Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Overview

The Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), is home to India’s 36th ranked Business School, according to the IIRF 2024 rankings. The Faculty offers no undergraduate programs, 4 postgraduate programs, and is also home to a varying number of PhD students. Half the PG students (60 in each batch) are enrolled in the General MBA degree program, which has four specializations (Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, and Operations & Information Technology). The other three programs, with an annual intake of 20 students each, are the MBA (International Business), MBA (Hospital Administration), and MBA (Islamic Banking & Finance). All four programs are designed to be completed in two years (four semesters).

The Training & Placement Office organizes recruitment visits by companies over several weeks starting in December every year. In the latest placement season (for the batch of 2023), two students achieved the highest salary package offered (INR 14 LPA), offered by Unthinkable Solutions. Other prominent recruiters on campus include Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, and American Express.

Student Life at the Faculty of Management Studies & Research, AMU, is vibrant, with all members of the community encouraged to take part in sports and extracurricular activities. Students of the Faculty have earned awards in various intercollegiate and national competitions, including the Uttar Pradesh State Table Tennis Championships, Weightlifting competitions, Startup Pitch Contests, Business Quizzes, and short story writing competitions. Sports and cultural activities have robust supporting infrastructure in the form of the facilities available to the entire University: grounds, halls, and practice rooms.

Highlights

Fees

The academic cost of an MBA degree at Aligarh Muslim University is much lower than that in other public or private Institutions of Higher Education, even though it is one of the best MBA colleges in India. The tuition and hostel fees per semester for different categories of students for the General MBA program are as follows:

• Male + Day Scholar: INR 19,290.
• Male + Hostel Resident: INR 21,440.
• Female + Day Scholar: INR 18,490.
• Female + Hostel Resident: INR 20,640.

In addition, MBA students who earlier completed their Undergraduate studies from AMU (internal candidates) pay fees that are lower by 10% on average. The fees for the other three MBA courses (International Business, Hospital Administration, and Islamic Banking) are very similar to those for the General MBA course.

In addition, students must also budget for mess fees, cost of academic infrastructure, and shopping for personal items.

Admissions

The eligibility criteria for the four PG programs offered by the Faculty of Management Studies & Research, AMU, are as follows:

• General MBA: Candidates must have a BA / BSc / BTech program from any University recognized by AMU. The overall aggregate during the applicant’s undergraduate studies must exceed 50%. The qualifying Bachelor’s degree must have a minimum duration of three years.
• MBA (International Business): The criteria are similar to those for the General MBA, but an additional Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) round are mandatory.
• MBA (Hospital Administration) and MBA (Islamic Banking & Finance): The criteria are similar to those for the General MBA program.

The application procedure to any of the MBA programs at Aligarh Muslim University is as follows:

• Account Creation: In early 2024, candidates will be able to create an account on the  website of the AMU Controller of Examinations.
• Registration: On the AMU MBA Entrance Test 2024 website, candidates can enter their details and upload all the documents required. Only soft copies are accepted, and school certificates must be stamped by the issuing Board.
• Biometric and Personal Data: Three main personal details must be uploaded to the AMU MBA Entrance Test server: a passport size picture scan of the candidate, the latest signature, and a left hand thumbprint, carefully and clearly photographed.
• Application Form Submission: Once all the personal and academic details are entered accurately, the form can be submitted.
• Payment of Application Fees: For the candidacy to be considered, registration fees must be submitted at the same time as the application is uploaded. In case the application is being submitted a few days after the due date, a late fee of INR 1,000 is payable.
• Admit Card: One or two weeks before the test date of AMU MBA Entrance Test 2024 (in early May 2024), candidates can collect their admit cards either from the test venue or certain authorized AMU outlets, depending on the city.

After the examination, students must appear for the Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds at the AMU campus. After successfully completing the final selection rounds, candidates who receive an offer of admission can pay the first semester’s tuition fees and complete the academic registration process.

Placements

In addition to ongoing skill enhancement talks and workshops organized throughout the year by the AMU Training & Placement Cell, in collaboration with alumni and industry leaders, additional training events are held just before the start of the placement season. For example, in late December, prior to the start of the recruitment cycle for the batch of 2023, a Personality Development Workshop was held by an Industry Expert, in addition to helpful tips on how to perform better and prepare effectively for job interviews. Mock interviews and assessment test preparation tips are also made available to students ahead of the placement season, as befits one of the best MBA colleges in India.

