In today's time and age, having an MBA has become very crucial in one’s career, if they are working in a business or management related sector. A Management degree teaches you all the important managerial skills and imParts you with the knowledge which is required to run a company.
The two types of MBA program that a person can enroll in to are - the Full time MBA program and the Part time MBA program.
The Full time MBA requires you to stay on campus Full time and devote your time to weekday classes. Students usually don’t work along with the program. On the other hand, Part time MBA students have their classes after working hours or during weekends. Thus they are able to manage their work along with pursuing their MBA course simultaneously. There is always a debate over which type a student should prefer. However, according to a general trend, it is seen that people usually prefer Full time MBA program over Part time MBA program. There can be various parameters and reasons for this, a few of them have been listed below -
Internships –
Most of the Part time MBA programs don’t offer internships to students. The main reason for this is that Part time Management students are already working. Internships are a great source of learning as one gets the opportunity to get hands-on approach on industry methods, which a Part time student miss.
Industry shift –
A Full time MBA program is better for students who wish to change their industry or career field. Full time MBA gives you a holistic view and knowledge of all the management fields of various industries. This parameter may lack in the Part-time MBA courses.
Duration of graduation –
Full time MBA programs are more intense but is usually of a shorter duration i.e. 2-years. On the other hand, a Part time MBA stretches up to 3 years. Some Part time MBA programs also take up to 5 years to complete. This is the major reason why so many people prefer to study the Full time program.
Scholarship programs –
Typically, very few Part-time MBA institutes run scholarship program for its students. This is mainly because students are working and are able to pay the tuition fees of the program on their own. On the other hand, all the Full time MBA institutes have some or the other sort of scholarship programs available for its students.
Extracurricular activities–
Part time students have to juggle between work and study and are usually disconnected from the outside world. They miss out on opportunities of extra-curricular activities, study programs and social activities, which are very important in skill development and networking.
Job opportunity–
In many cases, after completion of the of the Part-time MBA program the student, most of the time ends up with the same employer as before. Thus, there is not much relative rise in the income of the student as compared to a Full time MBA graduate. The Full time MBA graduates get a new job which pays relatively much higher than the one before the MBA program. This is a major reason of Full time MBA preference.
Campus Placements and recruitments–
Most of the institutes don’t include Part time MBA students when the time comes for campus placements. Mostly Full-time students get recruited by the top companies. The reason for this is that usually Part time graduates already have a job.
Disconnected from the World –
Students in Part time MBA courses have to work the whole day and then study in post working hours or on the weekends this may leave no time for any social life or interaction with the outside world. Full time students can afford the time to enjoy, socialise and network with other people other than their classmates.
Pre-requisites of application –
A prerequisite of Applying for a Part time MBA is that one needs a work experience of minimum 5 years. The work experience required for a Full time MBA is lesser than this duration.
Credibility of employees –
The credibility of a Full time MBA student is more than that of the Part time MBA student. The employers understand that employees from the Full-time program are better equipped with necessary skills and managerial knowledge required for decision making and working as a team.
Problem of multitasking –
Some people find it difficult to juggle both study and work. This often leads to lack of proper concentration on either one. Therefore, people prefer to be done with studies in one go than go ahead with various job opportunities.
Conclusion –
People prefer to do a Full time MBA program rather than a Part time MBA because of the internships and recruitment opportunities. There is an increase in income associated with a Full-time course. Students also get to stay in an academic environment for a longer period of time. Hence, there is a lot of time to better your network of contacts. A Full time MBA program has various opportunities that can improve your management skills in the form of live projects, study trips, industrial visits and extracurricular activities. You will get a lot of time to focus on yourself and also the time to socialise. The credibility and trust gained by the employee in the eyes of the employer is much more as compared a Part time MBA graduate.
These are the various reasons why people prefer to pursue a Full time MBA program over a Part time program.
