What can be my prospects of joining IIM Ahmedabad for an MBA and later going to Harvard for some courses after becoming an IAS officer?
It has become a trend for IAS/PCS to pursue an MBA these days. But it’s important to note that there are no reserved seats for civil servants for the PGDM (MBA) program. You have to attempt CAT to join the Post Graduate program.
However, IIM-A offers a number of Professional Development programs suitable for senior government functionaries.
Personally, I will advise you to clarify your career goals. Determine what is more important in your career: Civil Services or an MBA. This is because people usually join the IIMs for careers in entrepreneurship or jobs in the corporate sector.
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At IIM Ahmedabad, there are no reserved seats for Civil servants. So, you will have to take CAT to get admission.
But you can directly apply to the 2 year MBA at Harvard. Being a civil servant, your profile may have something unique to add to the diversity of the class.
Master in Public Administration or MPA at Harvard can be a great option for you as well. Given you have served in a leading position in the public sector, you will be a great fit for the program. You can join some global public organization, after completing your degree.
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Yes, you can definitely do MBA after becoming an IAS officer. You will be surprised to know that it is a very common practice among IAS officers to get further degrees. Approximately 20-30% of the entire batch applies for another degree as compared to when they entered into this field.
- There are no such criteria for IAS officers to do an MBA. This is because you already have the minimum qualification for IAS which is a graduation that is the same for MBA too.
- The past scorecards are not required as far as eligibility to do MBA is concerned. However, you will be evaluated on the basis of your performance in the foundation course, your demeanor, and your marks.
- If you want to go pursue MBA abroad, you need to fulfill certain requirements i.e. you need to have done at least 2 years of training before you can go out. That is why most of the IAS officers who I know of, do their MBA after 5-10 yrs of service.
- You can also go along with your spouse, where you both can simultaneously pursue degrees like Ph.D., MBA from France, U.S, U.K, and other countries.
Therefore, there are no restrictions for an IAS officer who wants to pursue higher education. Instead, you don't need to clear any entrance examinations to qualify for abroad studies! There are numerous IAS officers with higher education degrees including MBA which they have acquired after getting into the services. So, you can do it too!
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