Academics

About Programme - MBA

Programme

The two-year full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), rated as the toughest MBA programme in the world to get admission, is the flagship programme of IIMA. Its main objective is to develop young men and women into competent professional managers, capable of working in any sector of organized activity, proceeding leadership and achieving excellence in performance while contributing to the welfare of the larger society. The programme specifically attempts to:

  • Equip students with the required conceptual and interpersonal skills and sense of social purpose for managerial decision-making,

  • Develop leadership capabilities to act as change agents and be a source of motivation in the organizations they work in,

  • Nurture the desire to excel in performance without compromising integrity, honesty and fairness.

 

IIMA is known for the depth and rigour of the programme. The curriculum, reviewed and revised periodically, remain relevant and contemporary.

MBA Faculty strength

Curriculum Overview

What is the curriculum like?

Every year the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad admits select students in its post graduate programme. They are hand-picked out of about 20,000 high scorers — the cream of nearly two lakh aspirants who sit for the annual Common Admissions Test. The intense competition to gain admission to IIMA’s flagship management course affirms the Institute’s ability to give graduates the highest level of personal development, career opportunities, career satisfaction, and salary. The IIMA stamp certifies knowledge, practical skills and confidence. Continuous review, with an eye to latest trends in management needs and challenges, keeps the IIMA curriculum up to date. It is both rigorous and flexible, combining intellectual discovery and hands-on learning. While equipping students for their first job and it also prepares them for a lifetime of success.

What can students expect to do through the two years?

The two-year programme shapes competent professional managers, capable of achieving excellence in performance in any sector of organized activity to turn out innovators and leaders who contribute to the welfare of the larger society.

The PGP curriculum is designed to meet three objectives:

Equip students with the conceptual and interpersonal skills and sense of social purpose necessary for managerial decision-making;

Develop leadership capabilities to act as change agents and be a source of motivation in the organizations they work in;

Nurture the desire to excel in performance without compromising integrity, honesty and fairness.

Courses are of four basic types:

Foundational courses:

No matter what career path a student ultimately follows, they are going to need to be grounded in four key disciplines: Accounting, Finance, Marketing, and Organizational Behavior

Courses oriented to tools and techniques:

These are the “how to’s”: among other things, these courses teach operations, costing and control, quantitative methods, research methods, human resource management written analysis,

Functional courses:

Organizations succeed or fail on the basis of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling: Courses such as Legal Aspects of Business, Macro-Economics and Planning, Strategy, Information Technology, Interpersonal and Group Processes are devoted to providing functional competence.

Courses that provide perspective:

Successful managers see the big picture and recognize opportunities quickly. Seeking perspective is a habit of mind that is taught in courses such as Financial Markets, Social and Cultural Environment of Business, Business, Environment and Sustainability, Government Systems and Policy Process, and Internet-Enabled Businesses.

Courses Offered

Compulsory Courses in the First Year (Tentative)

Term 1
No Course Acronym Course Title
1 FM Financial Markets
2 FRA Financial Reporting and Analysis
3 HRM-I Human Resource Management-I
4 ID Individual Dynamics
5 LAB Legal Aspects of Business
6 MGRCMN Managerial Communication
7 MGRCMP Managerial Computing
8 MKT-I Marketing-I
9 ME Microeconomics
10 OM-I Operations Management-I
11 QM-1a Quantitative Methods-IA
12 QM-1b Quantitative Methods-IB
13 OB Area Induction

 

Term 2

No Course Acronym Course Title
1 CCS Costing and Control Systems
2 FM Financial Markets
3 HRM-II Human Resource Management II
4 IGP Interpersonal and Group Processes
5 MEP Macroeconomics and Policy
6 MKT-II Marketing II
7 OM-II Operations Management II
8 PCE Personal and Corporate Ethics
9 QM-2 Quantitative Methods-2
10 SCEB The Social and Cultural Environment of Business
11 TBIT Transforming Business through Information Technology
12 WIP Workshop on Interviews and Presentations
13 WAC-I Written Analysis and Communication-I

