The XLRI-Xavier School of Management is one of the best management institutes in India. Getting an opportunity to study in this college is a dream come true for many. But selecting the right XLRI PGDM programme is a tricky choice for a candidate.
There are three specializations to choose from in the PGDM programme. Out of these three, the Business Management and Human Resource Management have a neck to neck competition when it comes to the preference of a candidate.
Both courses are famous, reputable and create a great career path for students. However, you can study only one of the programmes at XLRI. So how does a candidate decide between these two equally wonderful courses?
What is PGDM Business Management?
The PGDM (BM) programme of XLRI aims to skill future business managers/leaders by focusing equally on the functional business competence and self-awareness. It is regarded as an equivalent to the MBA degree programs offered by IIMs. The BM programme of XLRI is designed to give rigorous management-centric education like marketing, finance, etc.
Key focus areas of BM are Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Production, Operations and Decision Sciences and Strategic Management.
What is PGDM Human Resource Management?
As the name suggests, this course solely focuses on building skills of HR management. An XLRI HRM graduate is counted amongst the finest HR managers for their ability to recognize the potential of prospective employees of a company/organization in the era of Artificial Intelligence.
The HRM course of XLRI Jamshedpur is the oldest and finest programme in India focusing on human resources. The programme also focuses on developing strong basics of strategy, finance, marketing, IT and operations management.
Key focus areas of HRM include Human Resource Planning, Human Resource Information Systems, Selection, Performance Management, Training and Development, Compensation Administration and developing harmonious Employer-Employee relations.
Comparison: BM vs HRM
With regards to the placement offers, the class of 2019 received 358 domestic and international offers from 104 recruiters. With 100% placements, all the students of XLRI were placed within record-breaking 2 days.
| Factors | Business Management | Human Resource Management |
| Median XAT Percentile of Students | 99.58 | 98.68 |
| Gender Percentage (Male & Female) | 80% & 20% | 63% & 37% |
| Rankings | Best Programme in Asia-Pacific Region | |
| Major Recruiters | Asian Paints, Bharti Airtel, Britannia, Castrol, Coca Cola, Colgate –
Palmolive, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, GE, Godrej, Hero Motocorp, Hindustan Unilever, Indian Oil, ITC, Johnson & Johnson, Kelloggs, L’Oreal, Marico, Microland, Nestle, P&G, Pepsi, Reckitt Benckiser, Titan, Times Group, Whirlpool |
P&G, Mondelez, Nestle, RB, Colgate Palmolive, RPG, Accenture, ITC, Udaan, PhonePe, Reliance, Ola, Bajaj, Coca Cola, CISCO Mars, Aditya Birla Group, Amazon, Aon Hewitt, Asian
Paints, Cummins, Deloitte, Ernst and Young, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Ltd, HUL, IBM, ITC, Johnson and Johnson, KPMG, Korn Ferry, Lodha Group, Mercer, Microsoft, Pepsi, PWC, P&G, RPG, Standard Chartered, Texas Instruments |
The combined average salary offers stood at Rs. 22.35 lakhs per annum. The median salary offered remained at Rs. 21 lakhs per annum. The highest offer was from the BFSI sector with Rs. 50 lakhs per annum.
What are the students saying?
It was a tough call for the past graduates as well since both the courses are widely counted amongst the best management programmes in India.
Ayushi Gupta, a graduate of HRM from XLRI, remarks in her answer on Quora that it is undoubtedly a real brainer. As she is an HRM graduate, she is more inclined towards HRM, she remarks. However, she provides a valuable comparison between BM and HRM.
According to her, the Business Management programme helps the students to get one of the best placements in the fields of Finance and Marketing. The BM also gives the students the option to choose the specialization to pursue from after providing exposure to various key areas.
As for HRM, she says the course is the best of all HR management programmes in India. Hence, the faculty of HRM is also the best that one can get. The summer placements of HRM are best, Ayushi remarks. Apart from these, the structure of the curriculum is also rigorous and thorough that allow the students to learn every aspect related to the HRM.
Stay connected with fellow students on PaGaLGuY for XAT Exam Discussion
The Final Choice
Now that you have some idea about both courses, you should keep the following factors in your mind before deciding the best option for you.
- Analyse where your interest lies. If you are inclined towards Finance or Marketing, do not get confused between that and HRM. Read the course structure once again before selecting your area of interest.
- If you are unsure of your choice of specialization, you can opt for the BM course as it will later give you the option to select a specialization after you have explored different fields.
- Opt for HRM if you want to have a career related to this field. Be clear of your interests before opting for a course.
- As both programmes are amongst the best in India, you will get plenty of placement opportunities for both the courses.
Good luck!