Maharashtra: Engineering graduates can now gain direct entry into 2nd year MBA

The government of Maharashtra has launched a new lateral entry program to allow working professionals and engineering graduates to enroll in second-year MBA and MMS programs.

Engineering graduates will have the opportunity to lateral enter second-year MBA and MMS programs in Maharashtra as of this academic year.

Until now, admissions to MBA and MMS programmes were based solely on the state’s CET scores, without the possibility of direct entry into the second year.

This year, though, the state is introducing a lateral entry scheme, in accordance with AICTE guidelines, for engineering graduates as well as aspirants who have completed four-year Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programmes. This AICTE policy aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP), which permits a one-year master’s programme for students who have completed four years of undergraduate education.

Engineering students will be eligible for direct admissions this year. Students from the other two courses, BMS and BBA will only begin to benefit from this scheme starting 2027 though, when the first batch of students from the four-year programs in the state graduates. Until the 2022-23 academic year, and before the implementation of the NEP, these two courses had a duration of three years. Admissions will be centrally managed by the state’s CET cell. An official said the registration process for aspirants is likely to begin next week.

However, there is currently no clarity on the seat availability in colleges for these direct entry students. According to AICTE guidelines, details about seat allocation will be published on the website of the competent authority. Lateral entry into Master of Computer Applications (MCA) courses is being allowed since last year. For MCA, seats that remain unfilled in the first year, as well as those vacated by students who fail the first year, are offered to lateral entry students.

Under the second scheme, working professionals who are eager to complete their BE/BTech, ME/MTech, MBA, and MCA in the state this year will be permitted to do so through evening and weekend classes. These students will be able to continue their studies while working, as the admission eligibility criteria require their organisation, industry, or firm to be located within a 50km radius of the institute.

AICTE guidelines recommend conducting classes for these working professionals in the evening or at any flexible timings that align with their work schedules. Colleges will need a minimum admission of one-third of the approved intake for each course to run them. Students admitted to a college that fails to fill one-third of the sanctioned intake will be transferred to nearby colleges.

Students from outside the state who meet the admission criteria are also eligible for admissions under both schemes. An official said courses for working professionals will also depend on the willingness of institutes to offer these during flexible or evening hours.