Final year students can also take CAT

I am pursuing my B.Tech in Biotechnology. I am in the final year. Am I eligible to take CAT this year?

The eligibility criterion for CAT is graduation, though final year students of various bachelor's degree courses can also take the test. However, you will be admitted into the course, only if you clear your graduation with at least 50 per cent marks and fair well in the different stages of selection process of the specific institute.

Along with IIMs, there are several other institutes that require CAT score for admission into their MBA/ PG Diploma programmes in Management. You have to apply to them separately. Getting a good CAT score is only the first successful step towards securing a seat in a good B-school.

A typical selection process includes group discussion and personal interview also.

Some institutes consider marks obtained in the qualifying examination and work experience also as assessment factors.

So you have to keep all these in mind during your preparation for the exam.

Also give a thought to what specialisation you would like to go in for. Though you are eligible for all the common specialisations like HR, finance, marketing or IT, coming as you do from a biotechnology background, you have the option to take up MBA in Biotechnology. The following are some institutes offering the course:

Amity Institute of Biotechnology, New Delhi offers MBA Biotechnology. The eligibility criterion is graduation in Life sciences with minimum 50 per cent marks. For details, log on to www.amity.edu

The Department of Management Science of the University of Pune, Pune (www.pumba.in) also offers this course.

The eligibility criterion is Bachelor's or Master's degrees (in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Botany, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Marine Biology, Microbiology, Zoology). The admission is based on score attained in AIMS Test for Management Admission conducted by Association of Indian Management Schools. For details about the same, log on to www.atma-aims.org. The candidates selected through the test are also assessed at group discussion and personal interview.

I have done my B.Tech in Computer Science and now working as a senior network engineer. I have seven years of work experience. Now I want to study further and do an MBA. Can you give me any suggestions as to what course and institute should I opt for?

As you have seven years of work experience you must have a fairly good idea as to what kind of career you want to pursue in future. An MBA degree qualifies you to assume higher and more managerial roles in an organisation. If you do well in your MBA and learn all that the course has to offer you, you can succeed easily in any new role and grow quickly in your career.

With your kind of work experience, you are eligible to take up either a full time MBA or an executive MBA. You can purse the course either full-time, part-time or in distance mode.

Make a choice based on your requirements and convenience. Personally, I feel that you should go in for an Executive MBA from a good institute as you already have the requisite work experience.

The following are some of the courses you can consider:

Osmania University, Hyderabad offers MBA in Technology Management. For details log on to www.osmania.ac.in

Symbiosis Centre of Information Technology, Pune offers MBA in IT Business Management. The eligibility criterion is graduation. The admission is based on performance test, and interview. For details, log on to www.scit.edu

Anna University, Centre for Distance Education, Chennai offers MBA with Technology Management as specialisation, in distance mode.

The eligibility criterion is graduation in any discipline. The admission is based on performance in the entrance test. For details, log on to www.annauniv.edu/cde/

Alagappa University, Directorate of Distance Education, Karaikudi offers MBA in Project Management. The eligibility criterion is graduation in any discipline. For details, log on to www.alagappauniversity.ac.in. Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai offers Executive MBA. The eligibility criteria are graduation in any discipline with at least 50 per cent marks and minimum three years work experience in an Executive capacity, post graduation. The admission is based on personal interview and group discussion. For details, log on to www.nmims.edu

Some more institutes offering Executive MBA (or equivalent programmes) are SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai (www.spjimr.org), Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad (www.imt.edu) and Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad (www.ipeindia.org).

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