Indian Institute of Management - Tiruchirapalli (IIM-T) that started functioning from this academic year with a strong faculty line-up and impressive admissions is all set to enter the league of well-established IIMs by offering a fully-residential Fellow Programme in Management (FPM), equivalent to doctorate, from the coming academic year.
With 12 well-qualified teachers, including a French faculty member teaching Human Resource, on its rolls in the very year of its start, the institute, now on the verge of adding two to three more faculty members by the start of the next academic year, has made provisions to admit 10 candidates for FPM.
The financial component is one of the attractive features: a monthly support of Rs. 30,000, the highest by any IIM in the country, would be provided to a selected candidate, IIM-T Director Prafulla Agnihotri said.
Applicants will be tested for their innovative skills, the uniqueness of their specific area of research interest, and aptitude in Finance and Accounting, Marketing, Economics, Quantitative Techniques, and Operations Management. The chosen candidates will also be involved in teaching assignments, Dr. Agnihotri said.
The endeavour to create quality knowledge through the rigorous process was in recognition of top-order intelligence of present-day students. Teachers ought to be a step ahead, according to V. Gopal, Professor of Finance and Accounting and Dean (Academics).
The FPM adheres to the values of professional ethics, intellectual honesty, rigour in teaching and research, interdisciplinary and integrated approach, and grand picture solutions. Though students can complete the programme in four years, they are expected to complete it within five years against the maximum duration of eight years, he said.
While FPM is oriented towards training students for careers in research, it is highly valued by academic institutions. Leading Indian companies, MNCs, investment banks and consulting firms also value their training for certain positions requiring specialised research skills.
Programme structure
First three of the six phases in the initial two years constitute rigorous course work in area of interest and other areas of management interspersed with summer research work.
It will be followed by a Comprehensive Qualifying Examination, submission and defence of research proposal, and final submission and defence of thesis, Mr. Gopal said.
The Comprehensive Qualifying examination will be in two parts: written examination in chosen area of specialisation, and a viva in the particular area and other related areas.
The scholarship will be increased by Rs. 5,000 after the comprehensive qualifying examination. After the initial four-year period, the fellow programme committee will extend the scholarships for six months, for a maximum of two times.
Eligibility
Candidates with an MBA degree or a PGDM from IIM or professional qualification CA, ICWA, CS or other equivalent qualification from India or abroad or first class B.E/B.Tech/B.Arch with at least 21 months of work experience as of June 15, 2012, or a master's degree in any discipline other than management with at least 21 months of work experience as of June 15, 2012, or M.B.B.S degree with a valid score of CAT GATE or GMAT or GRE during 2011 are eligible.
The financial support also entails a contingency grant of Rs. 25,000 per year on a reimbursement basis for purchase of hardware, software, books, databases, and data collection expenses for a maximum of four years.
Also, the institute will support up to Rs.1,50,000 per student during the stay as full-time students for attending national and international conference, for those completing the Comprehensive Qualifying Examination successfully.
