Distance MBA vs Executive MBA

Are you a working professional looking to enhance your skills and attain success in your current career?

Are you looking to complete your leftover education with minimal time and resource investment? If you can relate to such situations, then the distance and executive MBAs are for you. An executive MBA is for you if you want a richer study and growth environment that includes interactions and active participation. You will become eligible to apply to managerial positions with just a year-long program and attain industry-accepted management skills.

In contrast, a distance MBA is for you if you wish to earn an extra degree without quitting your job and at a meagre cost. It is flexible, less rigorous, and allows you to associate yourself with a prestigious institution, like traditional MBA programs, without taking any competitive exam. Furthermore, distance MBAs are gaining massive popularity among working professionals as the companies themselves accept their credibility. It is more of a reason to go for a distance program.

What is a Distance MBA?

The distance MBA, as the name suggests, is a program that can be pursued by students from the comfort of their homes and that too without attending any classes. In a distance MBA course, students are provided with study material and assessment-based assignments via post or email, and they have to complete them and submit them in return. Professors hold no lectures, and there is minimal contact between faculty, students, and among students themselves.

However, the major boon of a distance education course is that you don't need the Internet or other resources to complete the degree. So, it can be an excellent option for students who wish to earn their degree while living in a far-fetched area. Since this course requires significantly less time investment, even the in-hand cost is meagre for signing up for it.

What is an Executive MBA?

In contrast to a distance MBA, an executive MBA is a full-time 1 year-long course generally for working professionals who wish to upgrade and improve their managerial skills and attain leadership positions within an organization.

Since the course's duration is less than the traditional MBAs, it costs less too but has stringent admission criteria such as at least 3 years of working experience. Generally, in an executive MBA, students are expected to attend classes, visit the campus, and interact substantially more with their peers than in a distance MBA.

Difference between Distance MBA and Executive MBA

Although distance and Executive MBAs have some utilities for different people, it is essential to understand their fundamental differences to make the right career choices. Some of the striking features that define both of these programs are given below for students; understanding:

Parameter	Executive MBA	Distance MBA
Basic Definition	As mentioned before, an executive MBA is a year-long program explicitly offered for working professionals who wish to move into more senior leadership positions from their present jobs.	A distance MBA program is an average PG degree that graduates can pursue from the comfort of their homes and with minimal interactions with faculty. It is almost similar to a traditional MBA in the curriculum offered.
Eligibility Criteria	Applicants must have a working experience of at least 2 years and should have secured more than 50% aggregate marks in their bachelor's degree exams.	Applicants are expected to have passed their graduation exams with at least 55% aggregate marks (in the case of technical courses) and 60% in the case of social science-based programs.
Duration of Program	1 year only	Complete 2 years
Other features, of course	Students must come to campus daily to attend the classes. No online material will be provided except on a few occasions.	Students can complete the course from the comfort of their homes by submitting the assignments on time. There will be no classes.
Interaction	If classes are attended daily, faculty and students have ample opportunities for interaction.	There is very minimal scope of interactions among students or between a student and faculty.
Cost of Pursuing the Program	Generally, an executive MBA is more expensive than a distance one but cheaper than a traditional one.	A distance MBA is the cheapest management program that a student can pursue.
Time and Resource Investment	Undoubtedly, there is more demand for time and resources to obtain a full-time executive degree.	Since no classes are not organized, and students can submit assignments and take tests from the comfort of their homes, significantly less resource investment is required.
Placement Assistance	Almost always, placement assistance is provided to students enrolled in the program.	Since there is very little interaction between students and the university, no placement assistance is provided except for a few online sessions.
Can you take up this course while doing your job?	No, this course is full-time, meaning you are expected to quit your job before enrolling in the program.	The whole point of distance programs is that students can pursue their jobs while studying for this degree.
Flexibility	There is generally significantly less flexibility in the executive MBA as the university already predicts everything.	In contrast, there is a lot of flexibility regarding duration, assignment submission, and curriculum.
Specializations offered	Since it's a more formal program, several specializations are offered to students enrolled.	The number and types of disciplines offered in a distance course can be equal to or less than an executive MBA.
Attendance	Generally, the criteria can vary depending on the institution, but at least 70% attendance is mandatory for students.	There is absolutely no attendance system in such programs.
Alumni Status	Students are granted alumni status and a certificate stating they completed a full-time college degree.	Students are also granted alumni status here, but the distance program term is mentioned in the degree certificate of students, as per the AICTE norms.
Entrance exams required	CAT/ XAT/ NMAT/MAT/ GMAT/ CMAT	Generally, no entrance exams are required except in some cases.
Do IIMs offer this program?	Yes, most of the IIMs offer this course	No, so far, none of the IIMs offers distance MBAs.
Future Career Prospects	Students can pursue further studies like Ph. D., take up jobs similar to their domain or start joint ventures.	Similar to that of executive MBA
Salary Offered	6 LPA-12 LPA	3 LPA- 8 LPA
Approvals By UGC and AICTE	Yes, the executive MBA's curriculum is recognized by these bodies.	Similar to that of executive MBA

