How Online Degrees Can Help Women Achieve Leadership Roles

How Online Degrees Can Help Women Achieve Leadership Roles

#MBA
Team Careers360Updated on 17 Jun 2025, 03:49 PM IST

Women professionals in India continue to face significant barriers in accessing leadership positions due to gender biases, family obligations, and limited access to upskilling opportunities. However, online degrees are minimising these challenges by offering flexible, affordable, and career-relevant education options. An online bachelor’s or master’s degree can serve as a powerful catalyst in helping women step into leadership roles across various sectors.

How Online Degrees Can Help Women Achieve Leadership Roles
Leadership Roles for Women with an Online Degree

Benefits of Online Degrees for Women in Leadership

Online degree courses offer numerous benefits to learners some of which are as follows:

1. Flexibility Around Personal Responsibilities

Many women juggle careers with care giving duties. Online programmes allow learners to study at their own pace without relocating or compromising family obligations. This flexibility is crucial in supporting long-term career growth and helps women lead both their professional and personal lives effectively.

2. Access to High-Quality Education

Reputed institutions now offer online MBA, online MCom, or online MSc programmes with the same curriculum and faculty as their on-campus programmes. This ensures that women have access to top-tier education and the best hiring opportunities, regardless of geographic constraints.

3. Cost-Effective Career Advancement

Online degrees are generally more affordable than full-time on-campus programmes. This cost efficiency removes a major barrier that often prevents women from pursuing further education.

4. Confidence and Credibility

Completing an online degree, particularly from a recognised institution, increases self-confidence and professional credibility. It also enhances the chances of women to get promotions and handle managerial responsibilities.

5. Networking and Mentorship Opportunities

Many online degrees offer access to alumni networks, peer groups, and virtual mentorship programmes. These can help women gain visibility and build strategic relationships essential for leadership growth.

Also Read: Top 5 Online Degrees in Major Domains to Pursue in 2025

Skills That Support Leadership Roles

Online degree programmes equip women with both technical and interpersonal competencies crucial for leadership:

  • An online degree helps women develop their strategic decision-making

  • Online programmes help women improve in project and team management

  • Through peer connection, they can adapt to business communication

  • They learn and practice data analysis and reporting

  • They will be taught conflict resolution and negotiation

  • They get to witness the innovation and change management

  • Through an online degree, women learn financial planning and budgeting

SDA Bocconi IMB Admissions 2026

Applications Deadline - 22nd January 2026 | Offers full-time PGP in International Master in business (IMB) Equivalent to MBA under following specializations Marketing, HR, Operations, and many more

IFMR Graduate School of Business MBA Admissions 2026

Application Deadline 15th Jan’26 | UGC Approved Programs | Near 100% Placement Record | Up to 100% Scholarships | Highest CTC 21.32 LPA

Top Industries Where Women Can Lead With Online Degrees

Sector

Leadership Opportunities

Information Technology

Project Manager, Product Head, Technology Director

Finance

Financial Analyst, CFO, Risk Manager

Education

Academic Dean, Department Head, Curriculum Lead

Healthcare

Hospital Administrator, Public Health Director

Media and Communication

PR Head, Content Strategy Director, Brand Manager


Also Read: Are Top Online Degrees Expensive?

Salary Prospects After Online Degrees

Role

Salary Range (per annum)

Project Manager (IT)

Rs. 12 lakhs to Rs. 22 lakhs

Financial Manager

Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 20 lakhs

Academic Programme Head

Rs. 8 lakhs to Rs. 15 lakhs

Digital Marketing Lead

Rs. 7 lakhs to Rs. 18 lakhs

Public Health Director

Rs. 9 lakhs to Rs. 17 lakhs

Note: Salaries vary depending on the industry, organisation size, location, and the individual's work experience. These figures are based on publicly available data from AmbitionBox, Payscale, and Glassdoor as of 2025.

