MBA Course Syllabus (2025–26): All Semester Subjects List in India

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) remains a highly coveted professional degree in 2025-26 and not without reason. A comprehensive MBA program focuses on enhancing leadership, entrepreneurial, and business management skills, opening up a wide array of lucrative career opportunities for graduates.

The MBA syllabus comprises several core subjects and specializations, enabling you to learn both foundational and advanced business concepts.

The first year includes core subjects such as Financial Accounting, Organizational Behavior, Operations Management, and Marketing Management, which help build a foundational knowledge base. The second year focuses on combining theory with real-world business challenges to prepare you for highly targeted careers in Finance, HR, Operations, and Business Management.

It is crucial to choose your MBA specialization after carefully examining your academic interests and career goals. This blog details all that you need to know about the MBA course subjects for all semesters to help you make an informed choice. 

MBA 1st Year Syllabus (Sem 1 & 2 Subjects)

The first year of an MBA is all about building a strong foundation in business fundamentals. The first two semesters of the MBA program cover subjects such as Financial Accounting, Managerial Economics, Organizational Behavior, Business Communication, Financial Management, and Business Law, among others. 

Read on to find out more about the First Year course structure and MBA course subjects in the section below. 

MBA 1st Year Course Overview & Structure

• MBA 1st Year Subjects: Entrepreneurial Practice, Financial Accounting, Data Visualization, Financial Management, and Legal Aspects of Business, among others 
• Learning Objectives: To help students develop key competencies in becoming efficient business managers. The first year of MBA is all about honing foundational business concepts in areas such as marketing, finance, HRM, and the like. 
• Key Skills Developed: Communication, leadership, cultural competence, financial statement analysis, business analysis, budgeting, team performance, organizational behavior, and business laws. 

Learn More: Top Online MBA Programs for Working Professionals

MBA 1st & 2nd Semester Subjects 

The first year of an MBA program comprises 14 subjects, equally divided between two semesters. The table below lists the subjects against each semester for your reference:

Semester	Subjects
MBA 1st Semester	Entrepreneurial Practice Business Communication (WAC) Managerial Economics Financial Accounting Data Visualization (Excel/Tableau) Organizational Behavior Marketing Management
MBA 2nd Semester	Business Research Methods (R/Python) Operation Management Human Resource Management Management Accounting Financial Management Legal Aspects of Business Business Communication (VAC)

Check Out: 18 Top Jobs After an MBA Program

MBA 2nd Year Syllabus (Sem 3 & 4 Subjects)

The second-year MBA course syllabus is designed to help you develop advanced business skills and excel in highly lucrative career roles. The coursework combines core subjects with several specialization options or elective subjects to help you apply theoretical knowledge and find innovative solutions to real-world business challenges.

Read on to know more about the 3rd and 4th semester MBA subjects below.

MBA 2nd Year Course Overview & Structure

• MBA 2nd Year Subjects Covered: Strategic Management, Term Paper, International Business Management, and Project Study are the core subjects covered in the second year of the MBA program. In addition to these, students can choose from a wide range of electives or specializations that align with their interests and career goals.
  
• Specializations Offered: Digital Marketing, Finance, HRM, BFSI, IT & Fintech, International Business, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, and Retail Management, among many more
  
• Learning Objectives: The core or general subjects enhance strategic management and decision-making abilities, while the specializations help with functional expertise in your chosen field (Finance, Marketing, BFSI, etc).
  
• Skills Developed: Financial Literacy, Strategic Thinking, Problem-Solving, and a host of subject-specific skills such as Marketing Analysis, Digital Marketing, Talent Management, Business Policy, and Managerial Economics
  
• Internships & Projects: The curriculum features a range of internships and projects that apply your learnings to real-world business environments. They help prepare you to ace complex managerial and leadership roles ahead.

Read More: 15 Best Courses After an MBA Degree

MBA 3rd & 4th Semester Subjects

The second-year MBA course syllabus is designed to help you build expertise in the concepts introduced during the first year. In addition to a range of key and elective subjects, internships and projects in the second year enable students to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. The following are the key subjects covered in the 3rd and 4th semesters, respectively, in the Year 2 MBA.

Semester	Subjects
MBA 3rd Semester	Strategic Management Term Paper
MBA 4th Semester	International Business Management Project
Elective/Specialization (Choice of Super or Dual Specialization)	Digital Marketing Finance Marketing HRM Analytics & DS BFSI IT & Fintech Operations Management International Business Information System Management Project Management Supply Chain Management Retail Management

Interesting Read: MBA in Project Management vs. MBA in Product Management

MBA Specializations With Key Subjects

Achieve unparalleled functional expertise in your chosen field of study by exploring the wide range of specializations in the MBA program offered by Manipal University Jaipur on the Online Manipal platform. 

Please note: The core subjects in the 3rd and 4th semesters remain the same regardless of the specialization you choose: 

3rd Semester

• Strategic Management
• Term Paper

4th Semester

• International Business Management 
• Project Study

The table below highlights popular MBA specializations and the key subjects covered under each. 

