Curriculum & Learning

Programme Structure

The Post Graduate Programme in Business Management (PGPBM) curriculum is designed to provide both breadth and depth in management learning — combining strong academic foundations with practical application. It comprises three key components: Core Courses, Elective Courses, and the Capstone Industry Project.

• Core Courses: Offered during the first four terms, the core courses build a comprehensive foundation across all major management functions. These courses equip participants with the essential analytical frameworks, decision-making tools, and managerial perspectives required to lead effectively in complex business environments.
• Elective Courses: From Terms 5 to 7, participants customize their learning journey by choosing from a wide range of electives aligned with their professional interests and career goals. These courses deepen expertise and sharpen skills in advanced and emerging areas of management, enabling participants to enhance their leadership capabilities and domain knowledge.
• Capstone Industry Project: Undertaken alongside electives, the Capstone Industry Project serves as the culmination of the learning journey. Participants work on a significant business challenge within their organizations or across industries or work on a live case study, guided by a faculty mentor. The project integrates knowledge from multiple management disciplines and develops the ability to deliver solutions that are both practical and impactful.

CREDITS

Students enrolled in the PGPBM are required to complete a total of 87 credits, comprising 51 credits during the first four terms and 36 credits across Terms 5 to 7. The Institute uses the concept of "credit" to indicate the relative weightage of each course in the curriculum.

Courses are typically offered as one, 1.5, two, or three-credit courses, depending on the workload involved. As a general guideline, a three-credit course represents approximately 100 hours of total work, including both classroom learning and related academic activities such as preparation, assignments, and projects. Courses carrying one, 1.5, or two credits entail a proportionately lower workload.

CORE COURSES

ELECTIVE COURSES (TERMS V TO VII)

The following are list of select elective courses offered in recent years.

CAPSTONE INDUSTRY PROJECT

The Capstone Industry Project is a comprehensive academic component that marks the culmination of the PGPBM learning experience. Participants are expected to identify a challenging problem for study either within their own organizations or in the industry in which their organizations operate. The project requires an interdisciplinary approach, integrating knowledge and concepts from various management domains. It also encourages participants to relate their projects to contemporary organizational issues, thereby strengthening the connection between academic learning and professional application.

Each participant undertakes the project over a period of 12 weeks under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The completed project is evaluated by a panel constituted by the PGPBM Committee. A ‘Satisfactory’ rating in the evaluation is required for successful completion of the programme. Projects of exceptional quality, as identified by the Committee, are recognized with merit certificates.

Learning Goals

Building future-ready managers with leadership capabilities, ethical values, communication excellence, and decision-making competence through holistic management education.

 

Management Competency

• Displaying knowledge and understanding of all management disciplines

 

CRITICAL THINKING

• Demonstrating ability to identify the central issue in a decision-making situation, gather relevant information, question information and perform critical analysis to arrive at a solution.

 

STRATEGIC THINKING

• Developing insights to integrate multidisciplinary perspectives while analysing management situations, recognizing and accommodating interdependencies among multiple entities.

 

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

• Displaying knowledge of the skills required to lead and manage change in organizational contexts.

 

ETHICAL REASONING

• Grounding in the value-based analysis of ethical positions held by various stakeholders in the context of managerial decisions.

 

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Displaying effective oral and written communication.

 

COLLABORATIVE SKILLS

• Engaging effectively in groups comprising members from diverse backgrounds and interests to work towards a unified purpose

 

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

• Demonstrating ability to be creative, enterprising, and innovative in any organizational context.

Class Schedule

Classes are held every weekend on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

In the second year, depending on elective choices, sessions may also be scheduled in the mornings on weekends. Participants who have work commitments on Saturday mornings may opt out of morning electives and enroll only in electives scheduled in the afternoons or evenings (1:30 PM – 9:00 PM).

In addition to the weekend schedule, two dedicated immersion weeks are built into the programme to provide a taste of the full MBA experience beyond the weekend format.

Except for these immersion weeks, all other classes will be scheduled only on weekends at the Chennai Campus.