Accreditation in selecting right B-School, how important is it?

Studying a management programme requires a lot of investment in terms of time and financial resources. According to some recent reports, there are over 6500 management institutions in India providing management degrees and diplomas, out which around 1200 are government run institutions and rest are managed by the private players.

Some private institutions offer university affiliated management degree programs, while others offer autonomous Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) approved by regulator of technical education in India, AICTE. Before the enactment of the IIM Bill- 2017, all the IIMs and India's top private B-Schools were offering the coveted PGDM programme.

After the Bill which confers on the IIMs the power of grant degrees, PGDM offered by premier private B-Schools still remain one of the most sought-after programme by the aspiring managers of the nation as well the recruiting corporates and startups. Given the wide-ranging offerings of the PGDM programme where some premier B-Schools emulate the MBA degrees offered by the well-established IIMs, while many others struggling to survive, selecting the right B-School is a complex and challenging task for the aspiring candidates.

Accreditation by the reputed national and international bodies ensure that curriculum of the programme is relevant in the current business scenario, adoption of innovative pedagogy, high quality research and knowledge creation by the faculty, availability of highest quality of academic resources, and corporate ready graduates.

Factors for choosing the right B-School

Understand requirements

Establishing your goals is the first and most important step before looking for the finest institutions in India to study programs in management courses. It will, however, assist students in charting a professional route and selecting a specialty. Marketing, Finance, Business Analytics, Digital Media, and more specialties are available in the PGDM programme. Selecting the proper business schools in India that are well-known for their specialties will be aided by determining the right career path and motivation to pursue the degree.

Curriculum offered

A majority of students apply to institutions depending on the curriculum they offer. The course's content and pedagogical flexibility are other important considerations when choosing a b-school. Choose an institution with a curriculum that provides in-depth knowledge of the field of study and hands-on experience. Experimentation and creativity should be encouraged in the classroom. College should give an understanding of industry expectations, changes in the business environment, and teamwork.

Placements

Placements are not the only factor that determines the effectiveness of a college, but they are one of the most important factors to consider. Most of the reputed B-schools in India provide placement assistance to their students. Know the names of organizations that visit the college campus for placements every year. You should choose a college that has ties to major industry organizations in India and abroad.

Examine the accreditation

Accreditation plays a crucial role in choosing the right management college. It provides information on education quality, credit transfer and student employability. Choose an accredited institution to guarantee that the college follows best practices in curriculum creation and infrastructure maintenance, allowing students to get good knowledge in their field of expertise. Furthermore, employers exhibit a strong desire to hire individuals from approved universities.

Understand the concept of accreditation

Accreditation is a process that evaluates a school's academic offerings and demonstrates a school's commitment as well as integrity in delivering cutting-edge education to its students. Management schools have a significant market share in the educational industry to meet the expanding criteria. Educational institutions must keep up with current industry trends in order to be recognised as the era develops toward the acceptance of new abilities. As a consequence, accreditation comes into play!

The advantages of different types of B-School accreditation

Accreditation is the voluntary assessment of higher education institutions by the members of accrediting bodies in order to maintain high educational standards. Accreditors focus on areas such as curriculum, faculty credentials, and various other student services, such as a school's ability to build cohorts of constructive classmates, support international students, and assist in career development.

Accreditation promptly helps the educational institute to achieve the parameters by assessing the credibility and knowledge level of scholars and helps win the trust of students. It also facilitates research publications and the introduction of new courses, and the school is able to attract good faculty as well. It helps the possibility of fostering teaching, research, institutional development, and knowledge sharing.

Summing up!

The educational field is more dynamic and evolving with fast-paced life. Despite the notion, there are plethora of educational institutes that take pride in their professionalism and their high-quality offerings by setting benchmarks in management studies and being accredited with such recognition.

(The author is the Dean (Academic Services) FORE School of Management, New Delhi)