Governance and People Living in Poverty
177 ICSI Investigating Corporate Social Irresponsibilities
178 IDF Infrastructure Development and Financing
179 IMUT Innovations in Managing Urban Transport
180 IPWH Industrialisation: Perspectives from World History
181 ISIKG Innovation, Social Institutions and Knowledge at the
Grassroots
182 ITS Intelligent Transport Systems
183 MEnB Managing Energy Business
184 MFVW

Managing Firms in a VUCA World: Policy, Governance,
PE Firms and Disruption

185 MMM Manipulation, Myth-making and Marketing
186 MVE The Philosophical Underpinnings of Public Policy: Morals,
Values, and Ethics
187 PGA Probity in Governance and Administration
188 PP Public Policy
189 PPP Public Private Partnerships
190 PTfD Participatory Theatre for Development
191 QRMUBHDNS

Qualitative Research Methods for Understanding Business
and HD in a Network Society

192 RGG

The Indian State, Democracy and Accountability Institutions:
Rethinking Good Governance

193 RTPM Rail Transport Planning and Management
194 SEISC Social Entrepreneurship: Innovating Social Change
195 TSM Transformational Social Movements
196 URBAN Urban Economy and Business Environment

 

Ravi J. Matthai Centre for Education Innovation

197 DIS Designing and Implementing Surveys
198 EIE Enterprise and Innovation in Education
199 EPI Education Policy in India
200 GTLM Gamification, Technology and Learning Motivation
201 MSLBET Managing Self-Limiting Beliefs in Education and
Training

Strategy

202 BCR Businesses and the Constitutional Rights
203 BLL Business Leadership and Law
204 BPN Business and Professional Negligence
205 BGL Business, Government and Law
206 BIP Business Intellectual Property
207 BNLL Business Negligence, Liability and Law
208 BT Business Taxation
209 CCCS Competence, Capability and Corporate Strategy
210 CIB Corporate Insolvency and Bankruptcy
211 CPSF Consulting and Professional Service Firms
212 CTIB Contract Terms in International Business
213 DSDT Digital Strategy and Digital Transformation
214 DTR Digital Technologies and Regulation
215 ETA Entrepreneurial Thought & Action
216 EoS Economics of Strategy
217 FBL Frontiers of Business Law
218 IB International Business
219 IBDR International Business Dispute Resolution
220 LVMR Leadership: Vision, Meaning and Reality
221 MoSA Management of Strategic Alliances
222 MCSIEC Multinational Company Strategies and International
Expansion Choices
223 MYM Mysteries in Management
224 RBLCA Rights and Business: Lights Camera Action
225 RTNGB Reimagining Telecom & Next Generation
Businesses
226 SEM Strategy in Emerging Marketing

 

PGP (Others)

227 BBNCTU Bootcamp on Building the Next Consumer Tech
Unicorn
228 BIO Bionics
229 CFI Contemporary Film Industry: A Business Perspective
230 DBI Doing Business in India (Only for Exchange)
231 IHC India: History and Culture (Only for Exchange)
232 PFM Philosophical Foundation of Management
233 RMBA The Remains of the MBA

Academic Calendar

Orientation

Mid June to end June

Registration
Inauguration
Orientation

Year 1

Classes:
Mid June-Mid October

Summer Internship Interviews:
Mid October-Mid November

Classes:
Mid November-End March

Summer Internships

April and May

Year 2

Classes:
Mid June-March

Placement process starts in February

Programme Details

The Post Graduate Programme is designed to deliver the fundamentals first and then fine tune the courses to match individual career goals.

Year 1

The core courses are presented in the first year and add up to 23.80 credits. The classes come to approximately 480 sessions. 

Between Year 1 and Year 2

Students undertake summer training with the Institute’s corporate partners in order to get first-hand experience of working in a organisation. The summer internship is a powerful source of practical managerial insights, validation of management concepts, and valuable market knowledge.

Year 2

In their second year, students choose from around 173 elective courses. These courses are conducted by the faculty of IIMA’s various Areas. They may be in-class courses (often with project components), Project courses, exchange programmes, and intensive field courses.

The second year consists of three terms; the duration of a term ranges between 9 and 12 weeks.

The number of sessions may be between 380 and 440, with total credits ranging between 19 and 22 credits. Each credit requires a minimum of eighty hours of work.

1st Year

The core program consists of about 30 courses. The First Year is spread over three Terms, each of which is of 10-14 weeks’ duration.

