How Gaining Admission In Top MBA Colleges In Kerala Can Pave The Way For A Successful Career

Over the past several years earning an MBA degree has become more of a trend than necessity amongst students, who complete their undergraduate studies. This trend is further fueled by the fact that countless institutes offering a wide range of MBA programs are mushrooming across the country. Most of these institutes are operated with the simple purpose of making profit and hence offer admission to all types of candidates without much consideration. In fact, these institutes are the reason behind the rising number of MBA graduates, who have not only enhanced the competition level in the field but also make it difficult for deserving candidates to find the best jobs.

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The one way that deserving candidates can beat the competition and pave a successful career path for themselves, is by choosing only the best management institutes to pursue an MBA degree. There are quite a few top MBA colleges in Kerala that offering world class education to their students and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge that will give them a head start in terms of getting better career opportunities. Discussed below are some important ways in which students can benefit by completing their MBA education from renowned MBA institutions. 

These institutions follow a stringent admission process, wherein not only the academic excellence of the students is put to test but their aptitude to take up challenges and make critical decisions is also checked. Thus these colleges inculcate the habit of facing and beating competition amongst the students from day one itself. The students inculcate the habit of accepting their failures and mistakes and give their 100% in everything they do.

The best business schools make sure that their curriculum is as per the latest industry standards so that students are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills when they enter the industry. Students graduating from such institutions never face the problem of having to learn the current ways of the industry before they can prove their worth. 

Pursuing a management course from a renowned institute, such as Kochi Business School MBA, provides the students with the benefit of getting placement assistance. This means that students do not have to sweat it out on their own to find a job that suits their education and skills as the institute helps them to get a decent job in an industry of relevance through campus placement facilities. The students can then choose to move on to better options in a couple of years or can seek career growth within the same organization over a long period of time. 

Most importantly, the top ranking institutes tend to focus on the overall personal and professional development of the students. This means that the students are trained not only in the various aspects of management and business administration but are also groomed in a wide range of soft skills that an prove extremely helpful in their career growth.  The two years of MBA at a top ranked college, thus help the candidates to not only earn a valuable degree but also enhance their life skills especially their confidence, ability to communicate and leadership skills.

SCMS Cochin Faculty Team Pillars Of Its Strength

There are a few hallmark features of renowned B Schools in the country. Of course the curriculum of their PGDM program matters because it makes students ready for the challenges of the industry. But at the end of the day the curriculum has to be delivered by faculty members, who keep things relatable for students. SCMS Cochin Faculty team is the backbone of the institute and adds immensely to the learning experience for students.

SCMS Cochin is often the top choice for management aspirants who are looking to pursue their PGDM program in Kerala. The institute has gained its reputation on the back of its consistent record, which has drawn students from all over the country to it. But another major attraction for management hopefuls is the strong faculty team that has vast experience in academia and the industry as well. 

The strong full time faculty team 

Over the course of last 16 years, SCMS Cochin has managed to attract experienced academics, industry experts and others from the intellectual community to the institute. Today it has a strong 95 member full time faculty team that is not only known for its teaching skills but contributions to the world of management education as well. These faculty members are dedicated to the cause of imparting sound knowledge of management concepts and more to students.

In fact, many of SCMS Cochin faculty team have several renowned research papers under their belt. Under the mentorship of these experts, students of the institute develop a research bent of mind, which is crucial to their future growth. Several of the faculty members are sought after when it comes to organizing MDPs. They share their varied experiences with students and remain accessible to them. Overall they inspire and encourage students to think out of the box and become future leaders. 

Guest faculty and esteemed speakers

SCMS Cochin remains aware of the fact that to offer students insight into the real life corporate world, one needs to widen the resource base. That’s why it brings industry experts, entrepreneurs and professionals to the campus on a regular basis. These industry interface sessions offer an eye-opening experience to students. Some of the big names that have made their presence felt on the campus include Mr. Praveen Kamath, Global Head, WIPRO BPO Talent Transformation, Mr. Cherian Varghese, CEO Pristine Financial Services Pvt. Ltd, and Mr. T. P. Sreenivasan, Former Ambassador of India.

International faculty members

Over the years the B School has also managed to foster relationships with academics, professionals and institutions from all over the world. It leverages these relationships by bringing top International faculty members to the campus to help its students get a global learning experience. Some of the names included in this esteemed list are Dr. Bijoy. K. Sahoo, Dean, School Of Business North Carolina Central University, USA and Dr. Beat Hulliger, Professor, University of Applied Science, Northwestern Switzerland.

Together these faculty members ensure that students of SCMS Cochin get a holistic learning experience, which sets them apart.

Kerala’s top Part Time PGDM Program to help you work and study

There is no right time to get an education that not only helps you learn, but enhances your career prospects as well. It’s particularly true in terms of management programs that can open new doors for you in your career. If you are a working professional who wants to give your corporate dreams wings, then Part Time PGDM program might be the way to go.

There are more management aspirants, who opt for part time programs than you might think. For some it might be a way of getting additional qualification while keeping up with their professional responsibilities. Others thrive on the challenge of managing tight schedules as they leverage their work experience to their advantage.

