Symbiosis University Distance MBA Review - Good or Bad, Worth It?

Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, also known as SCDL, provides an MBA course to students, but the degree course is called Post Graduate Diploma (PGD). A PGD degree obtained from Symbiosis is the equivalent of an MBA degree from other universities. Here is a detailed account of the distance MBA course offered by Symbiosis CDL. 

What Is Symbiosis Distance Learning MBA?

Symbiosis CDL University offers the course called Post Graduate Diploma through distance mode as a course equivalent to a distance learning MBA programme. Just like a regular MBA, the Symbiosis distance MBA program offers similar specializations and is provided over a course of 2 years at the postgraduate level. It is a business management course that has been designed to provide students with the effective knowledge and skills required to excel in the field of business and business administration. 

So, if you are confused about whether Symbiosis CDL offers a distance MBA or not, the PGD (Post Graduate Diploma) course of 2 years duration is the equivalent and equally valid degree to the distance learning MBA that SCDL offers to students. 

Are 2 Year PGD Course Equivalent to Distance MBA In Symbiosis CDL?

Yes, The PGD (Post Graduate Diploma) course the equivalent to Distance MBA offered at SCDL is a two-year postgraduate level course that is offered by the university in the distance mode in a blended format. The offered courses are all approved by bodies such as the AICTE.

So, they are completely valid and credible. The courses are equivalent to a distance MBA professionally. Specializations are offered in 17 domains. The course details are given below:

Symbiosis Distance MBA Overview 2024
Course Type	Postgraduate Diploma (PGD)/Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Level of Course	Postgraduate level
Accreditations and Recognitions	AICTE
Duration	2 Years
Mode	Distance (Blended)
Specializations (2-Year: Equivalent to MBA)	Business Administration Human Resource Management International Business  Business and Corporate Laws Supply Chain Management Data Science Project Management Technical Writing in Business Management Educational Administration Banking and Financial Services Personnel and Human Resource Management Export and Import Management Customer Relationship Management Retail Management Information Technology  Energy Management  Insurance Business Management
No. of Semesters	4 semesters
Eligibility	Student having Bachelors’ Degree  from Recognized University OR Student who has completed their Bachelor’s course but awaiting results OR Students from SAARC/Non-SAARC Countries having a Bachelor’s Degree from a Recognized University
Fee Structure	TUITION FEE DETAILS: For Indian Students: Total INR 50,000  For Students from Defence Background: Total INR 47,000  NRI/ Non-SAARC Nationals: Total $1645 SAARC Nationals SAARC Nationals: Total $1300  APPLICATION FEE DETAILS:  For Indian Students: INR 1200 For Students from Defence/ Paramilitary/ Police Background: INR 1200 For SAARC/ International Students: $100
Scholarships	Scholarship Facility Available For Candidates Having A Defence Background
General Course Structure	4 Semesters with a total of 14 Courses and a Project Work
Academic Pedagogy	Online Interactive Classroom Sessions, Digital Learning Material, Physical/Printed Learning Materials, Digital Supervision and Mentoring by Experts etc.
Placement Cell and Assistance	Available

Why Choose the Distance MBA from Symbiosis CDL?

MBA courses are highly valued across the nation as well as internationally, and Symbiosis University is one of the top names in providing professional and technical courses in the nation.

So a distance PGD (or MBA) course from the SCDL is also one of the best alternatives that one can choose to go with. Some of the key factors that may make it a good choice in your case are:

• Well-Reputed Organization and University

The Symbiosis group of educational institutions is a renowned and prestigious educational group dedicated to providing students with quality education throughout decades. So, a degree from Symbiosis University (CDL) will be well-accepted and respected in both educational and professional circles, especially for an MBA course (Symbiosis is well-known for its MBA and other professional courses).

• Credibility of Degree 

Every MBA distance specialization course in SCDL (Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning) has been recognized by AICTE and so the degrees obtained after completion of the course will be completely valid, credible and acceptable in one’s future career ventures. 

• Useful Specializations

Symbiosis CDL (Center for Distance Learning) brings to students’ disposal a wide variety of specializations in MBA, that are useful and highly valued in professional and business circles. There are 17 specializations that SCDL offers to students ranging from HRM to data science to project management and so on. This would make the PGD/MBA obtained from here useful for one’s future career growth and progress.

