Integrated MBA vs Regular MBA: How is Integrated MBA different from Regular MBA?

Integrated MBA vs Regular MBA: How is Integrated MBA different from Regular MBA?

Updated on 18 Feb 2025, 12:04 PM IST

Integrated MBA vs Regular MBA - Choosing between doing an MBA or an Integrated MBA can be difficult at times as both come with their significant advantages and disadvantages. Candidates can choose either one depending on their career goals, educational background, and personal preferences in terms of long-term career aspirations. The one significant thing to note about an Integrated MBA is that candidates do not have many options to choose from while candidates wanting to pursue an MBA have a lot more options. This article provides a comparative analysis of MBA and Integrated MBA for candidates to help make a more sound decision.

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This Story also Contains

  1. MBA or Integrated MBA
  2. MBA or Integrated MBA Key Differences
  3. MBA or Integrated MBA Pros and Cons
  4. MBA or Integrated MBA Which one to choose
Integrated MBA vs Regular MBA: How is Integrated MBA different from Regular MBA?
Integrated MBA vs Regular MBA

MBA or Integrated MBA

An Integrated MBA is a combined undergraduate and postgraduate program that typically has a duration of 5 years. Out of the total 5 years duration, the first three years are for the undergraduate part while the latter two years are for the postgraduate management part of the program. On the other hand, a regular or traditional MBA is a postgraduate management program with a duration of two years. It can be either part-time or full-time. Integrated MBA can be pursued right after school but a traditional MBA requires the candidate to finish a Bachelor’s degree first.

MBA or Integrated MBA Key Differences

The key differentiating factors between a regular MBA and an Integrated MBA are presented in the table given below.

Differentiating Factor

MBA

Integrated MBA

Duration

2 Years

5 Years

Program Structure

A standalone postgraduate program in management and business administration.

Combines an undergraduate program along with a postgraduate management program.

Eligibility Criteria

A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university.

10+2 schooling in any stream.

Focus

Focuses on advanced business concepts and specializations.

Broad business education. Specialization comes in the later part.

Cost

Varies from college to college.

Generally lower cost due to being a combined program.

Financial Aid

Scholarships and educational loans are readily available.

Have fewer scholarship options.

Work Experience

Not mandatory but often having significant work experience might prove better.

No work experience is required.

Career Path

Typically leads to advanced role leveraging prior work experience.

Entry into the workforce with an MBA directly after.

Program Examples

MBA program by IIM Bangalore.

Integrated Program in Management (IPM) by IIM Rohtak

Entrance Exams

CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, and GRE

IPMAT, JIPMAT

MBA or Integrated MBA Pros and Cons

The pros and cons of each MBA and integrated MBA are given in the table below.

MBA

Pros

Cons

Offers Flexibility

Higher Cost

Gives Specialization

Ultra competitive entrance exams

Networking Opportunities

Can create a gap between the UG and PG

Practical Experience

Lower number of seats in top colleges

Work Experience

High Cutoff

Great Placements

Integrated MBA

Pros

Cons

Seamless transition from UG to PG

Limited Flexibility

Cost Efficient

Lack of Industry Experience

Early start to career

Fewer specializations

Focused Curriculum

Big lock-in period

Easier to get into

Fewer options for financial aid

Fewer college options

MBA or Integrated MBA Which one to choose

The decision to choose between an MBA or an integrated MBA will largely depend on how a candidate wants to address their respective career path. Candidates with a firm decision to build a career in the management space right after school should go for an integrated MBA as it will save them from all the hassle later on. But, candidates who are still figuring out their career stream can explore while their graduation goes on they can keep the traditional MBA as their go-to choice in case they wish to finally go into the field of management.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which is best, an MBA or an integrated MBA?
A:

Both MBA and integrated MBA have their pros and cons. Candidates can look out for both programs and decide which suits them better as per their career goals and interests.

Q: What is the salary for an integrated MBA in India?
A:

The salary for an integrated MBA in India ranges anywhere between Rs. 15 to Rs. 20 lakhs per annum. The salary for an integrated MBA depends on factors like job role, job location, specialization, etc.

