I have more than 10 years of work-ex in India, in the field of Journalism and Information technology. I am currently in the US, and am exploring the options of doing masters in the field of business management, with interest in a specialization such as Supply Chain Management, Marketing Research, CRM etc. rather than a general MBA. I have done B.Sc (2 years) and Post Graduate Diplome in Business Management - Marketing (2 years) from India. My B.Sc grades are not too good. My questions are:

1. Will my 2 years of B.Sc and 2 years of PGDBM suffice to meet the minimum criteria of 12+4 years education to get admissions in a good university?

2. Can a good GMAT score (which I hope to get) over-ride a not so good under-grad GPA? If yes, what should be the minimum GMAT score I must get?

3. I am also very keen to pursue career in academics. Is that something that can make me a preferred candidate for universities?

4. I am currently in US, and can fund for the program to a large extent. Does that help in getting admissions in a good university?

Thanks in advance
Ashu

Hi,

I have encountered 2 year bachelors degrees before- usually from Pakistan. Even if a 2 year degree is considered the equivalent of a 3 year degree by the granting institution this might not get us very far since many business schools do not consider the 3 year degree the equivalent of the US 4 year BA/BS.

While this might sound like a narrow point, the structure of the degree is important. If one completed the same number of classes or credit hours in the 2 year program as students in a 3 year program but simply finished faster because of a more intensive education program (e.g. students in the 2 year program took more classes per term and/or had an additional term each academic year) your case will be stronger.

The two year PG adds a new layer of complexity- this does add up to 16 years of education (another common measure of education in the US) but in an unconventional way. Unfortunately, some universities will probably view this as insufficient since your final 2 years of education are probably too narrow or specialized compared to the Upper Division portion of the US BA/BS.

Nonetheless, things might not be that bleak. You always can contact the schools in the US that interests you and petition for a waiver of the BA/BS requirement or a statement that the university will consider your education as equivalent to a US BA/BS. I have helped other students with this in the past and would be happy to assist you, if you so desire.

The best thing to do now is to contact some schools in the US (or elsewhere) by email, describe your education, and see what they say.

Hjort