If you have completed a Masters Degree with an aggregate of 55 per cent marks and want to explore a career in academics or research, then you must probably check out the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) at IIMB. This programme, with a duration of five years is more like a PhD programme. Professor Haritha Saranga, Chair, Fellow Programme in Management at IIM Bangalore, says, "Most of them assume that the FPM must be pursued by students who have a degree in Management which is wrong. Even a person with professional qualification like CA, ICWA and CS with 50 percent marks can pursue FPM. A significant proportion of the graduates of the programme has joined leading academic institutions in the country over the years and this represents an important contribution to enhancing the nation’s research and teaching capacity in management education. Now, you know that there is a better career option that can pay you well after pursuing the FPM programme." Excerpts from the interview:
1) What is the difference between PhD and FPM programmes?
The Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) is essentially a PhD in Management from IIM Bangalore and one should explore it only if they are interested in academics as a 'career'. The FPM at IIMB emphasises the creation of theoretical and empirical knowledge in all areas of business, management and public policy. It aims to groom promising young researchers to be innovative problem solvers, researchers and thinkers in various management disciplines, including Decision Sciences, Economics & Social Sciences, Entrepreneurship, Finance & Accounting, Information Systems, Marketing, Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management, Production & Operations Management, Public Policy, and Strategy.
2) What is the eligibility criteria to apply for FPM programmes and what is the duration?
Candidates should have a Master’s degree (Bachelor’s degree obtained in 10+2+3 pattern, followed by a Master’s degree ) or a 5-year Integrated Master’s Degree (obtained after completing higher secondary schooling in 10+2 pattern) in any discipline, with at least 55% marks in the Bachelor’s as well in the Master’s degrees. Even a candidate with professional qualification like CA, ICWA, CS, with at least 50 % marks can pursue the FPM programme. A 4 year / 8 semesters Bachelor’s degree (10+2+4 pattern) with at least 60% marks can also pursue the FPM programme. Students are expected to complete the programme within 5 years.
3) How has the FPM programme met the teaching and research needs of industry and college?
The FPM students at IIM Bangalore have consistently published in top journals like Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Accounting, Production and Operations Management, European Journal of Operational Research, International Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of International Business Studies, and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, etc. We also encourage our students to participate in various national and international conferences. IIM Bangalore’s FPM alumni teach at some of the top business schools in India like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Bangalore, IIM Udaipur, IIM Indore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Amritsar, IIM Rohtak, IIM Kashipur, IIM Nagpur, IIM Raipur, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Tiruchirapalli.
4) What about the scholarships or financial support given to these students?
In addition to a tuition waiver, FPM students receive a stipend of Rs 35,000 per month for up to five years to cover their living expenses. Also, free hostel accommodation or HRA is provided along with contingency grants and financial support for attending national and international conferences. Several fellowships are also awarded to the students based on their academic performance in the programme.
5) How many students have got their research papers published till date?
A total of 34 papers have been published in peer-reviewed international journals and some of them in recent years have been published in top tier journals from FT 50 List.
6) Are there any plans to implement SC/ST quota in the FPM programme, If yes then how and when?
IIMB is committed to providing admissions to persons from different social and economic backgrounds. Seats are reserved for Indian nationals belonging to certain categories. For instance, the categories and the extent of reservation effective for FPM 2019 are: 15% of the seats for Scheduled Caste (SC), 7.5% for Scheduled Tribe, 27% for Other Backward Classes candidates belonging to the 'Non-Creamy' layer (NC-OBC), and 5% for persons with disabilities (PWD). It should, however, be noted that while it is the endeavour of IIMB that the candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD/NC-OBC categories join the programme, they have to meet the minimum eligibility criteria and a minimum level of performance to be considered for the admission process.
7) What are the long-term job prospects?
Once the course is completed, one can opt for teaching roles in IIMs or other top tier MBA colleges or in the corporate world. The salary levels are good in all cases. Around 70 FPM alumni from IIMB are currently employed in IIMs, 7 in XLRI, 34 in non-IIMs (Tier-1) colleges and a few are working in corporate offices.
8) How many students have graduated in FPM programme this year?
A total of 24 students including 16 men and 8 women have graduated from the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) from IIMB in March 2019. This is the largest number of students graduating from the programme since its inception. Meanwhile, in 2015, around 18 students and 20 students in 2016 and 20 students in 2017 and '18 and 24 students in 2019 have graduated. I think this is a record number for any IIM in the country with such a programme. The increase in numbers reflects IIMB’s emphasis on research and the outstanding efforts of the students, faculty and all departments of the institute.
