MBA: The Why, The Whats & The Hows

1 Year MBA VS 2 Year MBA: Understanding The Difference Between 1 Year MBA & 2 Year MBA

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Tumul Buch
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The growing economies, increasing corporations and globalisation has an evident and ever-growing demand for MBA professionals. This ripple effect drives most B-school aspirants to pursue MBA abroad. However, the very rise in demand and cost brought the option of a 1 year MBA program. Therefore study abroad aspirants find themselves in the dilemma of 1 year MBA vs 2 year MBA.

Table Of Content:

  1. Pros of Studying MBA Abroad: What are the Benefits of Studying MBA Abroad?
  2. 1 Year MBA VS 2 years MBA: What are the Key Differences Between 1 Year MBA and 2 Year MBA?
  3. Top 1 Year MBA Programs
  4. Top 2 Year MBA Programs
  5. MBA Abroad Scholarships
  6. MBA Career Opportunities Abroad
  7. MBA Salary in Top Countries
  8. 2 Year MBA Vs 1 Year MBA: What Happens After an MBA Abroad?

Your confusion of one year vs two year MBA can definitely be resolved by the end of this blog as we discuss key differences between 1 year vs 2 year MBA. To begin with let’s start with the advantages of MBA abroad:

Pros of Studying MBA Abroad: What are the Benefits of Studying MBA Abroad?

To figure out if MBA abroad leads you to the career you aspire to have, look at some of the top benefits of MBA abroad:

  • Cultural Exposure

The first and foremost benefit of doing an MBA abroad is that you’ll get to expand your cultural horizon. As an international student, you learn new languages. You will also socialise and learn about new cultures. This cross-cultural exchange and learning helps you personally and professionally.

  • Learning from the Best Tutors

Studying MBA abroad will give you industry exposure. Universities throughout the world provide certified MBA programmes for overseas students. Under the tutelage of teachers of various nationalities, a student is exposed to all aspects of Business, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources etc.

  • Salary Benefits

Students usually associate their success with their pay and perk packages. Generally, it's excellent news for students seeking an MBA in a foreign nation. You may certainly anticipate a strong beginning salary package if you graduate from an international university.

  • Stable Career and Growth

The primary motivation for pursuing an MBA degree is to further one's career. That is quite true because obtaining a management degree overseas will undoubtedly provide you with a bigger platform to study and grow both academically and culturally. In this manner, professional opportunities and mobility can be broadened.

Suggested: Top MBA Admission Consultants in India

1 Year MBA VS 2 years MBA: What are the Key Differences Between 1 Year MBA and 2 Year MBA?

Over the last decade, one-year MBAs have grown in popularity, particularly as more candidates with greater experience commit to full-time MBA programmes. Although, few business schools in the United States have adopted this model, one-year (or a few of months longer) MBA programmes are common in Europe and Asia. These courses are often more rigorous and rarely involve the option of an internship. Nonetheless, the compensating gains are not insignificant.

A standard two-year MBA programme is usually full-time, residential and lasts two academic years of nine months each and a summer break. However, the key difference between the two are-

 

Key Aspects

MBA 2 Years

MBA 1 year

Academic Background

A Bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks in Business or related field from a recognized university.

An undergraduate degree is required with good knowledge in quantitative areas or has a Bachelor’s degree in Business or Economics

Work Experience Required

 3 to 5 years

Minimum 3 years

Other essential requirements

One needs to essentially crack GMAT with about 700+ score. TOEFL (at least 100) or IELTS (less than 7.5)

 

Essays resume, LoRs, and interviews are the other important requirements.

GMAT/GRE  (700+ score)and TOEFL/IELTS scores are required by most schools.

Essays resume, LoRs, and interviews are the other important requirements.

 

Career Goals

Account Manager, Brand Manager, Consultant, Marketing Manager, Project Manager, Entertainment Manager, etc.

Managers in multiple positions

Popular Destinations

USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany etc.

USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Germany etc.

Curriculum

The first year of MBA is dedicated to fundamental management subjects such as Marketing, Accounting, Organizational Behavior, Economics. Second-year is dedicated to specialization depending upon your electives.

Focuses on foundational areas and specialist skills in domains such as Finance, Accountancy, etc.

Fees

INR 20 to 80 Lakhs.