Colleges Offering Distance MBA

Given the rising popularity of distance courses among students and working professionals alike, many universities in India and abroad have started offering distance MBAs. The essential characteristics of the program will remain the same, regardless of where it's being offered. However, some reputed institutions offer more perks than others, like placement assistance, occasional interactive sessions with faculty, etc.

Lastly, even earning a distance MBA degree, students are labelled as university alumni, allowing them to associate with prestigious institutes. Some of such universities are:

• Institute of Management Technology Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad
• Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Global Access School for Continuing Education
• Sikkim Manipal University, Directorate for Distance Education
• Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL)
• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
• Annamalai University
• Amity University
• Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management (WeSchool)
• Lovely Professional University
• Suresh Gyan Vihar University
• ICFAI University
• Pondicherry University
• MIT Pune School of Distance Education
• Jaipur National University
• University of Madras, Institute of Distance Education

Colleges Offering Executive MBA

The best point about taking up an executive MBA is that you can pursue this course from top IIMs. Moreover, those looking to excel in their career and attain more managerial and leadership positions should pursue an executive MBA. However, one drawback of this program is that universities expect students to quit their current jobs before joining it (in most cases), which might seem like a nervous decision for many people.

However, to deal with that, many institutes have now started offering part-time and weekend-only executive MBAs that allow people to take up this degree without giving up on their current jobs. Even the disciplines offered under this course are pretty generous and diverse to tend to students from various backgrounds.

Some of the top universities for a year-long Executive MBA are:

• Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
• Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
• Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
• Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
• Indian Institute of Management Lucknow
• Indian Institute of Management Indore
• Indian Institute of Management Udaipur
• IMI New Delhi
• IMT Ghaziabad
• XIM Bhubaneswar
• Indian Institute of Management Udaipur
• Great Lakes, Chennai
• Indian Institute of Management Indore
• SPJIMR Mumbai
• MDI Gurgaon XLRI Jamshedpur
• Master's Union
• Indian School of Business Hyderabad/ Mohali

Specializations Available in These MBA Programs

Disciplines in the Distance MBA

General Management Marketing Management Human Resources Management Finance Management Banking Retail Management Investment Management Logistics & Supply Chain Management Shipping & Port Management Tourism & Travel Management Education Management Safety Management Export & Import Management Event Management Oil and Gas Management

Disciplines Offered in the Executive MBA

EMBA Finance EMBA Information Technology EMBA Operations EMBA BUSINESS ANALYTICS EMBA Marketing EMBA Human Resource EMBA retail EMBA Entrepreneurship EMBA Healthcare and Hospital Management EMBA International Business

What to choose between Distance MBA and Executive MBA?

One can say that an executive or distance MBA depends on the student's needs and future goals. However, a general recommendation will be that if you want to have a more interactive and intense study environment while pursuing your degree or if you wish to wrap up your curriculum as soon as possible, then an executive MBA is an excellent choice for you.

On the other hand, if you are someone who already has a lot on their plate and wishes to continue doing your job while completing their education, then a distance MBA is for you. It requires less time and resource investment and allows you to complete your degree from home. Moreover, distance MBA and its related educational aspects are approved by both UGC and AICTE. Hence, after discussing with your mentors and colleagues, you may choose the program that suits you best.

Conclusion

To conclude, it can be stated that both programs, i.e. Executive MBA and Distance MBA, have pros and cons. It is upon students how they wish to utilize the benefits offered by these programs and choose the one that aligns the most with their career expectations and current situation. Also, it is essential to remember that the quality of the program and the further placement opportunities available after completing that course depend heavily on the status quo of the university offering that course. So, students are advised to consult thoroughly with their mentors or career coaches before choosing the right type of course.

From a cat's point of view, a distance MBA seems like a better course, but when it comes to connectivity, an executive MBA scores the point. But coming to the similarities, these programs are equally recognized by both UGC and AICTE, along with approvals from the industry. Rather than seeing this as an executive MBA vs Distance MBA, students can view it as one course, i.e. executive one is more suitable for those holding senior positions in firms. At the same time, anyone, in general, can pursue the other program. This chronological approach allows you to see and compare such MBA programs in a new light.