• Blended Mode of Education 

By choosing the PGD/MBA distance course from SCDL, one can avail the benefit of a blended mode of education, i.e. get physical learning materials, digital content, classroom interaction and learning in the online mode, monitoring and supervision by mentors and faculty through digital mode. This allows the students to learn at their own pace as well as engage in active discussions and interactions with their mentors and faculty to clarify their doubts, queries, etc. 

• Availability of Placement Assistance 

The emphasis at SCDL is not only on the course completion and helping students get a degree in their specialization, but also on helping them actively find the best job opportunity for themselves, so as to further their career prospects. For this, SCDL provides placement assistance and recruitment services to the students.

Key Features of the Distance MBA Course at SCDL

Some of the key features of the PGD course that SCDL offers are: 

• This is a 2-Year Degree Course.
• The course is offered at the postgraduate level. 
• Specializations are provided in 17 areas.
• There are 4 semesters in the course with 14 courses and a Project.
• Learning materials are provided to students both virtually as well as in printed format. 
• There is facility for online faculty interactions, clarifications, digital supervision, and mentoring.
• There is placement assistance and professional training provided to students. 
• The course, although called a Postgraduate Diploma, is equivalent to the MBA course offered at other universities. 

Specializations Offered in Distance PGD (MBA) at SCDL

There are 17 specializations offered in the PGD courses at SCDL, which have been listed below:

Distance MBA Specializations 2024– SCDL
Business Administration	Human Resource Management
International Business	Business and Corporate Laws
Supply Chain Management	Data Science
Project Management	Technical Writing in Business Management
Educational Administration	Banking and Financial Services
Personnel and Human Resource Management	Export and Import Management
Customer Relationship Management	Retail Management
Information Technology	Energy Management
Insurance Business Management

Curriculum Details for MBA Course at SCDL

The course for PGD/ MBA at SCDL is offered over a duration of two years, through 4 semesters. A student is to complete 14 courses and a mandatory project work in order to complete the degree. The curriculum details for the courses are given below. 

PGD in Business Administration (PGDBA)

PGDBA further has 6 more specializations:

• Finance Management
• Marketing Management
• Management Accounting 
• Human Resources Management 
• Customer Relationship Management 
• Operations  

The syllabus for semesters I and II are common for all the specializations, and the syllabus for semesters III and IV are specialization-specific. 

Syllabus of Semester I	Syllabus of Semester II
Principles and Practices of Management	Production or Operations Management
Management Accounting	Human Resource Management
Business Law	Management Information Systems
Organizational Behaviour	Financial Management
Managerial Economics	Marketing Management
Syllabus of Semester III (all Specializations)
Syllabus of PGDBA in Finance	Syllabus of PGDBA in Marketing
Capital Market	Services Marketing
Strategic Management	Strategic Management
Corporate Governance	Marketing Research
Elective (Any 1 out of: Project Finance/ Security Analysis and Portfolio Management/Financial Institutions and Banking)	Elective (Any 1 out of: Advertising and Public Relations/ Consumer Behaviour/ Industrial Marketing)
Syllabus of PGDBA in Management Accounting	Syllabus of PGDBA in HR Management
Project Financial Management	Human Resource Development
Budgeting and Management Control	Strategic Management
Cost Planning and Analysis	Industrial Relations and Labour Laws
Elective (Any 1 out of: Strategic Management/ Strategic Management Accounting/ Strategic Finance)	Elective (Any 1 out of: Personnel Administration/ Compensation Management/ Industrial and Labour Economics)
Syllabus of PGDBA in Customer Relationship	Syllabus of PGDBA in Operations
Customer Relationship Management	Quantitative Techniques
Strategic Management	Strategic Management
Consumer Behaviour	Materials Management
Elective (Any 1 out of: B2B Markets and CRM/ Business Communication/ Consumer Protection Act, 2019)	Elective (Any 1 out of: Techniques for Operations Efficiency/ Operations Strategy/ Project Management (Operations))
Syllabus of Semester IV (all Specializations)
Syllabus of PGDBA in Finance Management	Syllabus of PGDBA in Marketing Management
Direct Taxation	Sales and Distribution Management
Elective (Any 1 out of: Strategic Finance/ International Finance/ Indirect Taxation)	Elective (Any 1 out of: International Marketing/ B2B Marketing/ Virtual Marketing)
Research Methodology and Statistical Quantitative Methods and Project	Research Methodology and Statistical Quantitative Methods and Project
Syllabus of PGDBA in Management Accounting	Syllabus of PGDBA in HR Management
Group Financial Statements	Performance and Potential Management
Elective (Any 1 out of: Corporate Governance/ International Finance/ Capital Market)	Elective (Any 1 out of: Human Resource Information System/ Organizational Development/ Strategic HR and TQM)
Research Methodology and Statistical Quantitative Methods and Project	Research Methodology and Statistical Quantitative Methods and Project
Syllabus of PGDBA in Customer Relationship Management	Syllabus of PGDBA in Operations Management
Advanced CRM	Supply Chain Management
Elective (Any 1 out of: Technology in CRM/ CRM in Service Industry/ Marketing Research)	Elective (Any 1 out of: Technology Management/ World Class Manufacturing/ Business Process Re-engineering)
Research Methodology and Statistical Quantitative Methods and Project	Research Methodology and Statistical Quantitative Methods and Project