Final Thoughts

Online degrees have emerged as a transformative tool in empowering women to break the glass ceiling and step into leadership roles. They offer a unique blend of flexibility, affordability and career advancement, making them especially suitable for women navigating multiple responsibilities. By investing in an online degree or an online MBA, women can unlock doors to leadership roles that were previously hard to access due to societal or logistical constraints.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is financial aid or a scholarship available for online courses?
A:

Yes, many institutions offer need-based or merit-based financial aid and scholarships for online learners.

Q: Which online degree is best for leadership roles?
A:

Programmes like Online MBA, Online MSc in Business Analytics, and Online MCom are popular among women aiming for management and leadership roles.

Q: Do I need to quit my job or family duties to study online?
A:

No, the key benefit of online education is its flexibility. You can study without interrupting your personal or professional commitments.

Q: Are online degrees recognised by employers?
A:

Many top employers now recognise online degrees, especially if they are UGC-entitled or provided by reputed institutions such as IIMs, IITs, or top universities.

Q: Can an online degree help me become a manager or director?
A:

Yes, if pursued from a recognised university and paired with relevant experience, an online degree can significantly boost your qualifications for leadership roles.

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Questions related to MBA

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to MBA ?

Hello

With an NMAT score of 205, you have decent chances in good mid-tier MBA colleges.
You may get calls from NMIMS Hyderabad or Indore, but the Mumbai core is usually slightly higher.
Colleges like SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, BML Munjal, and IBS Hyderabad are realistic options.
Some reputed private B-schools may also consider you if sectional cutoffs are clear. Overall, 205 is a fair score that can lead to a solid MBA college with good planning.

You can refer to the link I am attaching for more details: CLICK HERE

CAT does not restrict eligibility based on stream. Candidates from commerce, arts, science, engineering or any other background can appear for CAT and apply to MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top B-schools.

The basic eligibility criteria for CAT are:
You must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university with at least 50 percent marks (45 percent for SC, ST and PwD categories). Final-year graduation students are also eligible to apply.

Being a commerce graduate can actually be an advantage in areas such as accounting, finance, economics and business studies, especially during MBA coursework in finance, marketing and operations.

After qualifying CAT, admission depends on multiple factors including CAT percentile, academic background, work experience (if any), performance in GD, WAT and personal interview rounds. Many IIMs and B-schools follow a diverse academic background policy, which means non-engineering candidates, including commerce graduates, often receive additional weightage.

Apart from IIMs, several reputed institutes such as FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, and many state and private universities also accept CAT scores for MBA admissions.

So, as a commerce graduate, you are fully eligible to appear for CAT and pursue an MBA, provided you meet the minimum academic requirements and perform well in the selection process.

If you want, I can also help you with realistic CAT percentile targets based on your academic profile or suggest suitable MBA colleges.


Hello aspirant,

First-year MBA fees in India vary greatly, ranging from less than rupees one lakh for government/distance programs to rupees ten to twenty-five lakhs or more for elite private B-schools (such as ISB, IIMs, and XLRI). The majority of elite private institutions charge between rupees eight and twenty-five lakh for the entire two-year program, indicating that first-year expenses are substantial.

For more information, you can visit our site through following link:

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/mba-fee-know-how-much-your-mba-will-cost-in-top-b-schools

Thank you

Hello,

Transferring mid-stream from an online MBA to an offline MBA is generally very difficult and rare, requiring a fresh application and usually withdrawal from your current program. You can apply for a new offline MBA after completing your online MBA or even while pursuing it (with caution), provided your current university is recognized.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello

You have scored 234 (QA: 78, VA: 84, LR: 72), you have a higher chance of getting a call from the NMIMS Mumbai MBA Core call, as it is the nearest score to the 235 cutoff. You have a good score in the verbal subject and have a decent score in QA/LR, which makes a call quite possible. It also depends on the final year's cutoffs and the specific section requirements. Around 230-250 marks are considered a good score. I hope this information helps you.

Thank you.