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- IIMs are debating whether to name their degrees Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Master in Management (MIM).
- IIMs wish to maintain uniformity in nomenclature to ensure brand and prestige attached to it is not compromised.
Now that the IIMs have the power to award degrees instead of a diploma, they are facing a dilemma with regards the nomenclature that shall be used in the degrees for their graduate students. The prime confusion is whether to name it Master in Management (MIM) or what is more popular i.e. Master of Business Administration (MBA).
At the IIM Directors Meet last month which included the heads of 20 IIMs, the issue was taken up and debated upon in order to take a final call on whether the graduating students of 2018 should be awarded a PGDM or a degree. In fact, IIM Lucknow even sought MHRD's intervention and clarification in this regard. Further, the sources suggest that all IIM Colleges in India except IIM Indore are in favour of maintaining a status quo this year.
Also Read: One-Year Executive Programme at IIMs may be Converted to a Two-Year Course
The only concern here is that the quality and brand of IIMs shall be maintained and not compromised. It is only possible when all IIMs agree on a common nomenclature and not go as they will. Discussions and debates on this topic are still underway and no final decision has yet been taken.
If we go by global nomenclature norms, there is a big difference between MBA and MIM. While MBA is attributed to having sufficient work experience before pursuing a management course, MIM, on the other hand, grants admissions to even those candidates who do not have full-fledged work experience. MIM is more popular in Europe in b-schools like London Business School, ESCP Europe, HEC Paris etc.
Also Read: Confusion Over IIM Act: Most IIMs to Award Diplomas
UGC Accepted Degree Nomenclature:
- According to the list of approved degrees as per Section 22 of UGC Act, 1956, MIM doesn't feature in that list.
- The degree names - MBA and MMS (Masters in Management Studies) - are the only ones which are approved with respect to the two-year management courses that are offered at higher education institutes.
IIMs are now considered as 'Institutes of National Importance' and have the power to grant degrees to students.