 

Term 3

No Course Acronym Course Title
1 BRM Business Research Methods
2 BES Business, Environment and Sustainability
3 CF Corporate Finance
4 GSP Government Systems and Policy Process
5 IEB Internet-Enabled Businesses
6 MKT Marketing III
7 ODY Organizational Dynamics
8 SM Strategic Management
9 WAC-II Written Analysis and Communication-II
10 OM-III Operations Management- III

 

Flexi-core Courses (FC)

11 SHRM Strategic Human Resource Management
TCM Talent and Competency Management

 

 

Courses Offered in the Second Year (Tentative)

List of Electives Courses in Second year (Area Wise) based on offerings in the past 5 years.

Strategy

No Course Acronym Course Name
IIMA Ventures
1 INL Innovation, Live
2 MCLB Managing Creative & Lifestyle Businesses
3 NTADBM New Technology Applications: Design and Business Models

 

Centre for Management in Agriculture

4 CINE

Understanding Creativity, Innovation,
Knowledge Networks and Entrepreneurship

5 G2G From Grapes to Glass: The Value Chain
Management Story
6 MIT Managing International Trade
7 SY Shodh Yatra

 

Communication

8 CCR Communicating Corporate Reputation
9 CST Communication Skills for Team & Leadership
Effectiveness
10 DC Difficult Communication
11 EPETMC

Media and Society: The Economics, Politics, Ethics,
and Technologies of Mass Communication

12 IC Intercultural Communication
13 MC Managerial Communication
14 PIM Persuasion Insights for Managers
15 SNS Strategic Negotiation Skills for Leaders
16 SST Strategic Storytelling

 

Economics

17 ACS Auctions
18 AMD Auctions and Market Design
19 BEE Behavioral and Experimental Economics
20 DAPP Decentralization and Public Policy
21 EDPG Economic Development Policy and Growth
22 EEPI Economic Environment and Policy in India
23 EFQ Economics Of Food Quality
24 EHM Essentials of Health-tech Management
25 EIAI Economic Ideas from Ancient India
26 EoO Economics of Organization
27 GAW Gender and Work
28 GFT Global Finance and Trade
29 GTA Game Theory and Applications
30 HE Health Economics
31 HITCH Hitchhiker's Guide to Business and Economies Across
Five Centuries
32 IEST Indian Economy and Society Today
33 MEM Managerial Econometrics
34 MTP Monetary Theory and Policy
35 PAN Pandemics!
36 PIAR Polycrisis: Innovation, Automation and Regulations
37 REM Real Estate Management
38 SPI Social Policy in India
39 WEBGP World Economy: Business, Government, and Policy

 

Finance and Accounting

40 ABS Asset Backed Securitization
41 AI Alternative Investments 
42 AIMLFS AIML In Financial Services 
43 AM Asset Management
44 AMS Analyzing and Managing Start-ups
45 AS Analyzing Startups
46 AVI Applied Value Investing 
47 BB Bitcoin and the Blockchain
48 BF Behavioural Finance
49 BFI Banking and Financial Intermediation
50 BFS Banking and Financial Services
51 BSGR Black Swans and Gray Rhinos: Managing under
Financial Crises
52 CFS Corporate Financial Strategy
53 CG Corporate Governance 
54 FA Finance Analytics
55 FD Financial Derivatives
56 FF Foundations of Finance
57 FIS Fixed Income Securities
58 FORM Futures, Options and Risk Management
59 FRM Financial Risk Management
60 FSA Financial Statement Analysis
61 IFM International Financial Markets
62 IF International Financial
63 InB International Banking
64 MACR Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Restructuring
65 MFI Management of Financial Institutions
66 MFM Microfinance Management
67 MIPM Modern Investment & Portfolio Management
68 OML Optimization Methods in Logistics
69 PEHF Private Equity, Hedge Funds and Corporate Finance
70 PFWM Personal Finance and Wealth Management
71 PMI Private Markets Investing
72 QAT Quantitative & Algorithmic Trading
73 SPB Strategic Perspectives in Banking
74 SR Securities Regulation
75 UEPC Unlisted Equities & Patient Capital
76 VI Venture Investing (VI): A Fund Perspective
77 VoF Valuation of Firms 
78 VREI Valuation of Real Estate Investments

