Top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India

Topic We Cover: Top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India

1. What is Distance MBA?
2. Types of Distance MBA Colleges in India
3. Key Benefits of Distance MBA
4. Distance MBA Eligibility Criteria
5. List of top 10 Distance MBA colleges in India

• Institute of Management Studies (IMT) Ghaziabad
• Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning (SCDL)
• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
• ICFAI University
• Sikkim Manipal University
• Annamalai University
• Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
• Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management
• Amity University
• Lovely Professional University

6. How Top Distance Education Universities in India fared
7. Distance MBA India Summary
8. Study Material provided in top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India

Before proceed towards the article for top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India, you must know why it is required and for whom? For this, you need to get answer of these questions from yourself, Are you a working professional who willing to pursue MBA degree without attending regular classes to take their career to the higher level because you’re doing a full time job? Or you’re a graduate who wants to join a job along with their higher studies. Or a housewife who wants to continue their study without attend the lectures?

A distance education MBA is perfect for those who are unable to attend the regular MBA classes but wants to enhance their career in the field of business management. As we all know that an MBA is the most claimed PG degree program in India. According to the stats, every year over 5,00,000 students complete an MBA degree program and this number and its popularity is increasing each passing year.

Doing MBA degree from a well-known institute/university can gives you several paths for your career. So, If you are puzzled, which university to join to pursue an MBA degree program? Or wants to know the top 10 distance MBA colleges in India then keep reading this article.

What is Distance MBA?

The foremost thing which every body needs to know before reading this article on top 10 distance MBA colleges in Inida is what is Distance MBA is all about.

Distance MBA course is a government recognized MBA programme which is flexible and conveniently affordable and the most important it doen’t require you to attend regular daily classes. So, if in case you are inadequate to pursue full time MBA due to lack of time or high cost of course, Distance MBA Education is a good option. The Top 10 Distance MBA colleges in India offer offline Correspondence MBA, Online MBA or an amalgamation of two in Distance Learning mode. University Grants Commission (UGC) has the official authority to regulate Distance MBA programme they work on the improvisation of the quality and better governanceof the Distance education in India.

Types of Distance MBA Colleges in India

In India there are six types of institutions which offer Distance education and Distance MBA in India and they are recognized by Ministry of HRD, Government of India:

1. National Open University or popular as IGNOU
2. State Open Universities
3. DEIs at Institutions of National Importance

- Central Universities

- State Universities

- Deemed to be Universities

- State Private Universities

4. DEIs at stand-alone Institutions

- Professional Associations

- Government Institutions

- Private institutions

Key Benefits of Distance MBA

Distance MBA Programs offers a lot of benefits and advantages for students and working professionals. Key benefits of top 10 Distance MBA colleges in India are: 

Effective Time Management:  Distance MBA gives the flexibility of time and pace over regular MBA. It is the best option for those who face time, money, and other constraints to do full time MBA.

Education technology: The ultimate merit of Distance MBA education is rise of communication and education technology and you can avail it direct from your home.

Cost effective Option: The fee structure of Distance MBA is very low which is the best part of this type of MBA which gives you approx cost from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakhs. On the other side, the cost of regular MBA is anywhere in between 5-15 Lakhs.

Industry relevant curriculum:  The top 10 distance MBA colleges in India offer an updated and industry relevant curriculum to the students.

Authorized by Regulatory Bodies: Distance MBA offered by recognized MBA colleges are approved by UGC’s Distance Education Bureau (DEB).

Distance MBA Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for Distance MBA for top 10 distance MBA colleges in India varies according to the institute and duration of the program. However, the Distance MBA Eligibility Criteria of 2 year programe are:

• Graduation from a recognized University
• A valid score in any of MBA entrance exam like State Level MBA/ MMS-CET/ MAT/ CMAT/ CAT/ ATMA/ XAT or equivalent management entrance test.
• Some of the reputed colleges also conduct their own entrance test if you don’t have any other national or state level test score
• Work Experience is preferred, but it is not an essential requirement

The popular specialization for Distance MBA approved by UGC or AICTE are:

• HR
• Finance
• IT
• Operations
• Marketing
• Executives
• Digital Marketing
• Tour and Travel
• Rural Management
• Retail Management
• International Business
• Hospital Administration
• Supply Chain Management
• Health Care Management
• Agri Business Management
• Environment Management
• Investment Management
• Shipping & Port Management
• Entrepreneurial Development and Management 

List of top 10 Distance MBA colleges in India

In this article we are going to mention the top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India that offer a distance education MBA or PGDM course.

(1) Institute of Management Studies (IMT) Ghaziabad

IMT which is known as Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad, it is one of the top business schools in India. IMT College offers distance education courses under its center for distance learning under the name IMT CDL.

