Navi Mumbai, Aug 3: Most MBA graduates pursue professional certifications separately, investing additional time and money to strengthen their profiles before entering the job market. At ITM Business School, MBA iConnect students graduate with core skill building professional certifications matched to their specialisation and to the roles recruiters hire for, built directly into the programme at no extra cost.
These are not generic certifications. Each is aligned to a specific specialisation and recognised within its respective industry. A Financial Markets student walks out with NISM Series V-A, XV and VIII and CISI Affiliate Membership, credentials that are widely recognised in roles such as research analysis and mutual fund distribution. An International Business student earns the ICC Academy’s Digital Trade Strategy certification and Customs and EXIM Finance from the World Trade Centre. Digital Marketing students collect Meta, Google, HubSpot and SEMrush certifications, the tools widely used across the digital marketing industry. Operations students graduate with a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and SAP Material Management. Human Resources students complete analytics-focused certifications from EY and Thomas Assessments.
When pursued independently, the International Business stack alone runs close to ₹68,000 on the open market, while Operations certifications are about ₹23,000 and HR exceeds ₹19,000. At ITM, none of it comes with a price tag, and none of it requires a student to hunt down a separate course provider on their own. ITM’s unique learning module directly plugs in these certifications as part of the curriculum in each semester and these carry academic credit to ensure students actually dedicate themselves to learn these skill sets. Capstone projects & 5 month internships directly test their knowledge through practical requirements.
Here is why that matters beyond just the savings factor. A resume already lists a student’s projects and internships, but a recruiter has no easy way to verify those claims on sight. A recognised certification helps bridge that gap by providing independent validation of the knowledge a resume claims. In financial services, a NISM certification immediately signals domain knowledge to recruiters, it is more than another line on a resume and gives a definite upper hand to an ITM student over a competitor at an interview.
“We don’t want our students walking into interview rooms with an MBA degree alone. Wewant them to walk in with proof, and a solid portfolio of work, backed by credible sources.” said Dr. Lakshmi Mohan, Pro Vice Chancellor, ITM Business School. “A degree tells a recruiter what a student studied. A certification is recognised evidence of a student’s knowledge and capability. That’s the difference we wanted to make. Today our students experience superior confidence and recruiter interest. They actually carry a stack of certifications that even top industry professionals keep looking out for. “
By integrating these certifications into the curriculum, ITM Business School aims to ensure graduates enter the job market with qualifications that complement their academic learning and industry experience.