 

Human Resource Management

79 AIHRM AI and Human Resource Management
80 BS Business and Society 
81 BTOT Business Turnaround and Organizational
Transformation
82 GPP Games People Play: Psychology of HRM
83 HRMSS Human Resource Management in Service Sector
84 LDT Leading the Digital Transformation
85 MCEO Making of a CEO
86 MHCP Managing Human Capital in Projects
87 MHWSHRM Mental Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable HRM
88 PA People Analytics
89 PCIH Personal Competencies for International HRM
90 SMT Service Management
91 UBG Understanding Bhagavad Gita: Managerial Perspective
92 UIOP

Unleashing individual and organizational potentials:
Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS)
and Yoga

 

Information Systems

93 BDA Big Data Analytics
94 DMBI Data Mining and Business Intelligence
95 DMDP Developing and Managing Digital Products
96 DPPDT Digital Products, Platforms, Disruption and
Transformation
97 DT Digital Transformation
98 DVDM Data Visualization for Decision Making
99 LTAA Leadership through Analytics and Automation
100 MSPE Management of Software Projects and Enterprise 
101 ODA Organizing in the Digital Age: How Digital Innovations Create Value and Purpose
102 SIE Strategies in the Internet Economy
103 SMDI Strategic Management of Digital Innovations
104 TISM Tapping into Social Media

 

JSWSPP

105 DBG Doing Business with Government
106 DPP Designing Public Policy
107 PPC Public Policy Communication
108 PPDPA Public Policy Design Principles and Applications

 

Marketing

109 AIDP Privacy Paradox: Artificial Intelligence and Digital
Platforms
110 AIM Artificial Intelligence & Marketing
111 B2B Business to Business Marketing
112 BM Brand Management
113 BOPM Bottom of the Pyramid Markets
114 CB Consumer Behaviour
115 CBBS Customer Based Business Strategies
116 DBBD Driving Better Business Decisions Through Superior
Customer Insights and Sensemaking
117 DBMS Design Based Marketing Strategy
118 DEIM Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Marketing
119 DM Digital Marketing
120 GAIM GenAI and Marketing
121 GDBCE Gamification: Designing Better Customer Experience
122 HPDS Health-tech Products and Delivery Systems
123 IM Influencer Marketing
124 IMCM Integrated Marketing Communications Management
125 INL Innovation, Live
126 LMSF Leading and Managing Sales Force
127 MAIT Monetizing Artificial Intelligence and Technology
128 MFS Marketing for Startups
129 MME Mobile Marketing Essentials
130 MCVD Managing Customer Value Delivery
131 ML Marketing Luxury
132 MMMG Mobile Marketing - Mindshift for Growth
133 MMROW Managing Modern Retail in the Omnichannel World
134 MMW Marketing Management in the World of High Tech.
and Innovation 
135 MRB Managing Retail Business
136 MRIS Marketing Research & Information Systems
137 MS Marketing Services
138 NCB Neuroscience and Consumer Behaviour
139 NFS Not for Sale : Psychology of Promotions
140 NPCD New Products Creation and Development
141 NPD New Product Development
142 PCG Pricing
143 PGH Product Growth Hacking
144 SBM Strategic Brand Management
145 SM Strategic Marketing
146 SMBC Semiotics: Strategies for Media and Brand
Communication
147 SMM Strategic Models in Marketing 
148 UNG Understanding the New Gold: Digitalization, Fintech
and Associated Technology, Regulation
and Adoption

 

