AICTE or the All India Council for Technical Education along with the University Grants Commission have been given the power to accredit colleges and universities in India. AICTE approval, in particular, is necessary for technical education. Management courses, per a judgment by the Supreme Court in 2013, do not need to have AICTE approval.
However, Business Schools like Universal Business School (UBS) are among the many AICTE-approved MBA colleges. Students who graduate from these colleges have a lot of benefits that extend beyond the education at the college. Let us read through what the advantages of an AICTE-approved management degree are.
What is AICTE?
AICTE is a short form for All India Council for Technical Education is an advisory body at the central Government for technical education. Initially, it was set up to act as an advisory committee in the year 1987. Later its status was changed to that of a statutory body. The prime responsibility of AICTE, today is to accredit technical educational degrees offered at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at universities across India. The differentiating factor between AICTE and UGC is that while AICTE majorly focuses on technical and management education, UGC concentrates on non-technical education.
AICTE is also involved with research and development in areas of commerce, engineering, medicine, science, arts, hospitality, architecture, industry trade, and more. Today, it is necessary for all universities and colleges that offer technical degrees to be AICTE-approved. Management schools, however, also have AICTE approval. How management students benefit from this accreditation is worth finding out.
Why is AICTE approval necessary for management schools?
AICTE approval is necessary for engineering and technical education providers. However, many management colleges in Mumbai and India also have the same approval. What does a student benefit from studying in such a management college? Let us find out.
Industry-standard course curriculum: AICTE-approved management schools in Mumbai and India have their degree curriculums designed by industry experts. There are guidelines set by AICTE that colleges have to meet. These requirements range from how many core and elective courses are there, have case studies, teach Indian ethics and business models, have regular updates and reviews, etc. This is helpful for students to stay up to date with the latest updates on the industry. Moreover, they are taught the material using top-of-the-line tools, models, case studies, role plays, and more. Students are left with a better understanding of the course curriculum. They are also better equipped with the necessary skills to tackle any real-life corporate situation if need be.
All-around development: All courses that have AICTE approval concentrate not only on theoretical and practical learning but also on personality development. It goes without saying that simply having the knowledge of Finance, Marketing or Operations is not enough to succeed in any job role. Individuals must be able to work in teams with others, in stressful conditions and still deliver results. One must also be able to showcase certain soft skills to perform in the role. AICTE ensures management colleges have classes to teach such soft skills. Her soft skills refer to communication skills, leadership abilities, interpersonal and analytical skills, teamwork, a positive attitude, etc.
Help in placements and salary scale: Recruiters have a list of recruitments from the possible employees during interviews. Besides looking at the technical, soft skills and knowledge of the candidate, they also have requirements from the college. In particular, the college must have certain approval and accreditations from necessary Government colleges and departments. Students from AICTE-approved colleges and universities do have a better chance of being chosen for certain roles. Since these students are also better trained and have more skills through the course curriculum as elaborated above, they are offered higher salaries. In the long term, having a leg up is helpful in staying ahead of the rat race and achieving career goals and aspirations quickly.
Industry-Ready Candidates: Working right after completing a degree is hard unless students are specially coached and trained for it. While it is said that most B schools in Mumbai and India claim to have such coaching sessions, not many are up to mark and meet industry standards. The All India Council for Technical Education ensures that all colleges and universities, that it approves, have students who can start working immediately. There are various ways to go about this. Some points that AICTE pays close attention to in this regard are having live projects, case studies, the use of multimedia, and teaching leadership skills to the students. They also ensure among the core courses there are offerings like Spreadsheet Modelling, Business Analytics, and Capstone projects.
Up-to-date infrastructure: All of the best curricula, books, and faculty would fall short if the college did not have appropriate infrastructure. Universities must be able to provide the right environment that is conducive to better absorption of the taught material and students get to grow. Here, infrastructure refers to the classrooms, the multimedia teaching equipment used, hostels, libraries, sports, extracurriculars, clubs, etc. When students are about to take admission, when looking at the approvals and accreditations, make sure to also look at the infrastructure. Ensure that the campus is Wi-Fi enabled with auditoriums
Educated and trained faculty: The right teachers and professors can make or break a course. Having the best infrastructure and curriculum would not be enough if the professors are not up to the mark. AICTE ensures that colleges have the best teachers in management degrees. During admission season, look at the faculty of the management school. Pay attention to the qualifications and past work experience of the faculty. In some colleges, there is also the option to choose teachers for some courses.
How to check for AICTE approval for management schools?
With all the benefits of an AICTE-approved school stated, how does one go about checking the AICTE approval of universities? It can be overwhelming when opening up a college website and being flooded with information. In most cases, websites have their approvals and accreditations stated right at the top or bottom of the first web page. Alternatively, one can also go to the About page of the chosen university to look for current accreditations.
Conclusion
AICTE approval is not a necessity for management colleges. However, students who have an MBA or a relevant degree from an AICTE-approved college do have a higher standing over others. Earning a management degree is necessary to progress to senior roles in corporations. If one were choosing a management degree, students should ensure it is from an AICTE-approved college. Universal Business School is an approved Business School and is best known for its top-quality education.
