Courses in India 2027

Fellowship (sometimes called a Fellow Programme) is a doctoral-level research programme in management offered by several Indian business schools, in addition to the IIMs' well-known Fellow Programme in Management (FPM). Broadly equivalent to a PhD, it typically runs over three to five years and combines structured coursework in research methods with a comprehensive examination, a thesis proposal and original dissertation research under a faculty supervisor. Scholars often take up teaching assistantships alongside their research. It suits graduates or postgraduates with a strong academic record and a genuine interest in research, who want to move into academia, policy research or a research-driven corporate role rather than a standard management job straight after a master's degree.

Fellowship Program in Management (FPM) is a full-time doctoral programme in management, broadly equivalent to a PhD, offered mainly by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and a few other business schools. Spread over roughly four to five years, it begins with structured coursework in research methods and a chosen management area, followed by a comprehensive examination, a thesis proposal and several years of original research that culminate in a dissertation. Scholars usually also take up teaching assistantships during the programme. FPM suits graduates or postgraduates with a strong academic record who want to become researchers or professors at a business school, rather than move directly into a corporate management role.

General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) is a three-year diploma programme in nursing, regulated by the Indian Nursing Council and State Nursing Councils, that prepares students to work as registered nurses and midwives. The curriculum covers anatomy and physiology, community health, medical-surgical nursing, child health nursing, midwifery and mental health nursing, combined with extensive supervised clinical postings in hospitals and community health centres. It focuses on patient care skills, basic nursing procedures and maternal and child health rather than classroom theory alone. GNM suits Class 12 students, usually from the science stream, who want to enter the nursing profession quickly, work in government or private hospitals, and later upgrade to a B.Sc Nursing degree through a post-basic programme.

General Purpose Rating (GP Rating) is a six-month, pre-sea training course regulated by the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) that prepares candidates for entry-level deck and engine room duties aboard merchant ships as a Rating. Training is conducted at DG Shipping-approved maritime training institutes and covers basic seamanship, ship safety, firefighting, first aid and shipboard routines, along with compulsory swimming and physical fitness standards. Selection is through the training institute's own process rather than a degree-level entrance exam. It suits Class 10 pass students who want to start a sea-going career quickly, without a Class 12 science background, and who are medically fit and physically prepared for life aboard ship.

HMCT + MBA is a five-year integrated programme that combines hotel management and catering technology with postgraduate management study, awarding both a hospitality degree and an MBA. The early years cover food production, food and beverage service, front office operations, housekeeping and hotel accounting, along with practical training in hotel operations and an industry internship. The later years add management subjects such as marketing, finance, human resources and hospitality strategy. Admission is generally through NCHMCT JEE at institutes affiliated to the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, or a university's own entrance test. The programme suits Class 12 students, from any stream with English as a compulsory subject, who want a hospitality career that moves directly into management and leadership roles.

Integrated B.Plan + M.Plan is a five-year integrated programme designed to provide comprehensive knowledge of urban and regional planning, land-use planning, transportation, housing, infrastructure and sustainable development. The programme combines undergraduate and postgraduate-level learning through planning studios, field surveys, GIS and spatial analysis, research and project work. It prepares students for professional careers in urban planning, regional development, transportation planning, environmental planning, policy and related fields.

Integrated M.Tech is a five-year programme, regulated under AICTE and UGC norms, that is taken directly after Class 12 and leads to a postgraduate M.Tech qualification, without a separate undergraduate degree conferred midway at most institutes offering it. The early years cover undergraduate-level engineering fundamentals and core branch subjects, while the later years move into specialised, research-oriented postgraduate coursework and a thesis, typically at institutes such as IIITs or central universities that run this route. It suits Class 12 science students with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics who are confident about pursuing a postgraduate engineering qualification from the start, rather than deciding on a master's degree only after a separate B.Tech.

M.Sc + PhD Integrated is a single continuous postgraduate programme that combines master's-level coursework with direct entry into doctoral research, typically taken after a bachelor's degree in science. It usually runs five to six years in total: the first two years cover advanced coursework and a qualifying or comprehensive examination, after which students who clear it move directly into full-time PhD research without a separate PhD application. It is offered by a small number of research institutes such as IISc, TIFR and the IISERs, rather than most general science colleges. The format suits students who are already certain about a research career and want to avoid a second, separate PhD admission process.

M.Sc. Computer Science is a two-year postgraduate degree for science and computing graduates who want deeper theoretical and applied training in computer science. It usually follows a BCA, B.Sc in Computer Science or a related discipline with Mathematics, and is spread across four semesters covering advanced algorithms, databases, operating systems, computer networks and software engineering, along with electives such as machine learning, cloud computing or cyber security. Most programmes combine classroom teaching with laboratory work and a final-year project or dissertation. It suits science graduates who want research or technical depth in computing, whether for an industry role, teaching or a PhD afterwards.

M.Sc. Nursing is a two-year postgraduate nursing programme regulated by the Indian Nursing Council, open to BSc Nursing or Post-Basic BSc Nursing graduates who want advanced clinical and academic training in a chosen speciality such as medical-surgical nursing, community health nursing, obstetric and gynaecological nursing, child health nursing or psychiatric nursing. The curriculum combines advanced nursing theory, research methodology, nursing education and management, with supervised clinical practice and a dissertation. It prepares graduates for senior clinical, teaching and administrative roles beyond a general nursing degree. M.Sc. Nursing suits BSc Nursing graduates who want to specialise, move into nursing education, hospital management or advanced practice, or pursue a PhD in nursing.

MBA International Business (MIB) is a two-year, full-time postgraduate management programme that focuses on the theory and practice of cross-border trade and global business operations. Spread across four semesters, it covers international trade policy, export-import management, international marketing and finance, foreign trade documentation, global supply chains and cross-cultural management, alongside core management subjects, a summer internship and a final dissertation or live project. Admission generally requires a bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university, along with an entrance exam such as CAT, the IIFT Entrance Exam or CMAT, followed by a group discussion and personal interview at most institutes. MIB suits graduates who want a management career connected to exports, global trade, multinational operations or international supply chains.

Management Development Programme (MDP) is a short, non-degree executive education course for working professionals, typically lasting from a few days to a few weeks rather than a full academic year. It is designed to build specific management skills such as leadership, negotiation, strategic thinking, finance for non-finance executives or business analytics, through case studies, simulations and group exercises rather than long academic terms. Participants are usually working executives who apply directly or are nominated and sponsored by their employer; there is generally no entrance exam, though institutes may set criteria around educational qualification and years of experience. MDP suits professionals who want to build a specific skill or prepare for the next level of responsibility, without committing to a full postgraduate degree such as an MBA.