Lack of job opportunities for graduates boost MBA applications by 26% in Maharashtra

Applications for Masters in Business Administration/Masters in Management Studies (MBA/MMS) are slowly witnessing a steady rise across Maharashtra in the academic year of 2021-22 compared to last year

Applications for Masters in Business Administration/Masters in Management Studies (MBA/MMS) are slowly witnessing a steady rise across the state in the academic year of 2021-22 compared to last year.

With lack of job opportunities for graduates and professionals in the job market, MBA and MMS courses witness a steady rise in the state of Maharashtra . (HT File)

According to the figures shared by the state Common Entrance Test (CET) cell, the admissions authority for professional courses, shows that a total of 54,227 aspirants have completed the pre-admission registration process for around 32,000 seats as compared to 42,814 students who registered for the course last year. The figure stood at 38,000 in 2019.

Not only were the total applications for these courses lower than usual in 2020, but figures shared by the state CET cell after closing the admissions window showed how nearly 32% of the allotted seats in MBA/MMS courses went vacant in 2020-21 academic year.

“While engineering is still not picking up, several other professional courses are witnessing a rise in the applications. MBA not only attracts fresh graduates but also professionals with work experience,” said an official from the state CET cell.

Experts in the industry told HT that the lack of job opportunities for fresh graduates could be one reason for the increasing demand for postgraduate courses like MBA. “While the job scenario is looking better than last year, several fresh graduates are struggling to find a job, especially one that pays well. Many are therefore opting for higher education like MBA to highlight added qualifications on their CV, hoping to fare better in the job market,” said Dr R K Srivastava, professor and HOD, Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education (SIMSREE).