The curricula for the other specialization courses are:

Human Resource Management	International Business
Business and Corporate Laws	Supply Chain Management
Data Science	Project Management
Technical Writing in Business Management	Educational Administration
Banking and Financial Services	Personnel and Human Resource Management
Export and Import Management	Customer Relationship Management
Retail Management	Information Technology
Energy Management	Insurance Business Management

Eligibility Criteria For Distance MBA at SCDL

To be eligible to apply at Symbiosis CDL for a distance PGDBA course, a candidate should satisfactorily fulfill the following criteria:

• Graduation for Indian Nationals

The candidate should have a valid Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. One can graduate from any stream background and pursue this course. 

• Criteria for International / SAARC Nationals

International or SAARC nationals must also have a valid graduation degree (in any stream) from a university that is recognized or well-accredited. 

• Students Awaiting Results

Students who have completed their graduation course can also apply for the course (if they are awaiting their results). However, the admission confirmation will be subject to whether the candidate successfully graduates and fulfills the eligibility criteria. 

Fee Structure for the Distance MBA at SCDL

For the fee there are three main fees that a candidate is required to pay in order to complete the course at SCDL. 

Fee Type	Amount	Time of Payment
Application Fee	INR 1200/ $ 100	Filling-up of Admission Form
Tuition Fee	INR 50,000 (Variable for NRI/ SAARC Nationals/Defence Category)	Either as a single Installment/ Two Installments
Exam Fee	Variable (Depending Upon Attempts )	Per Semester

At present, SCDL does not have any special scholarships, only a fee concession is provided to students from a Defence background. Students can make the payment in 

• A Single Installment: this needs to be paid as a one-time payment to the university within 30 days of the confirmation of the candidate’s admission. 
• Two Installments, the first one within 15 days of confirmation of the admission and the second one within 45 days of the first payment

The detailed fee structure for the Tuition fee is given below:

Category	Fee
Indian National	INR 50,000 for Single Payment 1st Installment: INR 35,000 2nd Installment: INR 20,000
Indian National with Defence Background	INR 47,000 for Single Payment 1st Installment: INR 35,000 2nd Installment: INR 17,000
SAARC Nationals	$1300 for Single Payment 1st Installment: $900 2nd Installment: $500
International/ Non SAARC Nationals/ NRI Students	$1645 for Single Payment 1st Installment: $1151 2nd Installment: $660

Payment Modes for Fee Payment

The students can make payments either 

• Through Online Payment Methods
• Through Demand Draft

Admission Procedure for the Distance MBA Course at SCDL

One can apply for the distance MBA course at SCDL by following the below listed simple steps:

1. Initially, the candidate must sign-up at the official website/ admission portal of the university 
2. After signing up with the admission portal of the university, one is required to purchase the main application form for the programme (at INR 1200 for Indian Nationals and $100 for SAARC/International Students).
3. Once the student has purchased the official application form, they are required to fill up the details in the form with the help of the login credentials shared by the university via email.  
4. One can also download the prospectus of the university for future use. 
5. The next step is to attach the important documents to the application form as mandated by the university. Some of the important documents that students are required to submit for the application are listed below:

Government ID Proof	Recent Passport-Size Photograph of the Candidate
Academic Documents (as Required)	Testimonials/Certificates of Professional Experience (if applicable)
Service Certificate/Dependence Certificate/ Discharge Book (Only for Defence Background)	Address Proof/Passport Visa in Foreing Nation (Only for International/SAARC Nationals)
Degree Equivalence Certificate from AIU (For International/SAARC Graduates)	Candidate’s Signature

1. After attaching all the required documents with their application form, the candidates must make the fee payment to the official university website, either online or through a demand draft. 
2. After this, the university will review the application of the candidate, and if the eligibility criteria along with other factors are fulfilled, their admission is confirmed. 