Q: Which IIM offers an integrated MBA?
A:

IIM Indore, IIM Rohtak, IIM RanchiIIM Jammu, and IIM Bodh Gaya offer an integrated program in management. Interested candidates can take the IPMAT or JIPMAT entrance test to seek admission to the IPM programs designed for candidates who have just passed the 12th standard.

Q: What is the IIM 5-year course after the 12th?
A:

The 5-year course offered by IIM after the 12th is the Integrated Program in Management (IPM). Admission to these courses is based on the JIPMAT and IPMAT exams. Both are management entrance examinations that can be given right after school.

Q: What is the salary after integrated MBA?
A:

After completion of the Integrated MBA, Average salary ranges from Rs 4.5 Lakhs to Rs 10 Lakhs per annum or above. 

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

CAT does not restrict eligibility based on stream. Candidates from commerce, arts, science, engineering or any other background can appear for CAT and apply to MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top B-schools.

The basic eligibility criteria for CAT are:
You must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university with at least 50 percent marks (45 percent for SC, ST and PwD categories). Final-year graduation students are also eligible to apply.

Being a commerce graduate can actually be an advantage in areas such as accounting, finance, economics and business studies, especially during MBA coursework in finance, marketing and operations.

After qualifying CAT, admission depends on multiple factors including CAT percentile, academic background, work experience (if any), performance in GD, WAT and personal interview rounds. Many IIMs and B-schools follow a diverse academic background policy, which means non-engineering candidates, including commerce graduates, often receive additional weightage.

Apart from IIMs, several reputed institutes such as FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, and many state and private universities also accept CAT scores for MBA admissions.

So, as a commerce graduate, you are fully eligible to appear for CAT and pursue an MBA, provided you meet the minimum academic requirements and perform well in the selection process.

If you want, I can also help you with realistic CAT percentile targets based on your academic profile or suggest suitable MBA colleges.


Hello aspirant,

With a CAT 2025 raw score of 84 and strong sectionals, your expected percentile may fail in the high 98 range , depending on scaling. Your excellent academics and 2 years of work experience strengthen your profile .IIM Lucknow calls are possible but competitive for EWS engineers , while FMS Delhi looks mainly at CAT score and VARC , so you have a reasonable chance there . Final calls depend on cutoffs and composite score.

FOR REFERENCE : https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-cutoff

Hope the details will help you.

THANK YOU

Hello aspirant ,

For MANAGE Hyderabad MBA , the OBC cutoff in CAT 2024 was generally around 85-90 percentile for shortlist consideration , tough exact figures vary by section and profile . For CAT 2025, if fewer candidates appeared , the cutoff might slightly adjust , but percentile based cutoffs dont change drastically year to year. A minor decrease is possible , but you should still aim for 90+ percentile to be competitive. Factors like VARC, QA-LRDI and overall profile influence the final shortlist.

FOR REFERENCE : https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-cutof f

Hope the details will help you.

THANK YOU

Hello,

For a raw score of 56 in CAT 2025 Slot 3, your expected overall percentile is likely to be in the range of the 90th-95th percentile. The exact percentile can vary slightly on the final normalization process and the process and performance of all test-takers. In this article you'll find more about the CAT result.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,
With a projected CAT percentile of 87% but not clearing sectional cutoffs, your chances at top IIMs are limited because they require both overall percentile and sectional minimums. However, you still have a good shot at other reputed management institutes and non-IIM B-schools. Consider colleges like NMIMS, SPJIMR, IMT, TAPMI, Great Lakes, and other well-ranked private or state-level B-schools that accept CAT scores and weigh your profile holistically. Your academic record, BSc in Animation with 80%, and 5 years of work experience at Ubisoft India are strong points and may help in institutes that value work experience in their selection process. Also, explore institutes that accept XAT, MAT, or CMAT, where your profile can be competitive.
Hope this helps you.