Organizational Behaviour

149 CIW Contemporary Indian Workplaces: Decent Work and
Diversity
150 CSW The Creative Self at Work
151 ERI Explorations in Role and Identity
152 GPNI Global Production Networks in India: Decent Work and Diversity
153 HPT High Performing Teams: A Journey
154 HEAL Mindfulness-based Happiness, Emotional Intelligence
and Authentic Living
155 ITES Inner Theatre: An Encounter with Self 
156 LS Leadership Skills
157 NS Negotiation Strategies
158 PPO Power and Politics in Organization

 

Operations and Decision Sciences

159 ACD The Art and Craft of Decision Making
160 AMDA Advanced Methods of Data Analysis
161 AMMMD Advanced Mathematical Modeling for Managerial
Decisions
162 BA Business Analytics
163 BMDA Bayesian Methods for Data Analysis
164 CTC Coordinating the Crowd
165 DEALS Deals
166 EC Elephants and Cheetahs: Systems, Strategy and
Bottlenecks 
167 LOG Logistics
168 MDS Manufacturing Design and Strategy
169 MAOR Managerial Applications of OR
170 MAP Marketplaces and Platforms: Gaining Insights,
Orchestrating Interactions
171 MARM Modern Applied Regression Methods
172 OS Operations Strategy
173 PaC Partnerships and Coalitions
174 RMA Revenue Management and Analytics
175 SCM Supply Chain Management
176 SCT Supply Chain Thinking: Value Creation and
Adaptation
177 SMDA Statistical Methods in Data Analysis
178 UCR Why Projects Fail? Uncertainty, Complexity and Risk in
Projects
179 WwN Working with Networks

Public Systems Group

180 BLCA Business Leadership and Corporate Accountability
181 CaF Carbon Finance
182 EBD Experimentation for Better Decisions
183 EBPD Experiments for Business and Policy Decision-making
184 GDPP Gender and Development Policy and Programmes
185 GGPLP Good Governance and People Living in Poverty
186 ICSI Investigating Corporate Social Irresponsibilities
187 IMUT Innovations in Managing Urban Transport
188 IPWH Industrialisation: Perspectives from World History
189 ISIKG Innovation, Social Institutions and Knowledge at the
Grassroots
190 ITS Intelligent Transport Systems
191 MEnB Managing Energy Business
192 MFVW

Managing Firms in a VUCA World: Policy, Governance,
PE Firms and Disruption

193 MMM Manipulation, Myth-making and Marketing
194 MVE The Philosophical Underpinnings of Public Policy: Morals,
Values, and Ethics
195 PGA Probity in Governance and Administration
196 PP Public Policy
197 PPP Public Private Partnerships
198 PTfD Participatory Theatre for Development
199 QRMUBHDNS

Qualitative Research Methods for Understanding Business
and HD in a Network Society

200 RGG

The Indian State, Democracy and Accountability Institutions:
Rethinking Good Governance

201 RTPM Rail Transport Planning and Management
202 SEISC Social Entrepreneurship: Innovating Social Change
203 TAMI Transformations in Automotive & Mobility Industries
204 TSM Transformational Social Movements
205 URBAN Urban Economy and Business Environment

 

Ravi J. Matthai Centre for Education Innovation

206 DIS Designing and Implementing Surveys
207 EDTECH EdTech
208 EIE Enterprise and Innovation in Education
209 EPI Education Policy in India
210 GTLM Gamification, Technology and Learning Motivation
211 MSLBET Managing Self-Limiting Beliefs in Education and
Training

Strategy

212 BCR Businesses and the Constitutional Rights
213 BLL Business Leadership and Law
214 BPN Business and Professional Negligence
215 BGL Business, Government and Law
216 BIP Business Intellectual Property
217 BNLL Business Negligence, Liability and Law
218 BT Business Taxation
219 CCCS Competence, Capability and Corporate Strategy
220 CIB Corporate Insolvency and Bankruptcy
221 CPSF Consulting and Professional Service Firms
222 CTIB Contract Terms in International Business
223 DTR Digital Technologies and Regulation
224 ETA Entrepreneurial Thought & Action
225 EoS Economics of Strategy
226 FBL Frontiers of Business Law
227 IB International Business
228 IBDR International Business Dispute Resolution
229 LVMR Leadership: Vision, Meaning and Reality
230 MoSA Management of Strategic Alliances
231 MYM Mysteries in Management
232 RBLCA Rights and Business: Lights Camera Action
233 RTNGB Reimagining Telecom & Next Generation
Businesses
234 SEM Strategy in Emerging Marketing

