First dual-degree MBA course

In what will be a first among the IIMs, the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) will kickstart its first dual-degree two-year MBA programme in association with the Essec Business School-Paris, this June.

A student from Essec has been given the go-ahead from both the institutes to be the first to study for the dual-degree. IIM-A is also in talks with Bocconi, the Italian University to offer a similar dual degree MBA.

Under the programme, a student would be required to study for a year first at the foreign country's institute then at the home institute for the second year where he/she will be awarded the dual degree.

Students wishing to apply for the programme will have to fulfil admission criteria of both the institutes and will most likely have three months of extra work as compared to the single degree MBA students.

The curriculum has been decided individually by the institutes according to their requirements which would include projects and internships.

The tuition fees will be borne by the student's primary institute but the cost of living and other expenses will have to be paid by the student. For an Essec student coming to IIM-A, the tuition fees are likely to be the same that a student in the two year Post Graduate Programme at the institute pays for a year.

While this may not pose to be a problem for students coming to India, this could be a detterent to Indian students for whom a year's expenses at Paris might not be affordable, said an official from IIM-A.

"A number of students from IIM-A have shown interest in the dual degree programme which would give a student the unique opportunity to study in top institutes at two different countries and get a MBA degree that would be awarded after a varied mix of study modules and work experience," added the official.

The dual-degree is part of IIM-A's initiative to carve a global branding for the institute. It has close to 40 international linkeages which involve student and faculty exchange programmes, research projects and other collaborations.

The dual degree programme is expected to be a vehicle to market IIM-A's Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX) which has seen good participation from international students.

The degree would also help IIM-A's cause in international accredition for which it had applied to the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)'s European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) which is the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement, and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration. The process of accreditation could take 12 to 18 months.