As you may already know, the MBA is a professional course for management studies. With the help of the course, the students and working individuals can grow and achieve new academic heights. An MBA from the best MBA colleges in India is one of the best ways to gain knowledge of different sections of a company as well as step-up financially. But did you know, that apart from applying for a regular MBA session, you can also enroll for a distance MBA. 

What is a Distance MBA?

Just like any distance course, the distance MBA is a course that you apply for if you do not or can not attend the regular college classes. Professionals or individuals with regular jobs seek this course to gain knowledge related to the domain without having to quit the job. Additionally, other candidates who only want a degree in MBA can also apply for the same. 

Just because the course does not require regular physical attendance from the students, does not mean that the distance MBA education or online MBA programs are in any way incompetent. Just like regular students, the aspirants of this course have to study for the semesters and prepare for the same. The only privilege that such students get is that there are no physical classes for them. 

The distance MBA course is completely legal and registered by the governing authorities. The University of Grant Commission or UGC certifies certain universities and colleges to offer distance learning options to their students. You will find thousands of such colleges in India that provide distance learning for this professional course. 

Some colleges and universities also provide a blend of online MBA programs and MBA distance education. Under this, the aspirants get online classes regularly. They can watch these classes according to the flexibility of their schedule. Hence, with this type of course, you gain the required knowledge as well as prepare for the exams accordingly. This course gained a lot of popularity right from the pandemic. 

What are the Types of Distance MBA Courses? 

Just like regular MBA courses, distance MBA courses have certain types as well. You have the freedom to apply for the MBA distance education under any of these. These types are as follows: 

• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Distance Learning 
• State Open Universities Distance Learning Programs
• Certified Distance Education Institutions (DEI) [Includes Central & States Universities as well as Deemed to be and Private Universities]
• Stand-alone DEIs Distance MBA Programs [Private & Government institutions as well as Professional Associations]

What are the Eligibility Criteria for Distance/Online MBA? 

Just like the regular MBA course, the distance learning MBA program also has certain eligibility criteria. If you want to pursue a distance learning professional MBA course, you need to be qualified under these: 

• You should have a Bachelor’s degree in any domain from a recognized and registered university. 
• You should have obtained the minimum percentile or score as asked by the distance MBA colleges in entrance exams like CAT, XAT, CMAT, SNAP, or any other as asked by the same institution. 
• If the institute organizes its aptitude tests, you need to clear those too. 
• Students with work experience are also preferred over the non-experienced ones. 

What are the Main Advantages of a Distance MBA COurse? 

For some aspirants, the distance learning MBA has certain advantages over the regular ones. These advantages are as follows: 

• As the course provides time flexibility to the students, they can focus on their jobs and other activities. 
• As the fees of the regular MBA courses are quite high, it's better to opt for online MBA programs to avoid the financial burden. 
• The course allows you to gain management knowledge without leaving your hometown.
• You can also choose the MBA specialization as per your requirements. 
• As the course is approved by different governing authorities, there is always a sense of security. 

Fees of Distance MBA Programs

Just like the regular MBA programs, the fees of this course depend upon the prestige of the distance MBA colleges. When you opt for a reputed college for the course, the fees are supposed to go higher. Moreover, the fees of government institutions are lower than that of private institutions. If talking in general, the fees of these courses start from as low as Rs. 35k per annum and go as high as Rs. 1.5 lacs per annum. 

How to Select the Best MBA Distance Education Colleges/Universities? 

There is no defined technique for how to select the best distance MBA college. Everything depends upon the type of services you want to suppose from the institution. This decision to select the perfect college can be distributed into two parts. Education and Placements. 

Placement from Distance MBA Colleges

The first thing you should look for is placement. After all, it's all about getting paid well in the end. So you should opt for a college that provides the best placement services to the students. For this task, distance learning colleges like Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning (SCDL) are the best. Check the list of past recruiters and companies that attended the placement program of the college for better knowledge. 

Level of Education

If you wish to seek a college that offers online MBA programs, then you should research the educational services provided by the same. This helps in deciding what kind and level of education you will be getting from the educators. The knowledge of management is the key to getting better placements through the colleges. For this task, you can also try to contact the past or existing distance learning students of the college if possible. 

What are the Specializations Under the Distance MBA Learning?

Different colleges, universities, and institutes offer different specializations under their distance MBA programs. However, the most common specializations under the same are: 

• Supply Chain Management
• Information Technology
• Finance Management
• Operations Management
• Media Management
• Human Resources Management
• Marketing Management
• Project Management
• Hospital Management
• International Business Management
• Entrepreneurship Management
• Digital Marketing
• Retail Management
• Business Analytics and many more.