International Acceptance & Relevance
The BBA (Hons) programmes at the
SOME-IIMT are terminal degree programmes. A terminal degree
programme implies that at the end of the programme, there are job
opportunities available to the students, as well as the option to go
for advanced studies. The BBA (Hons.) degrees from Oxford Brookes
University are internationally recognized. In this kind of a
scenario, one graduates with a degree and one year of work
experience. Alternatively one could set up one's own business in
which case the content of the BBA programme is sufficient to equip
an individual to initiate and manage a new setup.
Course
Content
The
content of the programme includes among others, modules such as
Entrepreneurship, E-Business, Business Resource Management,
Strategic Management etc. which give a birds' eye view of managing
and setting up business. The SOME-BBA (Hons.) honors degree
programmes are much superior to business programmes offered by most
Indian universities and colleges in terms of its content and
methodology.
Comparison with Other Graduate
Degrees
The BBA (Hons) programme opens new
doors of opportunity to students. It is more applied than any other
undergraduate degree such as a simple BA/BCom (Pass/Hons). Typically
in a B.Com programme, for instance one would look at making a
balance sheet or P&L account or learn pure accounting. A BBA
programme in contrast teaches one as to how to improve the financial
condition of an organization, identify sources of funding, better
management of assets and inventory. One may learn pure economics in
an economics module but in a BBA programme you get exposed to
Managerial Economics which means that one would study various
competitive markets, impact on say pricing and production
strategies, etc. In a BBA programme, most knowledge is applied and
is geared towards making you a successful manager and entrepreneur.
There is overlap between the BBA and the MBA programme. At the MBA
level, you learn concepts at a higher level, for instance, you may
have a specific module on Consumer Behavior or Marketing Research
or Services Marketing where as these may be parts of the Marketing
module in a BBA (Hons) programme. In fact the programme is so
rigorous that one may prefer to pursue a one year Executive MBA
programme after acquiring this degree.
Teaching Methodology
The programmes utilize a variety of
teaching and learning styles. The knowledge content is covered
through lectures, tutorials, workshops, practical work, problem
solving exercises, case studies, business games, simulations,
business report writing, groups and individual presentations.
Students also have an opportunity to work in smaller groups. Francis
Bacon has been credited with saying “Knowledge is power”. In today's
dynamic world this statement can be modified to “knowledge is power,
when applied”. Management is an applied topic. Conceptual frameworks
can provide the business school students with ideas and information
to understand management situation but mere discussion of the
history and theory of management in a classroom setting without an
opportunity to apply their learning could leave students
ill-equipped to take on the challenges of the real life management
situations.
Lectures
Variety of aids are used to
disseminate the required content. Practical examples from industry
are supplemented by specialized videos.
Tutorials
These help the application aspect of
the lectures that are delivered. Students are divided into smaller
groups and they are given areas on which they discuss and make group
presentations.
Workshops
These are organized to discuss a
range of ideas on a particular topic. Different experts on the
subject area are invited who debate and discuss the issues relating
to the overall theme.
Practical work
Students are encouraged to take on
work that involves interaction with the industry. Involving students
on ongoing projects for the industry is a continuous process at the
School. There are area specific projects initiated to expose the
students to industry realities.
Case Studies
Case studies are an important medium
to highlight a particular concept or demonstration of handling a
particular scenario. These are immensely useful in honing the
managerial skills of individuals and also helps build problem
solving and analytical skills. These are extensively used for
various modules.
Team Interventions
The Team Challenge, Leadership and
Group Behaviour exercises are central to the Foundations of
Management learning experience. It gives the students an opportunity
to put the theory covered in this module into practice by working in
and leading a small task-centred group. The students take part in
varied exercises like the Paper Girder Challenge, the Wild Animal
Hunt, the Tyre Game and so on which gives them practical experience
of teamwork, communications, motivation, leadership and group
dynamics which are the key themes of this module.
Crisis Management
Efforts are made to expose the
students to crisis management situations. It is necessary that the
students as potential managers are trained in handling difficult
corporate situations. Students get exposed to handling media in such
situations. They also learn the art of renegotiating in difficult
meetings which are about deadlock situations. Such training provides
valuable insight into the real life situations.
New Product Development
Students get exposed to new product
development strategies. They strategies on the marketing mix
elements such as product, price, place and promotion. Students in
previous years have formulated strategies for developing new soaps,
shampoo and toothpaste. Poster presentations are used for
demonstrating and explaining their ideas. All these activities
contribute to their assessment as a result of which they are treated
seriously.
Simulation Exercises
Simulation exercises recreate the
real world conditions for the students and expose them to handling
real-time problems. The learning is immense as it involves doing
things actively rather than passive learning. The student assume the
role of an organizations' marketing manager. They track the brands,
their prices and strategies adopted at the retail level. Retail
audits are conducted and assessment is done as to how these brands
could be promoted at the retail level.
Guest Speakers
Guest speakers are invited on a
regular basis to share their experiences of business with the
students. These lectures have an inspirational effect on students
and also help them imbibe the skills necessary for work placements.
They also get an opportunity to develop personal relationships with
the people in the industry who can act as their mentors.
Use of Internet
For every module that is delivered,
the use of Internet is encouraged for accessing information. The use
of IT is inbuilt into every aspect of delivery, which makes the
students feel comfortable to use it for enhancing their efficiency
in both knowledge accumulation and dissemination.
Industry Visits
Industry visit is a regular feature
of the degree programmes. This provides the students with an
opportunity to visualize themselves in a real-world environment of
business. These visits are helpful in exposing them to various
aspects of manufacturing and the service industry. The students have
visited the plants of Munjal Showa Ltd., Maruti, Honda Siel's as a
part of this initiative.
Stock Market Trading
Provide an opportunity to students to
indulge in Stock Market Trading. It's a game of Bulls Vs. Bears and
in the process the young minds understand the various options of
investment and savings.
Business Quiz
Quizzes are organized at regular
intervals to familiarize the students with brands, organizations,
business terms and current affairs. It builds their competence
levels gradually and also ensures a very high degree of involvement.
Placements
The BBA (Hons.) programme also offers
campus placements at the end of the programme. Typically a BBA
(Hons) graduate could get employment opportunities in different
segments of industry such as computers and peripherals, banks,
retail sector, advertising firms, consulting firms, export houses,
consumer products organizations, office automation companies to name
a few. The placements may be offered in diverse areas such as
marketing, finance, HR, operations and so on. A number of industry
stalwarts such as Standard Chartered Bank, Centurion Bank, Escorts,
Gillette, Gujarat Ambuja have already expressed interest in
recruiting bright graduates to induce a fresh perspective in their
organizations.
Our past experience shows that most BBA students after graduation prefer to go for higher studies
abroad. However IIMT provides placement opportunities to all
students desirous of starting work after graduating from the BBA
programmes.