The AMU MBA Placement Schedule is spread over several weeks starting in December every year, numbered 1.0, 2.0, and so on. Within each placement week, the initial phase is taken up by pre-placement talks hosted by the companies participating in the drive, followed by an assessment round and the shortlist announcement. Shortlisted candidates are then invited to take part in the final Personal Interview rounds, and the best candidates are offered full time jobs. During the latest placement season, the highest package of INR 14 LPA was offered to two candidates from the General MBA stream, by Unthinkable Solutions.

A list of prominent recruiters on campus, and their associated industry sectors, is as follows:

• Major banks in India: Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Allahabad Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank.
• Large Industries: Berger Paints, American Express, ITC Limited.
• Prominent Ed-Tech Startups: Byju’s, Jaro Education.
• Management and IT Consulting Firms: InfoGlen, Acxiom Consulting.

Cut-Offs

There are no predetermined cut-off marks for students appearing for the AMU MBA entrance test; the final cut-off is determined only after the process, when the top students in the merit list are invited to take part in the GD and PI rounds. Therefore, the total score of the last student shortlisted after the examination can be treated as the cut-off. However, the scores of the GD and PI rounds are not made public, and the final list of selected candidates does not have a cut-off associated with it. During the eligibility phase, the cut-off UG aggregate performance is 50% (across all the years of the Bachelor’s degree).

Faculty & Alumni

There are 20 teaching members at the Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. 60% of them are full Professors, much higher than the average for other top Business Schools in India. There are 3 Associate Professors, and 5 Assistant Professors. Most Faculty members hold PhD degrees, and they specialize in different fields of Business Management like Finance, Accounting, Marketing, International Business, Operations, and Human Resources. They also supervise the work of PhD students, and the most senior Professors have almost 40 years of industry or teaching experience.

Distinguished alumni of the Faculty have achieved success in multiple fields, including:

• C-Suite members and Directors: ITC, Britannia, Max Healthcare, Sterlite Power, HUDCO, Novartis, and Reliance Jio.
• Senior Bureaucrats: IAS / IPS Officers and Chief Election Officers.
• Academic and Research Leaders: Deans and Directors of prestigious Business Schools like TAPMI and IILM.
• Business Leaders and CEOs: Fortis Healthcare, Drive Dentsu.

ALIG Connect is an online platform that allows the alumni of Aligarh Muslim University to connect with each other and to their alma mater; it enables discovery of job opportunities, professional networking, and volunteering for workshops on campus to train current students.

Scholarships

The Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University, offers several types of scholarships to its students:

1. Private Trust Scholarships: These are typically foundations or trusts that are closely linked to the University. For example, the Saifi Trust Scholarships are awarded to meritorious students on an annual basis. The Bharat Sewa Trust Scholarships are another prominent example.

2. Donor Scholarships: These are gathered from donations made by alumni and members of the public. They are used for merit based scholarships and need based tuition assistance.

3. Government Scholarship: For example, the UP State Scholarship is awarded to students based on both merit and family income.

4. International Scholarships: Friendly Governments collaborate with AMU to fund eligible students for their PG studies; for example, the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Preparation & FAQs

There are three main phases of the selection process for which applicants to the MBA courses in AMU must prepare:

• AMU MBA Entrance Test: In addition to working through previous years’ papers, applicants should also complete test series for similar examinations like the CAT in chapters where they are relatively weak.
• Group Discussion: The best way to prepare is through mock sessions with classmates who are preparing for similar GD sessions, and ensure that the candidate is able to put forth his/her points succinctly and clearly.
• Personal Interview: For this round, candidates must go through the documents submitted carefully, and prepare short answers justifying each segment of their academic and professional history.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the best Business School in Aligarh?

The Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University is the best Business School in Aligarh, and is one of the top MBA Colleges in Uttar Pradesh, It is ranked #39 in India according to the latest IIRF list of top MBA colleges in India - Government.

Q. When will the AMU MBA Entrance Exam be held in 2024?

The AMU MBA Entrance Examination is expected to be held in the last week of May or the first week of June, 2024.

Q. What are the rules relating to the signature, photograph, and thumb print submitted during the AMU MBA application process?

All three files uploaded should be in the JPG format. The photograph and thumb print scan should both be approximately 250 KB in size, with care taken that the left thumb print is very clear. The photograph of the candidate’s signature can be smaller in size: approximately 50 KB. The background color should be white or any other very light shade.

Q. How many seats are there in the MBA course at Aligarh Muslim University?

There are 120 MBA seats to be filled each year in the Faculty of Management Studies, AMU. Of these, 50% belong to the General MBA, and 20 seats each belong to the other three specializations (International Business, Hospital Administration, and Islamic Banking).