Term 1

  • Financial Reporting and Analysis
  • Financial Markets
  • Human Resource Management I
  • Individual Dynamics
  • Legal Aspects of Business
  • Managerial Computing
  • Microeconomics
  • Marketing-I
  • Operations Management - I
  • Quantitative Methods - 1a
  • Quantitative Methods - 1b
  • Managerial Communication
  • OB Induction

Term 2

  • Costing and Control Systems
  • Financial Markets
  • Human Resource Management II
  • Interpersonal Group Processes
  • Transforming Business through Information Technology
  • Macroeconomics and Policy
  • Marketing II
  • Operations Management II
  • Personal and Corporate Ethics
  • Quantitative Methods – II
  • The Social and Cultural Environment of Business
  • Workshop on Interviews and Presentations
  • Written Analysis and Communication – I

Term 3

  • Business, Environment and Society
  • Business Research Methods
  • Corporate Finance
  • Government Systems and Policy Process
  • Internet - Enabled Businesses
  • Marketing III
  • Organizational Dynamics
  • Strategic Management
  • Flexicore Courses (FC)
  • Service Operations Management
  • Talent and Competency Management
  • Written Analysis and Communication-II
  • Operations Management- III
  • Strategic Human Resource Management

2nd Year

The elective courses, offered in the second year of the programme allow students to choose a bouquet of courses that interest them and develop proficiency in the areas of their choice.

Elective courses can be chosen from the following areas

  • Agri Management 
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Innovations in education
  • Strategy
  • Communication
  • Economics
  • Finance and Accounting
  • Human Resources Management
  • Information Systems 
  • Marketing
  • Organizational Behaviour
  • Operations and Decision Sciences
  • Public Systems Group
  • Others

In addition to courses, second year students undertake projects that serve their individual interests and goals. Projects are of four types:

Student Exchange

Each year a quarter of the 2nd year students are chosen to spend one academic term at premier management institutes around the world. Similarly, students from the corresponding institutions spend an academic term at IIMA.

Student Exchange Programme

Over the years, the IIMA has established partnerships with leading management schools in Europe, North America, South America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region. Each year, out of the second year class, some 150 students are chosen to spend one academic term abroad at a partner institute and the IIMA accepts about 90 students from its partners for the same period.

The Student Exchange Programme facilitates the flow of ideas between academic institutions and promotes better understanding of the methods and programmes of the partnering schools. Joint activities enhance knowledge and skills of students and faculty members alike; all participants gain international management perspective and cultural poise. This strong and self-sustaining exchange programme enhances academic standards all round.

Nearly every year some new institution abroad is added to the community of exchange partners. At present the participating institutions number 80. All demonstrate excellent academic standards which provide varied learning opportunities to exchange students. The enthusiasm shown by institutions across the world has been tremendous and speaks volumes for the quality of programmes offered at the Institute.

Each year the Institute selects eligible second year students to spend one academic term at premier management institutes around the world with which the Institute has forged partnerships. Similarly, students from the corresponding institutions spend an academic term at IIMA. IIMA has been able to increase the number of participating institutions up to 80.

The exchange programme makes it possible for students to gain international experience without any financial impediments. Apart from the scholarships instituted by IIMA, several students have received scholarships from participating schools, the French embassy, DAAD from Germany and some corporate partners.

 

Double Degree Programme:

IIM Ahmedabad has double-degree programme agreement with about seven International schools such as ESSEC Business School France, HEC, France, University of Bocconi, Italy, European Business School, Germany, University of Cologne, Germany and ESCP Europe, France.  A double-degree program would be an added value to study abroad by integrating students within the respective programmes. In this sense, it goes beyond a regular exchange programme and would be an enriching experience for both institutions. The double-degree programme has sense in coherence with a deep immersion in the academic and business environment of the host institution.

 

IIMA, a Member of PIM

PIM, Partnership in International Management, is a consortium of leading international business schools, founded in 1973. Each member institution represents the highest degree of excellence in the fields of business administration and management, demonstrates leadership in their geographic region and delivers an MBA or a graduate-equivalent degree in management. PIM facilitates the development of international cooperation among members, fostering the development of joint programme, students and faculty exchange, joint research and cooperation among faculty members and researchers.

Currently, PIM has grown to a network of 62 business schools worldwide. Over the years, several thousand students have gone on exchange within the PIM member institutions.

As a member, IIMA shares the reputation for upholding the highest degree of academic excellence both regionally as well as globally and values the organization's spirit of international cooperation among its students, faculty and administrators.

Academic Resources

At IIMA a student will find many out-of-class supports for their academic work.

Instructors

Instructors

The first, greatest and most accessible resource for academic work is the faculty. IIMA instructors want to see their students succeed. It is significant that faculty are referred to as instructors rather than teachers. Be considerate: some instructors may encourage students to just drop by during office hours, others may ask that you email and fix a time first. Have your questions clearly in mind; don’t waste time coming to the point. Remember, IIMA instructors are among the best in the world: their objective is to bring out the best in their students – which typically involves making students work on their weaknesses. There is no place for rote learning at IIMA – learning is all about dialogue and exploration.

Peers

Peers

Classmates are another dependable source of help. peer to peer learning is one of the pillars of IIMA pedagogy. Most of this peer-to-peer learning will be informal, but two years ago the IIMA also set up a Mentorship Cell. Senior students were enrolled as mentors and mentor groups were assigned to each in-coming student. During the placement season, the Cell organized a workshop to help students in summer internship interview preparation. The Cell is in addition to Dorm Mentorship.

Faculty & Research Areas

IIMA faculty bring their cutting-edge knowledge to the classroom in ways designed bring the most transformative, enduring value for their students.

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