Choosing a business school: The yardstick of selection

College is a match to be made,not a prize to be won. Finding a good college for management studies requires time and thoughtfulness before making the final selection. One needs to analyse certain parameters such as unique pedagogy,updated curriculum,code of conduct,faculty,infrastructure,alumni and placements. Visiting the college website,learning about what events take place there,who visits as guest speakers,and how to get in touch with current students and faculty is a good way to supplement a campus visit.

Faculty and its quality has an enduring impact on the overall quality of the institute. No college can help in the all-round development and aptitude development of the students unless teachers and professors are experienced enough for teaching and possess the required qualifications. Highly qualified and experienced faculty with industry experience can be instrumental in imparting practical knowledge. The non-teaching staff also has a great role to play in the maintenance and regularising law and decorum in the college.

Placements play an important role in choosing a good B-school. While selecting,students should look for the companies that regularly visit the college campuses and inquire about the placement percentage of the college.

With a shift in the pedagogical approach,B-schools are designing courses that are in sync with the fast-changing needs and trends in the industry. Instead of laying emphasis on courses like strategic management,strategic marketing and strategic HR,curriculums are increasingly including courses like organisation of work and management of resources at the work site to enhance skill building and knowledge building of the students.

The biggest tangible evaluation one can draw about any B-school is by interacting with the product (alumni) that they have created. The alumnus of any institute will speak volumes about the performance of the college and the direction and change it has provided them. Asking the alumnus about the college is one of the major sources of information.

For many,perhaps the biggest factor in determining the choice is money. But it must be kept in mind that costs should not dictate your goals. If tuition is expensive,there are also options on financial aid. The real question is not how much a college costs,but how much one has to pay out of pocket after taking into account scholarships and financial aid.

In order to keep pace with dynamic corporate environment,location of an institute is also important. For instance,an institute located in the heart of a corporate area such as Gurgaon or Bangalore is,generally,in a better position to allow and facilitate adequate exposure to the industry as compared to institute that is not.

The author is president,International School of Business & Media,Pune

By Pramod Kumar