IIT-Madras launches techMBA programme for UG students

The students taking this programme will be awarded two degrees – UG degree in engineering (BTech) and master’s degree in management (MBA).

The programme, conceptualised by the Department of Management Studies (DoMS), will be a part of the five-year inter-disciplinary dual degree (IDDD) programmes. The Institute is introducing the programme from the 2019-20 academic year with an intake of 25-30 students.

The Department of Management Studies will offer the foundational techMBA courses during the third and fourth years of all UG programmes. The eligibility criteria for opting for the courses in the fifth year are CGPA, departmental aptitude test and/or personal interview, said a statement from the institute.

Highlighting the unique positioning of the programme, Professor G Arun Kumar, head of the Department of Management Studies, said the IDDD programme enables the undergraduate students to utilise the fifth year of the course for specialising in the newly-formulated curricula that integrates and synergises technology and management disciplines.

The uniqueness of the techMBA lies in its learning outcomes, curriculum design, and pedagogy, which aim to combine the academic rigour with the practices from the organisational trenches, the statement said.

The department formulated techMBA programme after due analysis of the emerging talent needs of the global industries, the new career opportunities in the digital economy and the evolutionary advancement of management programmes across the world, it added.

The programme aims to impart business acumen to engineering students while inculcating management mind-set for handling complex decision-making problems and shaping technology-driven organisational transformation. The curriculum blends courses from business functions, performance analytics and transformation technologies.

The programme will also enable the students to participate in the academic exchange programmes with the world-renowned universities, which evinced interest in offering specially designed courses.