Highlights of reputed part time programs

• Some of the renowned B Schools in the country like SCMS Cochin for example, will offer PGDM Part Time along with their flagship full time programs. These part time programs are designed to help working professionals, entrepreneurs, executives boost their future prospects.
• The program will be delivered by experienced names in the world of academia, who have industry experience to boot. They use modern teaching techniques to help students understand management concepts that they can then relate to experiences in the professional sphere.
• One of the highlights of the program offered by SCMS Cochin is that it is held on Sundays and holidays. Thus though it emphasizes on academic rigour, things don’t get extremely hectic for students who also have to manage their professional responsibilities.

Important details about the program

• SCMS Cochin offers a much talked about part time management program that is a good mix of classroom learning and hands on experience. Students who attend the program with their specific goals are equipped to meet them at the end of it.
• Another advantage of opting for the program at the institute is that it has class strength of 30. It brings together students from different walks of life. It not only creates an enriching learning environment but each one of the students gets due attention.
• Applicants for the program need to have at least two years of work experience. You should also have scored 50 % aggregate marks for your degree exams. Rs. 75,000 is the per semester fee for the program.

Part Time PGDM program is convenient, cost effective and hugely beneficial for your long term career goals.

How Top B Schools Make A Difference With Their Full Time PGDM Curriculum

As a management aspirant you want to make sure you are getting the best learning experience at your chosen B School, which will prepare you for the road ahead. But you need to realize it depends as much on the curriculum of the program as on the reputation and amenities of the institute. In fact, it can make your Full Time PGDM program truly comprehensive and geared towards the industry requirements, which gives you the cutting edge advantage in the competitive job market.

If you have decided to do your MBA In Kerala, and especially in Kochi, which is fast becoming a much sought after education centre for students from all over the country, then you can give yourself that edge. That’s because you can find an institute like SCMS Cochin School of Business that focuses on creating a curriculum that offers students a unique learning experience. It not only helps them understand management concepts and builds a solid foundation, but ensures that they get practical exposure that makes them appealing to recruiters during the placement season.

• To begin with, a top rated B School does everything possible to ensure that its curriculum is constantly evolving according to the latest industry trends. SCMS Cochin for example takes inputs from industry experts and entrepreneurs when creating the curriculum that is on par with the best. As a result you are equipped with skills that go a long way in boosting your future careers.
• Interestingly, it is also one of the few business schools in the country that offers twelve relevant and topical streams for specialization. While Marketing Management is a compulsory specialization, in keeping with industry demands, students are given the option of choosing elective courses based on their specific interests.
• The institute also introduces new specializations that take into account employment opportunities any given year. Retailing, Insurance And Banking are just some of the specializations that the institute has offered in recent times. It has also collaborated with CII Institute of Logistics in Chennai to offer a much sought after Supply Chain Management Programme.
• Another important aspect of learning at a top institute is that it focuses on the dreams and ambitions of students who want to turn entrepreneurs or look after their family business. Through interactions with other entrepreneurs in the area and beyond, different initiatives like start-up village etc, the institute can offer students exposure they need.
• In fact, the institute has several initiatives like Industry Institute Interface sessions where students get an opportunity to learn from the experts in the industry. From renowned HR professionals to Finance Gurus and Operations Managers, the institute draws big names to the campus for inspiring talks to students. It has also held seminars and conclaves on relevant topics like M-commerce, which keep students abreast with the latest in the field.

And that’s how students become industry ready and prepared for flourishing careers or entrepreneurial journeys.

Prof. Mariakutty Varkey, with her invaluable industry experience, shapes students at SCMS Cochin School of Business into the Professionals of tomorrow

Prof. Mariyakutty Varkey

Prof. Mariyakutty Varkey is one of the few women of her times who tried to conquer unchartered territories and make a place for herself in the industry. An engineer and MBA, she has around 22 years of experience working in the IT industry, including Keltron. A Kerala government initiative, Keltron was one of the flagship IT industries in India and offered her an opportunity to work with Germany on a software development project. Prof. Varkey has carried her vast experience to academia and, since 2006, has been an invaluable member of the faculty team at SCMS Cochin School of Business. 

Prof. Varkey started her journey with the institute as a Professor in  Operations and  Systems department , and today she also functions as the HOD of the department. She talks about her journey from the industry to academia, saying, “I was enamoured by the idea of working in the industry, especially on the factory level. Later on, I moved to software and had several exciting opportunities along the way. I joined Suntech Business Solutions, and helped set up their software testing company in Cochin. It was then that I felt I wasn’t able to spend time with my son, who was growing up. Therefore, I decided to take a break and get into academics.”

For someone who thrived on the day to day challenges of the industry, it wasn’t an easy choice; however, it is clear that Prof. Varkey has grown into it and started to embrace the responsibilities. Going back to the first days at SCMS Cochin, she remembers being a bit nervous: “I wasn’t sure I would be able to teach at all. But it takes time and the best thing about SCMS Cochin is that you are able to contribute. Here your industry experience is valued and you are able to change the syllabus by adding latest content. Given our industry experience, we also know what to expect from junior colleagues and together we fine tune the syllabus to give students an advantage.”

