Why do Prominent Business Schools Ask for Prior Work Experience?
  • Courses
  • Why do Prominent Business Schools Ask for Prior Work Experience?

Why do Prominent Business Schools Ask for Prior Work Experience?

#MBA
Moksh DheriUpdated on 24 Dec 2024, 05:50 PM IST

Many prominent business schools require candidates to have some work experience. Generally, students should have work experience of two to five years in relevant disciplines. Now, the question arises, as to why leading business schools require prior work experience.

This Story also Contains

  1. Why do Top B-schools accept students with prior experience?
  2. Benefits of having prior work experience
  3. Conclusion
Why do Prominent Business Schools Ask for Prior Work Experience?
Why do Prominent Business Schools Ask for Prior Work Experience?

MBA and PGDM are among the popular postgraduate management degrees offered by business schools. Graduates learn the fundamentals of business management, good communication skills, leadership and managerial skills, and job-specific skills such as problem-solving and decision-making.

“Is having prior work experience essential to apply for an MBA” is a debate that has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the recession. Those in favour of the argument agree that having work experience is important before applying for an MBA as it gives them a competitive edge. However, others may argue that an MBA provides a good platform for experiential learning by including internships and project work in the course curriculum.

How much work experience is required?

There is no fixed criterion as to how much experience is required for enrollment in an MBA. Many business schools do not even require prior experience. Some of the top B-schools offer admission to their postgraduate programmes based on entrance exam scores and work experience, such as IIM Ahmedabad requires 4 years of work experience for their PGPX programme. Similarly, IIM Udaipur requires 3 years of work experience for an MBA in Global Supply Chain Management and IIM Calcutta accept students with 5 years of experience for the MBA Ex course.

Why do Top B-schools accept students with prior experience?

Apart from the candidates, many business schools also benefit from candidates having prior work experience. While graduates having work experience gain a competitive edge over other applicants, business schools also benefit by enrolling qualified candidates.

  • An MBA graduate having prior work experience is more likely to get a chance to directly apply for senior-level positions after graduation which contributes to the placement statistics of the institute.
  • Working in a corporate environment, allows the candidates to learn many crucial skills such as decision-making, problem-solving, managerial skills, and time management.
  • Business schools may also benefit from having qualified students with work experience due to their knowledge.
  • Working in a corporation is one of the best ways to network. It will allow the candidates to make the best use of these connections to land their dream job.
K J Somaiya Institute of Management MBA Admissions 2026

Highest Package 27.25 LPA | Top 100 Average package 16.65 LPA | AACSB Accredited | Ranked 52 by QS International

MIT World Peace University MBA Admissions 2026

Highest CTC 30 LPA | #9 in Management Category by Times B-School | Merit-Based Scholarship Upto - 50 Crores

Benefits of having prior work experience

Candidates also benefit from having prior work experience. Students gain various practical skills that are highly desired by employers due to their real-life work experience. Listed below are some of the benefits of having prior work experience before an MBA:

  • Experienced candidates can directly apply for senior-level job roles and earn handsome salary packages.
  • Students having relevant experience and practical knowledge will be able to apply theoretical concepts learned in lectures.
  • Students can save the money to pay for the tuition fees.
  • Having some work experience also helps the candidates in deciding the area of study and job profile to apply for.
Top UGC Approved Colleges for Online MBA
Download this ebook and get all details related to the top UGC approved colleges for Online MBA.
Download List Here

Read further: For further information on MBA, students can read the articles mentioned below:

Hari Shankar Singhania School of Business - MBA 2026

TOP-NOTCH PLACEMENT SUPPORT

VIT Chennai BBA Hons./B.Com Hons. Admissions 2026

#14 in India by NIRF Ranking | Institution of Eminence by Govt. of India | Scholarships Available | Highest CTC 1 Crore

Conclusion

Many candidates may have this question in their minds, “is prior work experience a necessary criterion for an MBA?”, the answer is no. When discussing an MBA, work experience does play a crucial role, however, many B-schools do not require work experience. That does not mean that it is an ideal approach. One cannot deny the fact that prior work experience plays a significant role in management education.

Upcoming Exams
Ongoing Dates
VITBEE Application Date

31 Oct'25 - 12 Apr'26 (Online)

Ongoing Dates
B-MAT Application Date

19 Nov'25 - 8 Feb'26 (Online)

Certifications By Top Providers
Online MBA
Via Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida
Biomolecules Structure Function in Health and Disease
Via All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi
Online Course of Indian Constitution
Via NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
Study from Still Life
Via Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi
Advanced Constitutional Law
Via National Law University, New Delhi
Corporate Law
Via National Law University, New Delhi
Udemy
 3320 courses
Edx
 1992 courses
Swayam
 1936 courses
Coursera
 1660 courses
NPTEL
 1258 courses
Futurelearn
 1074 courses
Explore Top Universities Across Globe

Questions related to MBA

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to MBA ?

Anyone who has completed a bachelor's degree is eligible for Online MBA . For some online MBA courses, especially for Executive MBA, you will require at least 2-3 years of relevant work experience and sometimes a valid CAT, MAT, or GMAT score.

For more, read Online MBA Admission: Eligibility, Selection

Yes, an online MBA degree is UGC-recognised which making it highly relevant in 2026. It holds the same value and credibility as a on-campus programme. Due to its flexible nature, working professionals and graduates prefer an MBA in online, flexible mode to upskill themselves while working.

For more details, check

The Jain Entrance Test (JET) 2026 for MBA admissions at Jain University is a multi-stage process designed to evaluate candidates' aptitude, communication skills, and subject knowledge. The written exam syllabus typically includes sections on Mathematical Skills, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, and General Knowledge. After the written test, qualifying

Hello,

Yes, after completing a bachelor’s in pharmacy, you are fully eligible to appear for the MAH MBA/MMS CET exam.

For Eligibility Criteria for MAH MBA/MMS CET 2026 you can access mentioned link below:

https://bschool.careers360.com/exams/mah-mba-cet

Hope it helps.