MBA after BPharmacy: Eligibility, Admission Process, Top Colleges and Career Scope

Pharmacy is an interesting field that promises good career opportunities to a student. After completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Pharma) course, a student can look for job opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry and also becomes eligible to pursue a career as a Pharmacist . The government sector also has job opportunities for pharmacy graduates, including posts of Drug Inspector .

However, the growth can get a bit limited after completing just a bachelor's degree and students start feeling the need to explore their options after a BPharma course. Students who wish to go for higher education after BPharma have two options that they can look into. Either they can go for the PG option in Pharmacy i.e. Master of Pharmacy (MPharma) course or they can go for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. In this article, we explore the option of MBA after BPharmacy course.

MBA after BPharma

MBA is a good choice of course after a student has completed BPharma. Many students are interested in going for an MBA after they have completed their BPharma degree. Many industries are on the lookout for skilled managers to assist in the operations and plan for the growth of the firm.

Management professionals are essential for the pharmaceutical industry as well. An MBA degree helps pharmacy professionals to tap into this requirement and make a career in Pharmaceutical Management.

Why Pursue an MBA after BPharma

There are a number of reasons why going for an MBA after BPharma can prove to be a good choice for any management aspirant.

• MBA is a versatile course and can widen your scope of finding career opportunities.

• There is a high demand for MBA graduates in the private sector.

• An MBA degree will help you break the glass ceiling and climb up the corporate ladder.

• The managerial skills you will learn in an MBA course will make you a better administrator in the pharmaceutical industry.

These were some of the points why you should consider an MBA after having completed a BPharma degree course. However, it is also important that you select the right MBA specialization to stick to your chosen career path. Let's see which are the best MBA streams for a BPharma graduate.

Which MBA Course to Choose after BPharma

BPharma graduates have two choices for pursuing an MBA after Pharma.

Both of these courses are great choices after completing a BPharma degree. Before a candidate decides their choice of course it is important to understand the difference between an MBA (GM) and MBA Pharma.

What is the difference between MBA (GM) and MBA Pharma?

A General Management MBA course is, as its name suggests, a generalised course that imparts the skills and attributes required for the management and administration of any business or industry. The course includes the study of subjects such as finance, marketing, accounts, human resource etc.

The apple of the MBA Pharma doesn't fall far from the tree of MBA (GM). Pharmaceutical Management is a branch of MBA that is designed to prepare professionals for managerial roles in the Pharma industry. The course is similar to General MBA except that it additionally provides a basic understanding of the Pharmaceutical Industry and the subjects are more restricted to the operations of a Pharma business or industry.

PGDM courses are very similar to MBA courses. However, the PGDM courses are much more deregulated as compared to MBA courses. Plus, only universities are eligible to provide an MBA degree in India, so the standalone institutes offer PGDM courses.

For experienced students as well as fresh graduates, both courses are good options to consider. For more information, students can check our article on General vs Specialized MBA, where we have explored this topic in detail.

Eligibility Criteria for MBA after BPharma

Any student interested in pursuing an MBA after BPharma must take note of the eligibility criteria for their MBA course. The details provided below cover all of the important aspects of the eligibility criteria for pursuing an MBA after BPharma degree.

• The student must have completed their bachelor's degree course, which in this case is BPharma.

• The course must have been completed from a college recognized by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI).

• The student must have received passing marks in all of the subjects in their BPharma degree.

• The student must have scored at least 45% - 50% aggregate marks in the BPharma course. The aggregate percentage required varies from college to college and it may be more than 50%.

• In some courses and colleges, students may also be required to have some work experience to be considered eligible. This is mostly true for MBA courses designed for working professionals such as Part-Time MBA or Executive MBA courses.
  For eg. a minimum of 5 years of work experience is mandatory for Executive MBA courses.

• Students will be required to qualify in one of the MBA entrance exams for admission. Different colleges may accept different entrance exams. Some of the popular exams include CAT, GMAT, CMAT, MAT, XAT, etc.

• Some colleges also offer Direct Admission to MBA without Entrance Exams .

• Students may even be shortlisted to an MBA college on merit based on their marks in BPharma degree.

The MBA eligibility criteria are common across most of the colleges but there may be minor tweaks depending on the course and college selected by the student. Therefore, it becomes important to check the detailed eligibility criteria specified by the course and college chosen by a student for pursuing MBA after BPharma.

How to Prepare for MBA after BPharma

Students who have decided to pursue an MBA after completing their BPharma degree must decide which college they want to go take admission to. After this is done, students must check which MBA entrance exams are accepted by the college. Many colleges accept scores of multiple exams for the shortlisting of students. Students can check our article on CAT vs Other MBA Entrance Exams, which will help them decide which entrance exam is best for their needs.

MBA entrance exams generally cover the following topics:

The exact exam pattern and syllabus may vary by the choice of the exam.

It is important to have a good preparation strategy to get a good score in an MBA entrance exam. The table below can be checked for the preparation strategies for some of the popular MBA entrance exams in India.

Admission Process for MBA after BPharma

After shortlisting students on the basis of score in the qualifying exam (entrance exam / BPharma marks), colleges conduct their own selection processes for the admission of students. Usually, there are 3 parts to the admission process of MBA colleges.

• Written Test / Essay

• Group Discussion

• Personal InterviewGenerally, GD and PI are the most commonly conducted stages across various colleges. However, the exact selection process may vary by the college and course. Students must ensure that they excel in each of the rounds to ensure their admission to an MBA course. Here are some articles which will help you understand the MBA admission process and provide insights on how to prepare for the selection process of colleges.

Career Scope for MBA after BPharma

Students who have completed an MBA Pharma course after a BPharma degree can explore best career opportunities in the pharma industry. Graduates of MBA Pharma course can be hired in the sectors of drug manufacturing, distribution, marketing, sales, research etc.

Top Recruiting Companies for MBA Pharma

• Cipla

• Dabur India

• Ranbaxy

• Dr Reddy's Laboratories

• Sun Pharma etc.

Top Job Positions for MBA after BPharma

MBA Pharma graduates can be hired across a diverse range of job positions related to different work sections in pharmaceutical companies. Some of the popular job positions given to MBA Pharma graduates include.

• Sales Manager

• Business Development Officer

• Market Research Analyst

• Drug Distribution Manager

• Pharmaceuticals Purchase Manager

Salary Prospects for MBA Pharma after BPharma

• The average salary earned by an MBA in Pharma graduate in India is around Rs. 7.5 lakhs.

• Average Starting Salary after MBA Pharma can range from 4 - 5 LPA, depending on the company as well as the college from which the course was completed.

• After some experience, professions with an MBA Pharma degree can easily expect their income to be over Rs. 10 LPA.

Top Colleges for MBA after BPharma

The following top colleges can be considered for pursuing an MBA after BPharma degree.

Top Colleges for MBA Pharma

Top Colleges for PGDM Pharma

Top Colleges for MBA (GM)

If you are confused about how to take admission to an MBA college after BPharma, just fill our Common Application Form (CAF) or call 1800-572-9877 for FREE student counselling. For any doubts, ask our experts on the CollegeDekho QnA Zone .