Approximately 1,09,69,644 INR

 

Top 1 Year MBA Programs

If you are contemplating between 1 year MBA vs 2 year MBA, you can also refer to the universities that offer you the course and choose the best MBA university depending on your interests:

University Name

Location

QS MBA Ranking 2022

Annual Average Cost INR (USD)

INSEAD

France, Singapore

=7

76,05,000 (100,000 USD)

IESE Business School

Spain

10

79,16,546 (106,000 USD)

Oxford Saïd Business School

England

=13

67,21,596 (90,000 USD)

London Business School

UK

6

95,59,603 (128,000 USD)

Judge Business School

England

17

62,73,489 (84000 USD)

 

Top 2 Year MBA Programs

On the other hand, there are a number of 2 year MBA programs you can opt for at some of the top universities. Check out the list below:

University Name

Location

QS MBA Ranking 2022

Annual Average Cost INR (USD)

Stanford Graduate School of Business

United States

1

 

1,13,64,276 (149,412 USD)

Harvard Business School

United States

=2

1,11,71,692 (146,880 USD)

The Wharton School

United States

=2

1,23,79,221 (162,756 USD)

London Business School

United Kingdom

6

82,90,540 (109,000 USD)

MIT Sloan School of Management

United States

5

1,17,38,760 (154,336USD)

 

MBA Abroad Scholarships

Be it 2 year MBA vs 1 year MBA, if you are a smart intelligent candidate, there are a number of scholarships you can opt for to successfully complete your desired MBA. Some of the popular MBA Abroad scholarships are:

Scholarship Name

Number of Scholarships

Type of Scholarship

Reward (INR)

Ontario Graduate Scholarship

22

Merit-based

8, 23,000

Australia Awards Scholarship

1985

Merit-based

Variable

GREAT Scholarship

103

Merit-based

9,46,000

Go Clean Scholarship

1

Merit-based

2, 64,000

Debesh Kamal Scholarship

-

Merit-based

1,05,329

Forte Fellowship

3

Merit-based

18,63,000

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

150

Merit-based

Variable

BrokerFish International student scholarship

1

Merit-based

75,690

Heinrich Boll Scholarships

1200

Merit-based

Variable

MBA Entrepreneurial Scholarship

1

Merit-based

Variable

When you are thinking of MBA and beyond, 1 year MBA vs 2 year MBA battle might arise many such questions. To answer that read the section below:

 

MBA Career Opportunities Abroad

Mentioned below are some of the top MBA 1 year vs 2 year universities you can enrol in. Evidently, you will be investing a great amount of money in your MBA.

This will certainly arise the question of - is it even worth it? And of course, which is better 1 year MBA or 2 year MBA? You will want to know if you will be rewarded in the same manner as a 2 year MBA, even if you opt for a 1 year MBA course.

If you are thinking about this, you should know that your pay doesn’t get affected by the type of MBA you opt for. Packages offered are based on your experience and expertise. Therefore, the average pay you will earn as an MBA will be about: 

MBA Job Roles

Average Annual Salary Abroad (Converted to INR)

Business Development Manager

76 Lakhs to 13.68 Crores

Assistant B.D. Manager,

38 Lakhs to 68.45 Lakhs

General Manager

54 Lakhs to 13.70 Crores

Project Manager

45 Lakhs to 11 Crores

Strategy Manager

8 Lakhs to 16 Crores

Marketing Manager

4.50 Lakhs to 10.50 Crores

Consulting Manager

48 Lakhs to 12 Crores

Operations Manager

41 Lakhs to 11 Crores

The above list shows you MBA salaries at various positions. However, your MBA pay also varies on the country you choose to study MBA in and their respective packages.

 

MBA Salary in Top Countries

Along with assessing between one year vs two year MBA, choose the country to study MBA wisely. As the rewarding packages, you can expect abroad after MBA are:

Country

Annual Average Salary (INR)

USA

46 Lakhs to 14.45 Crores

Canada

41.6 Lakhs to 12.16 Crores

Germany

38 Lakhs to 12 Crores

UK

75.28 Lakhs to 16.5 Crores

Australia

48 Lakhs to 7.6 Crores

 

2 Year MBA Vs 1 Year MBA: What Happens After an MBA Abroad?

One of the primary reasons students pursue an MBA overseas is to land a high-paying job at a well-known firm, allowing them to further their careers.

  • As a Manager, students can work in industries such as Information Technology, Human Resources, Finance, Real Estate, Sports, Entertainment, Sales, Banking, Health Care and more.
  • In international nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany, the average income of MBA experts with an international degree ranges from INR 40 lakhs to 5 crores.

There's more to think about than just how long it takes to get your MBA. Higher programme fees, more time without earning a wage, and more time away from the job market make two-year programmes a much more expensive alternative — in terms of both expenses and return on investment, as well as missed career chances.

  • CNN Money reports that students enrolled in two-year programmes end up spending close to $350,000 after factoring in student loan interest, tuition and fees, and lost work income.

Graduates who pick a one-year MBA programme will pay less for tuition, fees, housing, and living expenses. And their time away from work is half that of their colleagues who have been with them for two years. This implies they may begin repaying the cost of their purchase.

On the other hand, as a two-year MBA graduate, you have a better understanding and learnings as compared to a one year MBA. Thus, you need to base your call depending on what your priorities are for the future.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions About 1 year Vs 2 year MBA

Which MBA is better, one year MBA or two year MBA?

Is GMAT compulsory for MBA?

Can one pursue MBA after CA?

Is it possible to pursue MBA online?

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