Please elaborate on the persons behind Bangalore Management Academy.
The people behind the college have significant experience in the field of education, especially foreign education. Mr Robert Donison is the Managing Director at BMA. He is also Founder Director, LSC Group of Colleges, London which is a prominent private sector college in the UK. Mr Ajith Thacholi – Executive Director, BMA has in excess of 15 years of experience in education consulting. Mr Bibek Debroy is the Head of the Advisory Board at BMA. He is also an economist and columnist as well as Consultant, Dept. of Economic Affair, Ministry of Finance.
What are the various fulltime MBA programs offered at BMA and what are the important differences between them?
The MBA(I) program is offered in affiliation with Edith Cowan University (ECU), Australia and is targeted at fresh graduates. The program includes a three month internship at the end of the programme. University of Aberdeen, UK partners with BMA for the MBA program and all subjects in the program are taught by faculty flown in from Aberdeen. The Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM) is provided in association with Bharatidasan Institute of Management (BIM) and only students with two or more years of work-experience are eligible to apply to this program. The Twinning MBA course is affiliated to the University of Pondicherry while the Post Graduate Program in Retail Management (PGPRM) is associated with the Retailers Association of India (RAI).
Please briefly describe the course structure followed for the various MBA programs at BMA? What factors should applicants consider when choosing between these programs?
The fulltime mode of the ECU MBA consists of three terms of classes delivered over twelve months followed by an employability enhancement programme and a four month internship. The exams of final term of ECU are conducted at BMA but the question papers are set at ECU, Australia and also the evaluation and declaration of results is done by ECU.
The University of Aberdeen MBA consists of three terms of classes at BMA which includes a summer term spent at the University of Aberdeen.
The BIM PGDBM is a 15 month program conducted at BMA.
The course content and delivery of the ECU, BIM, Pondicherry University, RAI and Aberdeen MBAs are the responsibility of the accrediting universities. Students are thus able to avail of a degree which is the same standard as that offered at the home campuses.
What is the fee structure followed for the management programs at BMA? Are residential facilities provided?
The fee for all the fulltime programs is Rs 4.5 lakhs and students can avail of residential facilities in all cases.
Please explain the admissions process followed for admissions to BMA. Which entrance tests scores are accepted for admission to various programs at BMA? What are the cut-offs needed to be secured in each of these tests in order to get a call for GD-PI screening?
The minimum eligibility criteria for applying to BMA is an undergraduate aggregate of 50 percentage or above from a UGC recognised institute. The cut-off scores for entrance scores in order to be called for GD-PI are as follows: CAT a 60 percentile, XAT a 70 percentile, MAT a 85 percentile. In the event of a student not securing the above scores, he or she will have to take the BMA Aptitude Test (BMAAT) which comprises of aptitude and English tests. The test will be of a duration of one hour and will be held on the day of GD-PI. The goal of the aptitude test is to examine the problem solving and general awareness capacity of students and the English test is to understand their language skills.
How many applications does BMA usually receive for each of the management programs? How many seats are available in the programs and what is the number of students called for the GD-PI screening?
BMA offers 50 seats in each specialisation and the institute usually receives approximately 5,000 applications. BMA follows a selection process such that all students who satisfy the minimum qualification of 50% aggregate score in their Bacheloras degree and have the requisite percentile in CAT / MAT / XAT / BMA-AT will attend the GD-PI screening.
Please elaborate on the batch profile of students at BMA as far as undergraduate background and work-experience is concerned.
B.Com, BBA and BBS students make up 32 percent of the batch at BMA. BSc graduates constitute 27 percent of the students here while BE, B.Tech and BCA students make up 22 percent of the batch. Arts graduates contribute to five percent of the student body here. One percent of the students here are post graduates and students from other undergraduate course make up the remaining 13 percent.
Freshers constitute 80 percent of the students here. The next highest percentage of students consists of students with one to five years of experience and this percentage is 15 percent. Students with one year or less and those with five or more years of work experience equally contribute to the remaining percentage of students.
Are there any changes planned in the near future for the management programs at BMA? What in your opinion are the changes required for BMA to gain further prominence as a b-school?
BMA is getting ready to launch the University of Aberdeen MBA programme from the UK. This programme will be niche and only 30 seats will be available. All teaching faculty will be flown in from UK. The programme will also have a stint at UK. (check this deal)
BMA is striving to provide the best of education at affordable prices. The immediate aim of BMA is to cater to the complete class of population without compromising on quality of the programmes. Our constant endeavour would be to improve on our deliverables constantly and to provide the best of choice and opportunities to our students.
What is the maximum, minimum and average salary secured by the last batch of MBA graduates from the institute?
The highest annual salary secured by a student in the class of 2008 was Rs. 13 lakhs. The average compensation figure is approximately Rs. 3.50 lakhs and the minimum salary was in the range of Rs. 2.70 lakhs.
How have placements at BMA been affected because of the economic slowdown? What changes have been observed as far as salaries are concerned?
The only difference has been that recruitment has reduced by a high percentage. All students eligible for placements have been placed as far as the latest batch of BMA is concerned. In general, salaries have reduced and deserving students have not been affected much by the slowdown. Organisations are keen on taking trained students with the right skill sets.
How does BMA compare with similar-league b-schools such as SDM Institute of Management Development (SDMIMD) Mysore, International School of Management Excellence (ISME) Bangalore, Indian Business Academy (IBA) Bangalore and Alliance Business Academy Bangalore? What are the differentiating qualities of BMA as a b-school?
BMAas differentiating factor is that it offers programmes from different Universities in India and abroad. All courses offered at BMA are directly certified by the parent University. Development of soft skills and etiquette are an integral part of the programme as organisations are more keen on recruiting fully trained candidates rather than to train students after recruitment.
How is life outside of academics for management students at BMA?
BMA stresses on overall development of students here. Sports including adventure sports, clubs, cultural events are regular events at BMA. Students can avail of a gymnasium, a multipurpose hall which is used for cultural events, a seminar hall, a movie hall along with other sports facilities available at the institute.