When I was young, much younger than I am now, you could count the number of business schools in India on one hand. Today, India has a whopping 3,644. Asia, excluding the Near and Middle East, has roughly the same number and they are increasing by the day. Unfortunately, several business schools are strangers to the humanities and social sciences. But La Trobe Business School (LBS) is not.
Part of the multi-campus La Trobe University (LTU) in Victoria, Australia, LBS despatches students to discover the joys of travel and hospitality in Malaysia and Vietnam. Equally, if not more importantly, LBS mandates sustainability as a subject for all bachelor students as well as a subject that includes ethics. “Various other subjects in both bachelor’s and master’s degrees address these important issues,” says Prof. Jane Hamilton, Dean and Head of LBS. “The future of education is in developing soft skills, interpersonal skills and the ability to create,” she adds.
Sought after
Popular with Indian students, La Trobe registered a 32% increase in commencing students from 2016-2017. Preferred courses for Indians this year include Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Financial Management and Analysis, International Business, Professional Accounting, Business Analytics, Project Management and Marketing.
“Indian students do very well in academic performance. They are very clever in choosing courses which will help them progress in their careers,” Prof. Hamilton says.
Scholarships
LBS offers scholarships which are worth up to 25% fee reduction for the entire degree. Available for many undergraduate and postgraduate courses, the scholarships, are limited in number and based on prior grades and studies.
The highest takers come from India, according to Prof. Hamilton who was in Mumbai recently to share new developments catering to Indian students, after a whistle stop tour of Kathmandu, New Delhi, Chandigarh and Pune. A major announcement pertained to the introduction of a new intake for select postgraduate business courses in January 2019, with accelerated study programmes to allow completion in a shorter time than before. This option is also available in undergraduate programmes.
Students can start with two subjects for an intensive six-week period in January/February, then enter the March and July semesters with four subjects per semester. They can complete two subjects in the next January/February. They are also allowed to work 20 hours a week and full-time between semesters.
Students with a business background can complete their master’s in just over one year, while those without a business background will have to add one more semester for completion. At present, LBS has 1,200 Indian students pursuing their master’s out of the total number of 2,500.
Work ready
The Bachelor of Business degree offers a solid core in business with work-ready skills. It is also flexible and students can add electives in areas of their choice. “Indian students are very entrepreneurial and want to start a business at the earliest,” observes Prof. Hamilton.
LBS' Bachelor of Accounting is accredited with Australian professional accounting associations (CPA Australia/CAANZ) and offers integrated learning opportunities. As regards career opportunities, students must be prepared for a variety of positions within accounting services, auditing and assurance, taxation advisory, liquidations, and business consultancy.
New subjects have been introduced in response to business trends to meet the needs of the industry and changes in the job market. These subjects include Big Ideas in Business and Digital Business, both of which are part of the Bachelor of Business.
“Jobs have grown from 4,000 to 60,000 this year. Business analytics is the job of the future,” says Prof. Hamilton. LTU’s industry-focussed MBA is accredited by EPAS (the international programme accreditation system operated by the 800-member strong European Foundation for Management Development) and offers an opportunity for students to participate in an Enterprise Learning Project within an organisation.
LBS had a three-year research MoU with the Indian Premier League team Kings XI Punjab. Students also get the opportunity to work as interns at hockey and football tournaments in Australia.