An enormous range of distance learning courses offered by IMT CDL in the field of management and information technology. The University Grants Commission (UGC) recognize all the courses offered by IMT CDL. This institute offers a 2 year graduation progamme i.e. PGDM (MBA) in the field of management.

Along with 2 years program, you can also opt for the one year PG diploma in the field of business administration and a one year executive PGDM program which specializations in the field of Financial Management, Operations Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing Management, and Information Systems.

The hands of IMT is full with many awards for its distance learning management courses. Some of them are

• As per the survey organized by ZEE BUSINESS on INDIA'S BEST DISTANCE LEARNING B-SCHOOLS in the year 2012, IMT stands on No. 1 position.
• In 2016, IMT received the "Award for Excellence in Distance Education" by 24th Business School Affaire & Dewang Mehta National Education Awards.
• In 2016, IMT got the "CSR Top Distance Learning Institute of India Award" by Competition Success Review.
• In 2015, 8th ASSOCHAM Education Summit National Excellence Awards recognized IMT as 'Best Institute in Distance/Open Learning'. 

(2) Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning (SCDL)

A Pune based, one of the top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India is Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning (SCDL). It was established in 2001 and offers various PG Diploma, Certificate programs, and Diploma courses.  SCDL is also an another award winning and one of the largest autonomous distance learning institute in India.

SCDL’s offers a MBA programs of 2 years which is marked as one of the most popular management program in India. You can opt for specialization i.e CRM, HR, Finance, Marketing, Operations, and Management Accounting. You can also opt for Dual specialization program.

Symbiosis also offers 2 years PG diploma courses in the field of SCM, HRM, International Business, CRM, IT Management, Banking and Finance, Insurance Management, Retail Management, and Export and Import Management.

You must be a graduate from a recognised university to be a part of these courses of SCDL.

(3) Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)

This is the first and foremost name which comes in everybody’s mind whenever you think about distance learning and the name is IGNOU. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is one of the top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India and it is world’s largest university in terms of enrollment of number of students.

IGNOU offers numerous courses and MBA is one of them the min. duration of MBA program is 2.5 years. There is no age limit to join the course.

The eligibility criteria for IGNOU MBA programme is a candidate should completed their graduation with at least 50% marks for general category and 45% for reserved category and 3 years managerial/supervisory/professional experience.

The one who has professional degree with 50% marks can also join the programme. Only thing is you must pass the OPENMAT exam conducted by IGNOU.

IGNOU also offers a specialized MBA program in Banking & Finance. For this course the eigibility is a candidate should be a member of the Indian Institute of Bankers. Along with some special requirements to get admission in MBA Banking & Finance.

(4) ICFAI University

Another name in the top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India is ICFAI University. It is another prominent name in distance education. Since 3 decades, ICFAI is the name which is famous for its higher education and has won many awards for its quality of education.

In the field of Business Management, ICFAI offers various PG diploma courses, degree, and certificate programs.

The distance education offered by ICFAI is segregated into five modules. In which third module consists of electives. You need to opt one elective out of 16 electives available.

The electives specialisations for students are as follows.

• Marketing
• Finance
• Human Resource Management
• Strategic Finance
• Operations
• Risk Management
• Global Markets
• Retail Management
• Pharma Management
• Hospital Administration
• IT & Systems
• Innovation Management
• Healthcare Management
• Investment Management
• International Business
• Telecom Management

You can schedule your exam as per your convenience in ICFAI and the MBA program of ICFAI is completely based on self-study and examination model.

(5) Sikkim Manipal University

Sikkim Manipal University’s (SMU) is another well-known university which offer distance education MBA in India. SMU is stands among the top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India under the name SMU-DE.

The formation of this university was held in 2001 and now it is a leading provider of professional education in India.

The courses offered by SMU-DE for Distance education are as follows.

• MBA
• MCA
• BBA
• BCA
• B.Sc (IT)
• M.Sc (IT)

The minimum duration of distance education MBA programmes offered by SMU-DE is lie between 2 years and maximum is 4 years.

There are 4 specializations available to choose from, i.e

• Marketing Management
• Information Systems Management
• Human Resource Management
• Finance Management

The eligibility criteria for Sikkim Manipal University’s distance education program is you must have a graduation degree from a recognised university. You need to pass the entrance test conducted by the University for Admission.

(6) Annamalai University 

In the list of top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India, Annamalai University is one of the renowned name among universities in South India. This university offers over 500 various courses under its Directorate of Distance Education. The univ.  was established in the 1979.

Annamalai University offers general MBA and other specialized MBA programs under the distance education mode. The general MBA program is taught in English & Tamil Medium. On the other hand, all other MBA programs are available under English Medium only.

