Reinventing the MBA with stoa

The MBA has to be one of the most popular degrees globally. But not all MBA degrees are created equal. Someone with an MBA from a top 10 B-School can be rest assured that they will get a coveted position. Everyone else has a degree for which they shelled out a lot of money but does precious little to further their career.

A traditional MBA takes up two years of your life and is expensive. Moreover, the rate of change in today’s world demands that you constantly upskill. Gone are the days when you could do an MBA and coast on it for the next 20 years.

Also, there is another factor to consider – a mindset shift in people. The last decade or so has seen a startup boom in India. There is no shortage of ideas (Shark Tank India is proof of this), and investors are looking for the next big idea to invest in. This has also ushered in a new way of working. The old way involved working in hierarchical systems and long lead times for a product to see the life of day. Today, it requires shipping and iterating.

In other words, what organizations big and small are looking for is someone with a Startup Mindset. They’re looking for self-starters who aren’t afraid to try out new things, learn and iterate. This is more marked in startups that move fast and want people to take charge from day one.

This is where stoaMBA programme comes into the equation. It’s a six-month program designed to be completed along with a full-time job and costs a fraction of a traditional MBA. The stoaMBA gives people the skills required to perform in high-performance environments. It does this by putting students on the line with modern case studies that need to be completed in 24 hours. Entrepreneurs like Gagan Biyani, Ankur Warikoo and Nithin Kamath have taken sessions with students, giving them a peek into how new-age founders think and run their businesses.

The stoaMBA curriculum covers micro and macroeconomics, business models, marketing and branding, finance, planning and strategy, and venture creation. There is also equal focus on soft skills, probably the biggest factor in career success.

Each week is a mix of live classes, daily prompts, community nights, and guest lectures by industry stalwarts. There are 18 modules spread across the duration of 6-months, and the course content is revised continually to keep up with the changing demands of the industry. The community is one of the most important facets of the stoa experience. It helps everyone who has done the course keep in touch and learn from each other. The community has helped people find new jobs, co-founders and make friends for life. 

The stoaMBA is designed for doers from all walks of life. It helps people move to startups, level up in their existing careers, and gives them the tools and confidence to strike out independently. That’s not all. It also helps entrepreneurs looking to take their ventures to the next level. 

In short, the stoaMBA gives an understanding of business administration theories and integrates them with practical and real-time exposure.   

The proof of this model’s success is in the numbers. The average starting salary is 15 lakh per annum. Students who have work experience of 3+ years have seen an average increase of 72% in their salaries. stoa boasts of 150+ hiring partners in more than eight sectors and a placement rate of 85%.

To know more about stoaMBA – click here.

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