Department of Management, The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru

Overview

The Department of Management, The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru, offers its flagship MBA degree program affiliated to the Visvesvaraya Technology University (VTU), Belgaum. It was started in 2001, and has a sanctioned intake of 120 students per batch. The duration of the course is 4 semesters. The Department is known for its academic rigor, with 19 students obtaining ranks in the top 10 across the entire VTU in the 22 years since its inception. More than 40 students have presented papers at industry and research conferences, primarily in Bengaluru, with four journal paper publications. 

MBA students of The Oxford College of Engineering have consistently performed well in placements. During the most recent season, over 45 students were placed through on campus interviews, with the highest package of INR 4.8 LPA. Some of the prominent recruiters were HDFC Bank, PayTM, IndusInd Bank, Growth Arrow, and ICICI Bank. There is a strong pre-placement training program organized by the Department of Corporate Relations; this runs throughout the second year of study, and includes modules on soft skills and domain-specific (e.g. Marketing, Finance, Human Resources) knowledge.

Student Life in the Department is enriched by the presence of several clubs, including the Finance, Case Study, Marketing, and HR Associations. Most sessions involve presentations within the clubs, though there are also expert lectures and workshops. There are three hostels on campus, and most outstation (including international) students stay in them.

Highlights

Fees

The annual tuition fee for MBA students of The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru, is INR 1.2 Lakh. In addition, final year students must pay a placement fee, and first year students must pay registration fees and a security deposit.

Students who opt to stay in the hostel (30 out of 159 MBA candidates are from outside Karnataka) must also budget for hostel and mess fees. All students must pay for academic infrastructure (laptops and textbooks).

Admissions

The eligibility criteria for admission to the MBA program at The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru, are as follows:

• The applicant must have completed at least a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from any recognized University in India or abroad, with a minimum duration of three years.
• The overall aggregate of all courses taken throughout the UG degree program should be at least 50% (or 45% for SC/ST and Karnataka Category I candidates).
• The candidate must appear for and secure a valid rank in any one of four approved MBA aptitude entrance examinations: Karnataka PGCET, KMAT, CAT, or MAT.

After candidates are shortlisted based on the three criteria above, they must take part in the following rounds of selection:

• Written Test: This is organized by the Department of Management, and tests the candidate’s skill in three dimensions: English fluency, reasoning ability, and business management aptitude.
• Group Discussion: Candidates who surpass the minimum required performance in the Written Test will be invited to appear for the GD round, along with other applicants.
• Personal Interview: The final round of selection (PI) is held with Professors of the Department, and successful candidates will be offered provisional admission to the MBA program.

Placements

The Department of Management has a constant record of placement excellence, with 46 total students receiving a job offer in the most recent placement season.  14 different companies participated in the process, with all the major sectors represented:

• Banks: HDFC, ICICI, IDFC.
• E-Commerce portals: PayTM, NoBroker.
• Business Majors: Impact Guru, Growth Arrow, Square Yards.

The highest offer was INR 4.8 LPA, offered by NoBroker, with 10 students receiving offers worth more than INR 4 LPA. There was significant growth over the previous year, with 14 more students (46 v/s 32) receiving job offers.

The robust placement record is largely due to the College’s policy of frequent industry interaction events, similar to those in the top MBA colleges in India. In addition to field visits to industrial majors like the Stock Market Institute, Bengaluru, there are also frequent seminars held by alumni and successful business leaders, so that students can have their questions about professional careers answered in real time. The Department of Corporate Relations, Oxford College of Engineering, ensures that training sessions are held during the third semester for all MBA students; they concentrate on soft skills, and subject specific training during the fourth semester - with different sessions for each specialization e.g. Recruitment Life Cycle and Employee Relations for students in the Human Resources stream.

The Entrepreneurship Development Cell is responsible for providing infrastructure to support the career aspirations of students who wish to start their own businesses. It organizes frequent events like Digital Marketing Consultant seminars and quizzes to spread awareness.

Cut-Offs

The cut-offs for the various sections of the admission process to the MBA program at The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru, are as follows:

• Undergraduate degree performance: The minimum aggregate across all the years of UG study must be 50%; this is relaxed to 45% for reserved category candidates.
• Entrance test: There is no KMAT / PGCET / CAT / MAT cut-off score or rank prescribed for admission. However, a higher score will increase the probability of being shortlisted.
• Written test, GD, and PI: These rounds are held by the College, and successful candidates in each round are invited to the next. The criteria for selection are confidential.

Faculty & Alumni

The Department of Management, The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru, is home to 14 highly qualified Faculty Members. Out of these, three are Full Professors, two are Associate Professors, and the rest are Assistant Professors. 50% of all the Faculty Members hold PhD degrees, and all of them are MBA graduates. Three Professors have at least 20 years of teaching experience, in addition to extensive industry and research experience. The Research Center of the University hosts PhD students in Management, who create theses on subjects of current importance like Talent Retention by local Startups.

The Department of Management organizes annual Alumni Meets. The purpose of these events are threefold: to enable interaction among alumni for networking purposes, to build a bridge between current students and alumni for professional purposes, and to enable training through sharing of experiences between students and graduates. The event is held in both virtual and in person modes. Several alumni also work in companies that visit the campus for final placements, and this is another contributor to the high percentage of students who receive at least one job offer - a trend seen in the best MBA colleges in India.

Scholarships

The primary source of financial aid for MBA students of The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru, is through State and Central Government Scholarships. As per the latest data provided by the Department to NIRF in 2023, 21 students (out of 159, or 13%) of MBA students in both batches received full tuition fee waivers from either the Government of Karnataka or India, and therefore only had to pay hostel fees.

Preparation & FAQs

There are two main preparation focus areas for students who wish to study MBA at The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru. First, the applicant must prepare for a national or state level MBA aptitude test via online or offline classes, taking care to attempt 5-10 mock tests and sample papers. This preparation will also be used for the Written Test conducted by the Department. Second, the candidate must prepare for the GD and PI rounds; these rely heavily on soft skills and English communication ability, as well as testing listening and reasoning skills.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the best Business School in Bengaluru?

The Department of Management at The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru, is among the top 20 best Private Business Schools in Bengaluru, and is ranked #115 in India in the IIRF Rankings of best MBA colleges in India. Therefore, it is among the top MBA Colleges in Karnataka.

Q. What is the average salary of MBA graduates from The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru?

According to the latest data provided by the Department of Management to NIRF in 2023, the median salary in the latest year for which data is available (placement season of 2021-22) was INR 4.2 Lakh.

Q. What are the main industry relevant elective courses in the MBA program at the Oxford College of Engineering?

During their second year, MBA students of Oxford College of Engineering can take up several industry relevant electives like Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship, Digital Marketing Management, International Human Resource Management, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.

Q. What practical knowledge is imparted to MBA students of The Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru?

In the classroom, all MBA courses in the Department utilize the case study method, ensuring that students appreciate the practical applications of the principles learned. In addition, students must complete at least one internship during their course. This must last ten weeks, and is known as the Corporate Exposure & Learning (CEL) module.