Following are the MBA courses offered by Annamalai University DDE :

• General MBA
• MBA E-Business
• MBA International Business
• MBA Human Resource Management
• MBA Marketing Management
• MBA Financial Management

You will get a admission in Annamalai Distance MBA programs only when you pass a written Entrance Examination conducted by the institute.

(7) Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies

In 1981, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) was established by Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal. Again another name in the list of top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India is NMIMS.

NMIMS offers various Diploma and Certificate program and PG Diploma in management under distance education mode and all the courses has been approved by the UGC Distance Education Bureau. The PGDM (MBA) offered by NMIMS Distance Education is one of the top ranked management program in India. Following are the NMIMS 2 years PG diploma courses under distance education mode.

• Business Management
• Financial Management
• International Trade Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Human Resource Management
• Banking and Finance Management
• Marketing Management

The application of willing candidates accepted by NMIMS throughout the year for the two batches i.e

• Spring Batch –Register between 11th Sep and 10th March
• Fall Batch – Register between 11th Mar and 10th September

You must have minimum 50% marks from any recognised institute in graduation to get the admission in NMIMS..

Apart from being one of the top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India, NMIMS has won many awards for its contribution to distance education in India. Some of them are –

• As per the Zee Business, NMIMS is ranked 2nd among the top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India.
• According to the DNA-Indus learning survey, it is ranked 5th among the top B-Schools offering distance education in India.
• On the basis of Competition Success Review, it is ranked as top distance learning institute in India for excellence in management education.

(8) Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management

Welingkar Institute of Management Development or we can say (WeSchool) is another top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India. In the year 1977 this institute was established which offers full time regular courses as well as Distance programmes i.e. PG diploma in management, diploma & certification courses though hybrid learning format. The Universtiy Grants Commission (UGC-DEB ) accredited all the distance learning courses.

The PGDM course offers by the instiute is available in various specializations includes:

• Marketing Management
• Finance Management
• Human Resource Management
• Retail Management
• Operations Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Business Administration
• E-Business
• Banking, Investment & Insurance
• International Business
• Rural and Agribusiness
• Hospitality Management
• Healthcare Management
• Media and Advertising
• Services Excellence
• Travel and Tourism
• IT Projects Management
• E-Commerce

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(9) Amity University

Amity is one of the highly popular and one of the top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India with over 100000 students. Amity also has several branches across the country. The distance education MBA course offered by Amity is a top ranked mgmt. degree course in India. This two year program offered in  11 different specialization areas. This 2 year MBA program is an online course which is join by anyone who have secured at least 40% in graduation.

The following eleven specializations offered by Amity University are as follows:

• Finance & Accounting
• Marketing & Sales
• Entrepreneurship & Leadership
• Operations Management
• Human Resource Management
• Information Technology
• International Business
• Hospitality Management
• Petroleum & Natural Gas Management
• Insurance Management
• Retail Management 

(10) Lovely Professional University

Lovely Professional University or we can say LPU is stands among the top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India. The USP of this university is its quality education forr which the university also won several awards. LPU is located in Punjab offers both degree and diploma programmes in both regular and distance education.

Another striking feature of the LPU is its fee structure for Distance MBA programme is quite affordable. The duration to complete the programme in LPU is min. 2 years and the max. is 5 years. If you have a bachelors degree from a recognised university then you will be eligible for the programme. The university offers seven specializations ii.e.

• Marketing
• Finance
• Information Technology
• Human Resource Management
• Operations Management
• International Business
• Retail Management

How Top Distance Education Universities in India fared

 Distance MBA India Summary

Let’s have a look to all the information about the top 10 distance education MBA colleges in India i.e Ranking, Name of the institute, Eligibility Criteria, Entrance Test, and Fee in the table below. 

Study Material provided in top 10 Distance MBA Colleges in India

Usually, the study material provided to students through manually or online mode and assignments provided to studens need to be submitted within a specified time period. This is followed by semester-wise, bi-annually or annual exams.

“Distance-learning business education is a resounding success story. In America, specialist universities, such as the University of Phoenix, have hundreds of thousands of postgraduate business students enrolled. In India the total is probably in the millions,” states a leading world magazine Economists.

Have a look at some of the leading management institutes offering distance mode MBA.

So these are the best universities in India for distance education MBA. We hope the information mentioned in this article must be helpful for you. In case of any query, feel free to contact us using the contact form available on our website.

These universities have their information centers across India including Uttrakhand, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Mizoram, Nagaland, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand,.

The information centers are located in the following popular cities:  Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Dehradun, Ahmedabad, Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Cochin, Calicut, Ernakulam, Faridabad, Guwahati, Gurgaon, Gorakhpur, Indore, Noida, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Jamshedpur, Jodhpur, Rajkot, Kanpur, Lucknow, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Raipur, Thane, Udaipur, Goa, Varanasi, Vadodara, Vizag, Greater Noida, Bareilly, Moradabad.?