 

PGP (Others)

235 BBNCTU Bootcamp on Building the Next Consumer Tech
Unicorn
236 CFI Contemporary Film Industry: A Business Perspective
237 DBI Doing Business in India (Only for Exchange)
238 IHC India: History and Culture (Only for Exchange)
239 PFM Philosophical Foundation of Management
240 RMBA The Remains of the MBA

Academic Calendar

Orientation

Mid June to end June

Registration
Inauguration
Orientation

Year 1

Classes:
Mid June-Mid October

Summer Internship Interviews:
Mid October-Mid November

Classes:
Mid November-End March

Summer Internships

April and May

Year 2

Classes:
Mid June-March

Placement process starts in February

Programme Details

The Post Graduate Programme is designed to deliver the fundamentals first and then fine tune the courses to match individual career goals.

Year 1

The core courses are presented in the first year and add up to 23.80 credits. The classes come to approximately 480 sessions. 

Between Year 1 and Year 2

Students undertake summer training with the Institute’s corporate partners in order to get first-hand experience of working in a organisation. The summer internship is a powerful source of practical managerial insights, validation of management concepts, and valuable market knowledge.

Year 2

In their second year, students choose from around 173 elective courses. These courses are conducted by the faculty of IIMA’s various Areas. They may be in-class courses (often with project components), Project courses, exchange programmes, and intensive field courses.

The second year consists of three terms; the duration of a term ranges between 9 and 12 weeks.

The number of sessions may be between 380 and 440, with total credits ranging between 19 and 22 credits. Each credit requires a minimum of eighty hours of work.

1st Year

The core program consists of about 30 courses. The First Year is spread over three Terms, each of which is of 10-14 weeks’ duration.

Term 1

  • Financial Reporting and Analysis
  • Financial Markets
  • Human Resource Management I
  • Individual Dynamics
  • Legal Aspects of Business
  • Managerial Computing
  • Microeconomics
  • Marketing-I
  • Operations Management - I
  • Quantitative Methods - 1a
  • Quantitative Methods - 1b
  • Managerial Communication
  • OB Induction

Term 2

  • Costing and Control Systems
  • Financial Markets
  • Human Resource Management II
  • Interpersonal Group Processes
  • Transforming Business through Information Technology
  • Macroeconomics and Policy
  • Marketing II
  • Operations Management II
  • Personal and Corporate Ethics
  • Quantitative Methods – II
  • The Social and Cultural Environment of Business
  • Workshop on Interviews and Presentations
  • Written Analysis and Communication – I

Term 3

  • Business, Environment and Society
  • Business Research Methods
  • Corporate Finance
  • Government Systems and Policy Process
  • Internet - Enabled Businesses
  • Marketing III
  • Organizational Dynamics
  • Strategic Management
  • Flexicore Courses (FC)
  • Service Operations Management
  • Talent and Competency Management
  • Written Analysis and Communication-II
  • Operations Management- III
  • Strategic Human Resource Management

2nd Year

The elective courses, offered in the second year of the programme allow students to choose a bouquet of courses that interest them and develop proficiency in the areas of their choice.

Elective courses can be chosen from the following areas

  • Agri Management 
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Innovations in education
  • Strategy
  • Communication
  • Economics
  • Finance and Accounting
  • Human Resources Management
  • Information Systems 
  • Marketing
  • Organizational Behaviour
  • Operations and Decision Sciences
  • Public Systems Group
  • Others

In addition to courses, second year students undertake projects that serve their individual interests and goals. Projects are of four types:

Student Exchange

Each year a quarter of the 2nd year students are chosen to spend one academic term at premier management institutes around the world. Similarly, students from the corresponding institutions spend an academic term at IIMA.