Academic Support at SCDL for the Course

The university offers a unique blended academic support to students that enables them to learn and apply the learnt principles and strategies effectively across a range of business and management situations. The course is offered to students in the distance mode combined with digital support. Some of the main features of the LMS and academic support available to students for this course are listed below: 

• Availability of Both Printed and Digital Learning Materials
• Online Classroom Interaction Facilities
• Online Supervision and Guidance by Well-experienced and Qualified Faculty
• Availability of Clarification and Query Sessions with Faculty held Virtually
• Online Portals for Assignment Completion and Submissions
• Availability of Student Counselors who are available to Clear Student Queries and Concerns Promptly
• Online Exam Booking Portal to Allow Easy Confirmation of Exam dates by University
• Collaborations with Corporate Firms and Organizations to provide Corporate Learning Programmes and Workshops

Examination and Evaluation Structure for Distance MBA

There are two main types of assessment for the distance MBA course at SCDL, namely, assignment-based assessment and examination-based assessment. Apart from that, students are also required to submit an experiential learning assignment, which is in the form of an assignment along with  a project work. The total evaluation is done out of 200 marks.

Assessment Type	Format	Mode	Marks
Assignment	Objective- 30 Marks	Online	30
Examination	70 Marks	Online in Exam Centre	70
Project Work	Assignment (30)+ Project (70)	Online	30 70
Total Marks			200

Placement Assistance after Course Completion

The focus at Symbiosis CDL is not only on helping the students complete their higher professional education but also to help them actively seek out their desired professional sector, job, and dream company. SCDL has an active and functioning placement cell that provides professional and placement assistance to students.

SCDL has partnered with many organizations and corporate firms to provide active placement services to the students after completion of their course. Here are some of the placements and collaborations offered by the university to students:

Bharti Walmart	Airtel	Tata Sky
Cognizant	Cipla	Reliance Retail
Aditya Birla Hindalco	BSE	NIIT
Indian Medical Association	Capgemini	Wipro

Professional Scope: Jobs, Salary after Distance MBA

MBA is a highly valued and professionally demanded degree. With the prestigious degree from Symbiosis University CDL and a specialization based on one’s preference and career aspirations, one can seek to meaningfully grow and excel in one’s career.

Some of the career prospects one can seek to explore after a distance MBA from SCDL are:

Career Prospects	Average Salary in INR
Finance Management	13,00,000 PA
Marketing Management	7,00,000 PA
Brand Management	13,00,000 PA
Financial Analysis	5,00,000 PA
Recruitment Coordination	4,00,000 PA
HR Administration	3,60,000 PA
Operations Management	7,40,000 PA
Business Development Management	5,30,000 PA
Training and Development	6,30,000 PA
International Financial Analysis	4,50,000 PA
Application Architecture	20,00,000 PA
Data Architecture	21,00,000 PA
Business Intelligence (BI) Development	6,50,000 PA
IT Management	14,00,000 PA
Software Consultancy	8,30,000 PA

SCDL Reviews: Distance MBA Course

• Course Review: the course structure is divided across a period of 4 semesters delivered over 2 years. The curriculum and specializations have been designed to tap on useful and professionally demanded areas. The course is covered through both assignments, practical tasks and examinations, which makes the course equivalent to a regular business management course. 

• University Review: the university is recognized by the AICTE. So, it is a credible university and can be a good choice for a distance university. 

• Student Support Review: Symbiosis CDL has a robust and functional student support system, including but not limited to, an effective and interactive LMS, student counsellors and call centres for query clarifications, grievance redressal bodies, placement support, on-demand examination slot booking facilities etc. So the academic and administrative support offered to students is satisfactory and systematic.

Similar Online and Distance MBA

Some of the other universities that offer an distance / online/ blended MBA courses are:

University	Accreditations and Approvals	Mode
Hindustan Centre of Open and Digital Education (CODE)	UGC-DEB, AICTE, NAAC, NIRF etc.	Distance Blended
D. Y. Patil University- Centre for Online Learning	UGC-DEB, AICTE, NAAC, NIRF, AIU, ACU, WES, ISO etc.	Online
Chandigarh Online University	UGC, NAAC A+	Online
NMIMS Online University	UGC-DEB, NAAC A+	Distance
Manipal Online University	UGC, AICTE, NIRF	Online
BITS Pilani WILP	UGC	Distance Blended