Please note that we have included only a few subjects in the table for reference purposes. For the complete list of subjects covered under each specialization, please click on the respective specialization links below: 

MBA Specialization	Key Subjects
MBA in Finance	Security Analysis & Portfolio Management
	Mergers and Acquisitions
	International Financial Management
	Treasury Management
MBA in BFSI	Bank Management and Financial Risk Management
	Financial Statement Analysis and Business Valuation
	ALM and Treasury Management
	Life Insurance Management
MBA in Project Management	Introduction to Project Management
	Quantitative Methods in Project Management
	Project Planning and Scheduling
	Project Risk Management
MBA in HRM	Manpower Planning and Sourcing
	Compensation and Benefits
	Management and Organizational Development
	Performance Management and Appraisal
MBA in Information Systems Management	Software Engineering
	Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
	Database Management Systems
	E-commerce
MBA in Analytics & Data Science	Programming in Data Science
	Introduction to Machine Learning
	Advanced Machine Learning
	Exploratory Data Analysis
MBA in Retail Management	Sales and Distribution Management
	International Retailing
	Retail Customer Relationship Management
	Entrepreneurship in Retail Business
MBA in International Business	International Financial Management
	Foreign Trade of India
	International Marketing
	Global Logistics and Distribution Management
MBA in Operations Management	Production and Operations Management
	Services Operations Management
	Total Quality Management
	Logistics and Supply Chain Management
MBA in Supply Chain Management	Outsourcing
	Category Management in Purchasing
	Food Supply Chain Management
	Purchasing and Contracting for Projects
MBA in Digital Marketing	Introduction to Digital Marketing
	Media Planning and Economics
	Entrepreneurship and Digital Marketing
	E-Marketing
MBA in Marketing	Sales Distribution and Supply Chain Management
	Services Marketing and Customer Relationship Management
	Consumer Behavior
	International Marketing
MBA in IT & Fintech	Database Management Systems
	E-Commerce
	Software Engineering
	FinTech Payments and Regulations

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FAQs

1. What are the main MBA course subjects taught across all semesters?

The main MBA course subjects spanning all semesters, with slight variations across universities, include: 

• Marketing 
• Finance 
• Operations 
• Human Resource Management 
• Financial Management 
• Marketing Management 
• Management Accounting 
• Quantitative Methods 
• Data Visualization 

Note that Organizational Behavior, Financial Accounting, Business Communication, and Managerial Economics are the foundational courses covered in the initial semesters. The later semesters cover specializations through elective subjects.   

2. How many subjects are there in an MBA program in total?

The exact number of subjects covered in an MBA program may vary depending on the institution and specializations offered. Typically, a program includes 20-24 core subjects, in addition to elective courses and internships. 

• Core subjects: Marketing Management, Business Law, and Financial Management
• Specializations/electives: Finance, Human Resources Management (HRM), and International Business, among others

3. What is the MBA course syllabus structure followed by most universities in India?

Most Indian universities follow a 2-year, 4-semester course structure for their MBA programs. The first two semesters of Year 1 focus on foundational subjects. In comparison, the last two semesters of Year 2 include advanced subjects in the form of electives, specializations, capstone simulations, dissertations, and internships, combining theoretical and real-world business knowledge. 

4. Which MBA subjects are mandatory in the first year?

The mandatory subjects in the first year of an MBA program include: 

• Financial Accounting 
• Organizational Behavior 
• Operations Management 
• Marketing Management 
• Managerial Economics 

The first year focuses on equipping learners with a solid foundational knowledge of core business subjects and, as such, does not include any specialization or elective subjects.

5. Which topics are covered under MBA 1st-semester subjects?

A few core subjects covered in the first semester of an MBA program are:

• Financial Accounting 
• Marketing Management
• Organizational Behavior
• Quantitative Methods 

Together, these subjects focus on foundational business concepts, including consumer behavior, marketing strategy, group behavior in organizational settings, and financial transactions. Other common topics include Business Communications, Managerial Economics, and Corporate Social Responsibility. 

6. How many subjects are there in the MBA 1st year, and what do they focus on?

There are 10-12 subjects covered in the first two semesters of the MBA program’s first year. These are:

• Financial Accounting 
• Marketing Management 
• Organizational Behavior 
• Business Communication 
• Managerial Economics

These subjects aim to strengthen foundational skills, including business management, leadership, market research, strategy, product development, financial transactions, pricing, and team performance, among others. 

7. What are the MBA first-semester subjects at Manipal University Jaipur?

Manipal University Jaipur teaches a comprehensive suite of first-year MBA subjects aimed at enhancing your theoretical knowledge: 

• Entrepreneurial Practice 
• Business Communication (WAC) 
• Financial Accounting 
• Managerial Economics 
• Organizational Behavior 
• Data Visualization (Excel/Tableau)

8. How do MBA specialization subjects differ from core subjects?

MBA core subjects equip you with a broad foundation in foundational business concepts, including marketing, operations, finance, and leadership, among others. Specializations comprising advanced subjects, on the other hand, prepare you for highly targeted careers that align with your career goals and interests. Elective courses in Marketing, Finance, and HR Management, etc, equip you with in-depth functional expertise in your chosen field of study. 

9. Which are the most popular MBA specializations and their key subjects?

Some of the most popular MBA specializations widely chosen by MBA aspirants are:

• Information Technology focuses on the importance of technology in business
• Finance Marketing covers topics like financial analysis and planning
• Human Resources offers exposure to key business responsibilities, including talent management, operations management, supply chain management, and process management.
  

10. Do all universities follow the same MBA syllabus and subject list?

Not all Indian universities follow the same MBA curriculum. The syllabus may vary with the elective subjects, specializations, and internships offered. The core subjects, however, often remain the same across institutions, as they focus on enhancing foundational concepts. Besides the syllabus, specific regulations and teaching methods may vary across institutions as well. 

11. How often is the MBA syllabus updated to match current industry trends?

Yes, most MBA institutions update their curricula every 3 to 5 years to stay aligned with general industry standards. Autonomous MBA institutions offering PDGM programs are known to be more responsive to up-and-coming industry trends, updating their curriculum every 1 to 2 years. The highly professional and technical MBA programs also follow this practice.