Student Exchange Programme

Over the years, the IIMA has established partnerships with leading management schools in Europe, North America, South America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region. Each year, out of the second year class, some 150 students are chosen to spend one academic term abroad at a partner institute and the IIMA accepts about 90 students from its partners for the same period.

The Student Exchange Programme facilitates the flow of ideas between academic institutions and promotes better understanding of the methods and programmes of the partnering schools. Joint activities enhance knowledge and skills of students and faculty members alike; all participants gain international management perspective and cultural poise. This strong and self-sustaining exchange programme enhances academic standards all round.

Nearly every year some new institution abroad is added to the community of exchange partners. At present the participating institutions number 80. All demonstrate excellent academic standards which provide varied learning opportunities to exchange students. The enthusiasm shown by institutions across the world has been tremendous and speaks volumes for the quality of programmes offered at the Institute.

Each year the Institute selects eligible second year students to spend one academic term at premier management institutes around the world with which the Institute has forged partnerships. Similarly, students from the corresponding institutions spend an academic term at IIMA. IIMA has been able to increase the number of participating institutions up to 80.

The exchange programme makes it possible for students to gain international experience without any financial impediments. Apart from the scholarships instituted by IIMA, several students have received scholarships from participating schools, the French embassy, DAAD from Germany and some corporate partners.

 

Double Degree Programme:

IIM Ahmedabad has double-degree programme agreement with about seven International schools such as ESSEC Business School France, HEC, France, University of Bocconi, Italy, European Business School, Germany, University of Cologne, Germany and ESCP Europe, France.  A double-degree program would be an added value to study abroad by integrating students within the respective programmes. In this sense, it goes beyond a regular exchange programme and would be an enriching experience for both institutions. The double-degree programme has sense in coherence with a deep immersion in the academic and business environment of the host institution.

 

IIMA, a Member of PIM

PIM, Partnership in International Management, is a consortium of leading international business schools, founded in 1973. Each member institution represents the highest degree of excellence in the fields of business administration and management, demonstrates leadership in their geographic region and delivers an MBA or a graduate-equivalent degree in management. PIM facilitates the development of international cooperation among members, fostering the development of joint programme, students and faculty exchange, joint research and cooperation among faculty members and researchers.

Currently, PIM has grown to a network of 62 business schools worldwide. Over the years, several thousand students have gone on exchange within the PIM member institutions.

As a member, IIMA shares the reputation for upholding the highest degree of academic excellence both regionally as well as globally and values the organization's spirit of international cooperation among its students, faculty and administrators.

Academic Resources

At IIMA a student will find many out-of-class supports for their academic work.

Instructors

Instructors

The first, greatest and most accessible resource for academic work is the faculty. IIMA instructors want to see their students succeed. It is significant that faculty are referred to as instructors rather than teachers. Be considerate: some instructors may encourage students to just drop by during office hours, others may ask that you email and fix a time first. Have your questions clearly in mind; don’t waste time coming to the point. Remember, IIMA instructors are among the best in the world: their objective is to bring out the best in their students – which typically involves making students work on their weaknesses. There is no place for rote learning at IIMA – learning is all about dialogue and exploration.

Peers

Peers

Classmates are another dependable source of help. peer to peer learning is one of the pillars of IIMA pedagogy. Most of this peer-to-peer learning will be informal, but two years ago the IIMA also set up a Mentorship Cell. Senior students were enrolled as mentors and mentor groups were assigned to each in-coming student. During the placement season, the Cell organized a workshop to help students in summer internship interview preparation. The Cell is in addition to Dorm Mentorship.

Faculty & Research Areas

IIMA faculty bring their cutting-edge knowledge to the classroom in ways designed bring the most transformative, enduring value for their students.

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