Have you graduated in arts recently? Then you must be contemplating what lies ahead? You are done with the graduation. But what comes next? Should you go for a job? Or should you think of pursuing a master’s? But even if you choose to pursue a master’s, what field must you go for?

Obviously, securing a high-paying job is a priority. Thus, it only makes sense that you must go for a programme with great career prospects such as an MBA degree. But should you go for an MBA after a BA? Is it a wise decision that will streamline your career? Or will you simply become a part of the herd? Doesn’t MBA require some prior business knowledge and thus, don’t students from business and commerce backgrounds have an advantage?

Well, you can heave a sigh of relief as research indicates that over 60% of MBA students are from non-business backgrounds. But yet, is it really a good idea to do an MBA after BA? Let’s find out!

Why Go for an MBA after BA?

A Bachelor’s in Arts is a generalised degree where you study a number of subjects in brief. Thus, you gather extensive information about various domains. This information will come in handy when you enter the business world as it helps you manage a broad range of areas.

This knowledge combined with specific knowledge of core business components such as Marketing, Operations, HR Management, Finance, etc. will give you a competitive edge against all the other candidates while seeking job opportunities. If you are planning to start your own business, then this knowledge will prove to be miraculous for ensuring success.

Furthermore, during the BA programme, you get to develop certain necessary soft skills such as communication skills, analytical abilities, decision-making skills, critical thinking abilities, etc. All these skills will help you a lot during the MBA as personality development and honing soft skills is one of the key aspects of an MBA degree.

Furthermore, in the era of Industry 4.0, managers are expected to work with both machines as well as humans. Thus, they are expected to find a way wherein they can effectively communicate with both. This is where your humanities degree can do wonders.

 

Related: Why an MBA Makes Sense After Earning a BA in Economics

What Specialisation to Opt for in Your MBA after BA?

From Fashion to Information Technology, MBA offers students a plethora of specialisations to choose from. Being from a humanities background, you can go for a specialisation that helps you implement the skills you acquired during your bachelor’s such as communication, interior designing, fashion management, media management, etc.

Some of the top specialisations that you can opt for as a BA graduate are:

Marketing	Fashion Management
Operations	Airport Management
Pharmaceutical Management	Communication
Productions	International Business
HR	Finance
Logistics & Supply Chain Management	Healthcare Management
Aviation Management	IT
Logistics	Power Management
Media Management	Agriculture
Banking	Interior Designing
Agribusiness	Entrepreneurship
Energy Management	Material Management
Insurance & Risk Management	Computer Science
Insurance

Eligibility for MBA

In order to pursue an MBA programme, one must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• Qualifications

In order to be eligible for an MBA programme, you must have a graduation degree in any field from a recognised university.

You must have secured a minimum of 50% marks in graduation. The minimum marks required can differ from institute to institute.

• Entrance Examination

Most universities require you to have qualified a national or state-level Entrance Exams such as CAT, XAT, MAT, GMAT, NMAT, IPMAT, etc.

In addition to the above-mentioned exams, certain universities also conduct their own entrance examinations for offering admission into their MBA programmes. Therefore, you may have to qualify for these entrance examinations to secure admission.

• Work Experience

Some universities also require for students to possess some work experience in order to become eligible for admission into their MBA programme. However, most universities in India do not require any work experience for MBA.

• Interview + Micro Presentation

After the entrance examination, some universities also conduct a personality test which consists of an interview and a micro presentation. The personality test may differ from university to university.

 

Related: Is Going for an MBA after a Bachelor’s in Psychology a Good Idea?

Where to Pursue MBA From?

It is very important to find the right college for your MBA as your entire career will depend upon the college that you choose to study at. There are many colleges that offer extensive resources and facilities including entrepreneurship development cells, workshops, international immersion programmes, etc. This makes sure that you can seek maximum benefits out of your MBA.

Some of the top colleges for pursuing an MBA in India are:

Name of the University	Fee
IIM Ahmedabad	INR 24,61,000
Symbiosis International university	INR 22,00,000
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore	INR 24,50,000
Manipal University	INR 9,51,000
IIM Indore	INR 21,17,222
Amity University	INR 3,89,000
Chandigarh University	INR 5,82,000
Jain University	INR 5,75,000
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi	INR 11,20,000
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade	INR 21,77,314

MBA after BA Career Scope & Salary

After completing your MBA degree, you can look for a position that will help you bring to use the knowledge and skills that you acquired during your MBA degree as well as during BA. Being a versatile course, an MBA opens up many high-paying job profiles for you. These include:

Job Role	Average Salary
HR Manager	INR 6.6 LPA
Marketing Manager	INR 15 LPA
Operations Manager	INR 6.9 LPA
Product Manager	INR 17 LPA
Supply Chain Manager	INR 10 LPA
Manufacturing Manager	INR 14 LPA
Retail Manager	INR 5 LPA
Customer Relation Manager	INR 3 LPA
Digital Marketer	INR 3 LPA
Fashion Consultant	INR 2.3 LPA

Source: Ambition Box

 

These are just some of the profiles that you can take up after the MBA. The scope of an MBA after BA is very vast.

It is important to note here that the salaries mentioned above are the average salaries. Your salaries can differ based upon a number of factors, such as:

• Location
• Company
• MBA Specialisation
• Total Experience
• Skillset

Takeaway

As an arts graduate, you must have a lot of doubts about whether or not it is a good idea to go for an MBA after BA. However, you can keep them all at bay as an MBA after BA is one of the best investments you can make. Where the generalised knowledge you acquired during the BA will help you understand the different domains in the industrial world, an MBA degree will equip you with expertise and competency on how to run a successful business. Together, the two degrees will help you land a high-paying job.