MBA Subjects in India - A Semester-by-Semester Guide

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The Master of Business Administration (MBA) courses in India offer students the opportunity to specialize in various areas. This includes traditional domains such as finance, human resources (HR), marketing, and sales, as well as emerging areas like digital marketing, data science (DS), and analytics. The semester structures of these programs are also designed to reflect this specialization accurately. Here, students must study the foundational aspects of business administration in the first two semesters. In the subsequent semesters, they delve deeper into subjects related to their chosen specialization area.

This article will discuss the MBA subjects taught in various semesters of MBA programs in India, with a focus on their specializations.

Overview of MBA Program Structure in India

Before delving into the subjects taught as part of the MBA syllabus, students must understand the overall structure of these programs in India.

Duration: The duration of MBA programs available in India typically ranges from one to two years. They are divided into four semesters, with each semester spanning six months to make it an equal distribution of time allotted to the semesters.
Modes: These programs are available in four modes: full-time, part-time, online, and executive MBA. The full-time programs are primarily on-campus programs designed for graduates who wish to learn business administration in-depth and are willing and able to devote their time to the program. The online, part-time, and executive MBA programs are primarily designed for working students who want to earn an MBA degree to enhance their job market credentials.
Subjects: The curricula of these programs are divided into two types of subjects – core subjects and electives. The core subjects represent the foundational aspects of business administration that every MBA student must master. The electives are determined based on the specialization that individual students wish to delve into.
Common Specializations: MBA programs in India offer various specializations with emerging domains such as digital marketing, DS, and analytics. However, the most popular options here are still the conventional ones, such as HR, operations, finance, information technology (IT), and marketing.

MBA Subjects: Semester-Wise Breakdown

Colleges and universities that offer MBA courses design the MBA subject structure in such a way that students receive the best business administration education. This is why they introduce them to the fundamentals of the subject in the first couple of semesters. The final brace of semesters focuses on the subjects that take students in-depth into the specialization that they have opted for.

Semester	Subjects
Semester 1	Entrepreneurial Practice Data Visualization (Excel/Tableau) Business Communication (Written Analysis and Communication, WAC) Organizational Behavior Managerial Economics Marketing Management Financial Accounting
Semester 2	Business Research Methods (R/Python) Financial Management Operation Management Legal Aspects of Business Human Resource Management Business Communication (Value Added Course or VAC) Management Accounting
Semester 3	Core Subjects: Term Paper Strategic Management Specialization Digital Marketing Operations Management Finance International Business Marketing Information System Management Human Resource Management (HRM) Project Management DS and Analytics Supply Chain Management Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) Retail Management Financial Technology (FinTech) and IT
Semester 4	Core Subjects: Project International Business Management Electives: Digital Marketing Operations Management Finance International Business Marketing Information Systems Management HRM Project Management DS and Analytics Supply Chain Management BFSI Retail Management FinTech and IT

List of Common Elective Subjects by Specialization

Elective subjects play a crucial role in every MBA syllabus, as they equip students with the knowledge necessary to specialize in the area they wish to pursue. This is also the reason why a list of such subjects varies so much from one specialization to the next.

MBA in Digital Marketing

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Introduction to Digital MarketingMedia Ethics and Laws Social Media and New Media Spectrum IT in Business
Semester 4	Media Economics and Planning Electronic Marketing (E-Marketing)Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship Brand Management and Advertising

MBA in Marketing

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Supply Chain Management and Sales Distribution Retail Marketing Consumer Behavior Marketing Research
Semester 4	Customer Relationship Management and Services Marketing E-Marketing Sales Promotion and Advertising ManagementInternational Marketing

MBA in Analytics and DS

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Programming in Data ScienceExploratory Data AnalysisIntroduction to Machine Learning (ML)Visualization
Semester 4	Advanced MLBusiness Analytics Unstructured Data Analysis Data Scraping

MBA in IT and FinTech

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Database Management Systems Technology Management Software Engineering Business Intelligence (BI) and Tools
Semester 4	Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce)Blockchain and Cryptocurrency FinTech Regulations and Payments Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

MBA in International Business

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	International Financial Management Management of Multinational Corporations International Marketing Import-Export Management
Semester 4	Foreign Trade of India International Law and International Business Environment Global Distribution and Logistics Management Import-Export Finance

MBA in Project Management

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Introduction to Project ManagementProject Budgeting and Finance Project Scheduling and PlanningManaging HR in Projects
Semester 4	Quantitative Methods in Project Management Project Quality Management Project Risk Management Contracts Management in Projects

MBA in Retail Management

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Distribution and Sales ManagementRetail MarketingRetail Customer Relationship Management (CRM)Electronic Retailing (E-Retailing)
Semester 4	International RetailingRetail Merchandising and Buying Entrepreneurship in Retail BusinessBrand Management and Advertising

MBA in Finance

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Portfolio Management and Security Analysis Taxation Management Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)Internal Control and Audit
Semester 4	International Financial Management Financial Services and Merchant BankingTreasury Management Risk and Insurance Management

MBA in HRM

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Manpower Sourcing and Planning Employee Relations ManagementOrganizational and Management Development HR Audit
Semester 4	Benefits and CompensationEmployee Retention and Talent Management Performance Appraisal and Management Change Management

MBA in BFSI

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Financial Risk Management and Bank Management Practices and Principles of Insurance Business Valuation and Financial Statement Analysis Financial Services
Semester 4	Treasury Management and Asset Liability Management (ALM)Life Insurance Management Risk Management in Banking and Basel Regulations General Insurance Management

MBA in Operations Management

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Operations and Production Management Supply Chain and Logistics Management ERPOperations Research
Semester 4	Services Operations Management Production, Control, and Planning Total Quality Management Project Management

MBA in Information System Management

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Software Engineering Computer Networks Database Management Systems Business Tools and BI
Semester 4	ERPTechnology Management E-Commerce Web Design and Java

MBA in Supply Chain Management

Semester	Subjects
Semester 3	Supply Chain Management Food Supply Chain Management Outsourcing Inventory Management
Semester 4	Global Supply Chain and Logistics ManagementContracting and Purchasing for Projects Category Management in Purchasing Supply Chain Cost Management

Conclusion

The three universities that offer programs on the Online Manipal platform – Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), and Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) – are among the top options for students seeking the best business administration education. This is not only because of the MBA subjects that they teach. They also offer students various other benefits such as career support, flexible learning, and networking opportunities. These help students learn at a pace they are comfortable with and also find their feet once they graduate from the program. These are also the reasons why these programs are so popular among working professionals.

FAQs

1. How many semesters are there in a typical MBA program in India?

Typically, an MBA program in India spans two years, comprising four semesters. Each semester generally lasts about six months.

2. Do MBA subjects remain the same across all specializations in the first year?

Yes, for all MBA programs, the subjects are the same in the first year, irrespective of the specialization. This is because the first year is about providing students with a broad base in the fundamentals of business administration.

3. When do students start learning subjects related to their MBA specialization?

It is in the second year that students begin to learn the subjects which form part of the specialization they have chosen for their MBA program.

4. Are practical projects or internships included in any semester?

Yes, MBA programs do include internships and practical projects frequently in specific semesters. Some of these programs include them as core curriculum components, while others encourage students to take advantage of such opportunities.

5. Do online MBA programs follow the same semester-wise subject structure as regular MBAs?

The semester-based structure of online MBA programs is identical to that of on-campus and traditional programs. In both cases, students study for two years divided into four semesters of roughly six months each.