With online education becoming more popular, many students and working professionals wonder: Is an online MBA accredited and truly valid? As careers require more flexibility and ongoing upskilling, online MBAs have become a practical alternative to traditional programs. This blog addresses common concerns about accreditation, validity, eligibility, fees, approvals, placements, and prospects of an online MBA, enabling you to make an informed and confident decision about your management education.
Online MBA Degree Advantages:
There are multiple advantages of pursuing an Online MBA degree. An online degree might sound like a risk to many; however, when pursued by the right university with all the approvals, there are more advantages than you believe. If still not convinced, then check the following benefits:
Affordable:
Money becomes one of the biggest deciding factors while choosing to pursue an MBA, as a regular MBA is the most expensive course in India. The total fee for an online MBA degree is comparatively less than that of a regular MBA degree. Therefore, an Online MBA degree has an edge in this aspect as it is affordable and teaches a similar curriculum within the same time framework of 2 years.
Uncompromising Work Ethic:
An online MBA degree is a big sigh of relief for those young working professionals who can not afford to take a break in their career to pursue a full-time 2-year MBA course. An online MBA degree helps them in many ways. They do not have to leave their jobs, which helps them with a constant source of income. There is no break in their career, which gives them an edge over those individuals who have to take a 2-year break to pursue a regular MBA.
There is another advantage of pursuing an online MBA. Many companies and organisations pay the program fee for their employees who are working as well as studying to upskill themselves. Since an MBA graduate would be a great asset to their organisation, they pay either partial or complete tuition fees.
Study From Home:
Another advantage of an Online MBA degree is that it is a flexible learning system. You can study from anywhere and at any time of the day. You will have access to the study material and the recorded lectures to be able to study at any time. You even have the advantage of giving your project submissions and exam dates within a certain period. This is extremely advantageous as you can give the exams at your own time in case of any emergencies.
Validation:
The MBA Online in India has been approved by the Distance Education Board (UGC-DEB), NIRF, and given equal status as the regular MBA programs. The Online MBA degree is as valid as the full-time regular MBA degree.
MBA Online Degree Eligibility:
There are two types of Online MBA degrees. One is the general 2-year online MBA. The other is the 1-year online Executive MBA, which is designed specifically for working professionals. The eligibility criteria for them are as follows:
2 Year Online MBA Eligibility:
To be Eligible for admission to an online MBA in any university, you must have passed graduation or equivalent from any board of education that is recognised by the government of India. You must score a particular minimum aggregate in graduation to be eligible. This minimum aggregate marks criterion varies among different universities. Most Universities consider students with at least 50% aggregate marks in graduation.
1 Year Online Executive MBA Eligibility:
For an Online executive MBA, apart from passing graduation from a recognised institution, candidates must also have a minimum of work experience as specified by the university to which they apply for admission. Most universities require at least 2-4 years of work experience, preferably in the corporate sector.
MBA Online Degree Admission Procedure:
As this is an online MBA, most admissions steps occur online. While details may vary by university, the basic process is as follows:
Step 1- For admission to any university for an online MBA degree, you will first have to register with that particular university. The registration is usually through a registration or application form, wherein you have to fill in basic details about yourself. These include your personal details, academic and professional details. You will also have to pay an application/registration fee at this stage. The registration fee might range between INR 1000-2000?/-.
Step 2- After applying/registering at the university/college, you will have to submit your documents to the administration for verification. These include all your academic documents like your school and college mark sheets, photo identity proof like Pan card/Aadhar card, etc, work experience certificate in case of online executive MBA, passport-size photos, and any other document or certificate as specified by the university.
Step 3- The third step in the admission process varies greatly across universities. This step includes a selection test or a personal interview. Some universities might consider any one of them, some others might consider both of them, while some do not consider any of them at all. In case there is a selection test or a personal interview, then the information regarding the same is conveyed to the students via email. The selection test and the personal interview are both conducted in an online format in most cases.
Step 4- This is the step where you pay the program fee. A maximum of colleges provide the facility to pay the fee through both online and offline methods. Loan facilities are also given by some colleges. In some cases, such as a selection test or personal interview, only those who pass the entrance will be required to pay the fee and will be eligible for admission.
Step 5 – This is the final step of the admission process. After all your documents have been verified and the fees you submit have been approved, your admission will be processed, and you will be issued your student ID or enrollment number, as per the university guidelines.
Online MBA Degree Approvals, Colleges & Fees Structure:
While selecting a university for your online MBA degree, it is crucial to choose the right university. By the right university, what we mean is you must choose a university whose degree is valid. The universities must have the right accreditations and approvals so that the online degree that they offer holds validation. The university must be approved and accredited by any of the following:
- University Grants Commission (UGC)
- Distance Education Bureau
- National Assessment and Accreditation
- All India Council Of Technical Education (AICTE)
Online MBA Degree Fee Structure:
One of the best advantages of an online MBA degree is that it is much more affordable in comparison to the regular MBA programs in India. The fee structure of an Online MBA makes it a very pocket-friendly course. Hence, the online MBA degree is a blessing for all those talented individuals who drop their dreams of becoming great managers and administrators because of the sky-high fee structure of the regular MBA degree.
The Fee structure of some of the best universities for online MBA is given below:
| University Name: | Total Fee |
| Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) | ₹1,44,000/- |
| Lovely Professional University (LPU) | ₹1,56,000/- ₹1,42,000(If paid Lumpsum) |
| Amity University | ₹2,64,000 ₹2,55,000(If paid Lumpsum) |
| UPES | ₹1,45,000 |
| Chandigarh University | ₹26,400 |
| Jain Online University | ₹1,20,000 to 2,00,000 |
| Online Manipal University | ₹1,50,000 |
MBA Online Degree Placement and Future Scope:
After completing your MBA, you are eligible to get jobs at big firms irrespective of the type of degree, whether a regular MBA degree or an Online MBA. Both regular and online MBA degrees hold equal weight. The placements that you get are based on the disciplines you specialise in.
Prestigious Colleges provide placement assistance to both their regular as well as online learners. The university assists you in building your resume/CV, Navigating Interview processes, Exploring Internship opportunities, and participating in virtual job fairs. Some universities assist you at all stages of your career, even after you graduate from college.
Conclusion:
An online MBA is as valid and recognised as a traditional MBA when it’s awarded by a university approved by bodies like UGC, AICTE, or UGC-DEB. Built for modern learners, it gives flexibility, lower costs, and industry-relevant learning without sacrificing academic quality. With proper approvals, reasonable fees, solid placement support, and growing employer acceptance, an online MBA is a dependable, future-ready choice for students and working professionals alike. Whether you want to move up in your career, build new skills, or grow as a leader, an online MBA offers a credible route to long-term professional success.