And the results are there for all to see, as students from the institute have managed to get placements in top rung companies. Today, the faculty team has a strong mix of individuals with solid industry experience and they try to give students as much valuable industry exposure as possible. However, Prof. Varkey is quick to point out the many things that today’s students should work on to make their place in the industry. “For starters, they need to upgrade themselves constantly because the technology changes fast”, she says. “The IT industry is also a lot about teamwork and your individual brilliance might not account for much. Your flexibility as a professional, however, surely will”.

Prof. Varkey suggests different focus groups, forums, magazines and the Internet as ways for students to continually update their skill sets and increase their industry knowledge. She also highlights the changing industry scenario, saying, “In the 90s in IT, cost was the major factor and that’s why there was a lot of outsourcing. But today, it’s all about providing value to the customer and cost is not the only concern.” As a result of these changes, quality plays a crucial role and SCMS  tries to impart that to students by focussing on practical applications, project management and live exposure that prepares them for the transition ahead.

According to Prof. Mariakutty, there are definitely several opportunities for MBAs in the IT industry that do not require programming and coding: “You can become a Business Analyst where you are, in a sense, a liaison between the customer and project manager. The marketing of IT or other hardware products is also another option besides quality testers”. Prof. Varkey is also optimistic about the scope for growth as young professionals can become project managers in 5-8 years, based on their performance. Therefore, she advises students to identify their goals and to keep their focus in order to reach places with  their hard work. 

How to evaluate MBA colleges in Kerala?

MBA in Kerala has become a topmost priority of every student in search for better career prospects. Indeed, MBA brings stars to one's career. This is the reason there is a presence of a number of MBA colleges in Kerala. But the dream of each and every student is to get the admission in top MBA colleges. Let's have a look at the checklist which can be of great help in evaluating the MBA colleges:

·                    Look through the college guide

A college guide is a book which comprises of the details of all the MBA colleges and also the top rankers. When you flip through this book, you can get the valuable information about the different programs which are offered by the top MBA colleges in Kerala as well as their cost structure. In a nut shell you can gain information on each and every aspect of the college, even its campus and hostel culture.

·                    College website

MBA becomes an easy task when you bask in the valuable inputs from different sources before banking upon one of the best MBA colleges in Kerala. If you are not satisfied with the information available on the college's website, you can visit the college and get for yourself a brochure. The top MBA colleges in Kerala print the promotional materials for students and parents. By analyzing the website as well as the brochure you can access the relevance of the curriculum and in what way it can be of a help in your career path.

·                    Counseling sessions

Before selecting the top MBA colleges in Kerala for pursuing MBA in Kerala you can also request for some counseling sessions. You can talk to the administrative staff of the MBA colleges in Kerala and also with the students who are pursuing studies in those colleges. Talking with the students can give you a transparent view of the insights of the college.

·                    Placement opportunities

There are many colleges which claims to provide the best placement opportunity, but when you take admission for MBA, the situation is upside down. Hence make sure that before getting admission in the Best MBA, you do in depth research about its placements. For this, talk to the alumnus as well as the present students.

Celebrating the 21st convocation of SCMS Cochin School of Business

29 April, 2014, Kochi: The 21^st Annual Convocation of the PGDM programme of SCMS Cochin was held as a glittering ceremony at the Prathap Nagar campus, Kalamassery on April 29, Tuesday. Mr. Mohan Sivanand, Editor‒at‒large, Readers Digest, India Ltd was the chief guest on the occasion. He presented diploma certificates to the batch 21 PGDM students of SCMS COCHIN School of Business. As many as 168 students received their diplomas on this day. 

“One of the most critical requirements to become a successful professional is to be very careful in serving your co-workers and preserving your relationships”, said Mr. Mohan Sivanand in his convocation address to the outgoing students. Business organisations are becoming more and more system-based and rule-based with growing modernization. Consequently, personalized approaches and relations are becoming progressively uncommon. This is going to be a serious challenge to the new generation of managers, Mr. Mohan Sivanand cautioned.

Dr. G.P.C. Nayar, Chairman, SCMS Group presided over the ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Nayar stressed the need for a continual improvement of the quality of our professional education in order to make it comparable to world standards. And that would necessarily require more investments. Without additional investments, it is not possible to improve the quality of our education, Dr. Nayar explained. Mr. K.I. Viswanathan, Vice President, Marketing Division, ITC Ltd was the Guest of Honour. He explained the importance of the correct mix between smart work and hard work in the managerial sector. 

Ms. Manjusha Muraleedharan of PGDM batch 21 secured the Chairman’s Gold Medal for the best academic performance. Ms. Jayeetha Putatunda got the Best Outgoing Student Award for overall performance. Ms. Neelima and Ms. Minu. C. Nair also received medals for best academic performances. Prof. P.C. Pillai, Group director, SCMS, welcomed the gathering. Dr. V. Raman Nair, Director, SCMS, administrated the oath. Prof. K.J. Paluse and Dr. Filomina P. George, Deans of SCMS, also participated in the convocation ceremony.