MICA PGPCME Calls out

[yettobepaid]

Spoke to a couple of people, in HR and all that. Their idea was that while recruting the look at the organisation, not the particular course you went in for. So the placements, the money will be lower. If placement is a major issue, then consider which other b-schools you're getting into? MICA none the less ought to be a decent bet.

I went thorugh the list of faculty. They're the same for both the regular PG and this in Communications Management. Plus, they other initiatives MICA Vani or the Seminars etc. will me common to all the courses.

Subjects: The list of subjects appear about 50-60 percent similar. But, the concern here for me is that the course design is not one to for someone looking to be in an agency, but, more towards the client side. To elaborate:

IMC - Intergrated Marketing Communications = Job of Public Relations, Corporate Communications

SMC- Strategic Marketing Communications = Brand Manager (Most close to a servicing and account planning)

Family Business - Self Explanatory

CVM - Corporate Venture Management = Job as a Manager in a Organisation client side. Subjects include leadership, corporate governance, capital raising. So clearly not much to do with main stream marketing communication or advertising. Yes, if you do want to get into Financial Communications, Publicity for IPOs or other such area, wher there is need to understand the general management and communications it might be great.

Note: This is something you'd have to be very clear as to why you're doing from MICA. Cause corporate governace or raising capital or any such area has not been a strenght at any level of MICA, and why go to a communication school to study this. A serious area of concern.

All in all, this is a neat fit for a wannabe PR Exec, Brand Manager, or someone with Family Business / Enterurnership ambition in Mktg Comm, but, if you're looking at a career as a Account Planner, Client Servicing, Research then you may want to think twice because it definately lacks the depth that a MICA 2 year PG can provide.

This of course would depend on the time and other b-school options you may have.

Agree, violently disagree, let me know.

I quite haven't made up my mind as yet. Will probably make that initial payment to book my seat anyway.


@ Sanna
Have seen you quite a few times on the MICA thread (or so i think)
You working in advertising only?
As you pointed out the cost of living is going to be a dencet chunk, that should be considered while considering a 2.5 lac fees.

Lastly, being a 15 month course, it would lack the sort of depth that the 2 year programme can go into.

Phew, so much so for now.

Adios,
Chinmaya

[yettobepaid]

Originally Posted by Sherlock Holmes

Puys....even i got the same letter from MICA....though my GD/PI went off well i dint get thru MICA....is this the first batch for this course??? 15 months MBA + international exposure sounds good....guys pls. post more info on this course....am confused whether i shld go for it or not??

Dear Mr. Holmes,
Yes it is the first batch of this programme. The evidence lies in the 15th August celebrations and the inguration as you may have read.
The course starts the next day in all its glory.

It is not an MBA! Not even close, its a Post Grad in Communications and yes, the exchange programme / intership abroad sounds good.

You may want to elaborate more on what exactly do you want to do, and your specific concerns against this, what options you have before any of us can offer any sort of advice.

Hope you may 'figure things out' :P
Sorry but couldn't resist a silly remark.

Ciao (in Amdavad, maybe?)
Chinmaya

[devangbparikh]

dude hve they gvn ths mail to all the mica interview candidates?
or hve they filtered thr?
regards
devang

..............................quote............... ................
Hi,
Spoke to someone in MICA, as well as made a friend call them up. Here what i found out:
- Help will be provided with accomodation, but, no campus stay
- Batch Size a maximum of 60 (which makes us guess, they would not have sent the call to more than 200 people)
- This calls gave gone to people who have appeared for MICAT, BUT, there is space for fresh entires as well. That means of all the 60 students, not all will be from MICAT, but, fresh aplicants as well.
- Placement, won't be that great, but, hell you're a post grad in communications form MICA, this does sound good.
- Fees: 2.5 lac, think it will provide a decent ROI
- New course, who care??? Its MICA (and that's old)
- A hint of skepticism (but I guess I was born that way!)
- Speaking to a few people, doing some basics analysis on the subjects they offer as opposed to the subjects in PGP Communications Mgmt, and the faculty. Will get back on this.
- Will probably take it up
- Think its a decent bet, if you want to get into an agency

Let me know what you think

Cheers,
Chinmaya

.............................end quote..............................

[yettobepaid]

Originally Posted by devangbparikh

dude hve they gvn ths mail to all the mica interview candidates?
or hve they filtered thr?
regards
devang

they probably have short listen. they're taking in a maximum of 60. so it would be crazy if they took them all. I'd think a dencent figure to speculate would be 300 calls. they would have ranking of people who did not get into mica. so a call to the next best 200-300 candidates. thats what makes sense. best would be to call and ask them. will let you know if i get hold of any other details.

cheers,
chinmaya

[yettobepaid]

Mods,
Please put up a poll for all those who plan to pay, who have already paid, to get a clear idea of how things are headed.

Thanks

[jayantkaul]

I got an email regarding this too from Mica,

really appreciate the work you did yettobepaid.
I'm still not sure wether i want to do this course or not. Does anyone have any idea about how the placement scene would be,[i know tis is a new course, and i have also heard about mica's rep.], and is the course any good(according to industry sources)??


Oh btw, i had a call from mica for the flag-ship course, but couldnt convert it. my pi went off really well, but we couldnt conclude our GE.

[Chicane]

Originally Posted by yettobepaid

Dear Mr. Holmes,
Yes it is the first batch of this programme. The evidence lies in the 15th August celebrations and the inguration as you may have read.
The course starts the next day in all its glory.

It is not an MBA! Not even close, its a Post Grad in Communications and yes, the exchange programme / intership abroad sounds good.

You may want to elaborate more on what exactly do you want to do, and your specific concerns against this, what options you have before any of us can offer any sort of advice.

Hope you may 'figure things out' :P
Sorry but couldn't resist a silly remark.

Ciao (in Amdavad, maybe?)
Chinmaya

Chinmaya,
the info surely helped .
However, my area of concern is why the need for a new and different course? And what specific areas does it target at which the current flagship course does not address.
And the course clearly talks about Entrepreneurship through mass comm.
If that is the case, where do placements figure in then?

It would be interesting to analyze the profile of people who have got the calls.Have they consciously made an effort to take a profile based approach in calling students( which ideally should be the case, as it seems to be a very niche and focussed course).

Waiting for more gyan

Also,

[yettobepaid]

Originally Posted by Chicane

1. why the need for a new and different course?

2. what areas does it target at which the current flagship course does not?

3. Entrepreneurship through mass comm. If that is the case, where do placements figure in then?

4. analyze the profile of people who have got the calls.
Have they consciously made an effort to take a profile based approach in calling students

1. My guess: They can have only so many students. 120 is their limit. So if they want more students (which the industry needs) then a new course seems to make sense. from what i know till now, its a non residential course, and classes won't be on campus. this means they can train more people, without much strain on resources and since they can have only 120 students, this new course is a way out.

2. The Current flagship course if for: Brand Mgmt, Acc Planning, Research, Media Mgmt, and Servicing.

New Course: Brand Mgmt, PR, Corporate Communications, Family Business and General Management.

These are very similar areas, but, the sort of trainning required in the new course is slightly differnet and surely has less depth than the flagship course. So in that sense, this new course is a whole lot better for someone interested in PR than the flaghship, as far as the course design is concerned. This is why i'm skeptical about how good this is if someone wants to join an ad agency.

3. The Enturrepenership deal is mention only cause it includes Family Business. You not going to become a entureprenuer by a major in IMC or SMC, at least not for a few years. Placement will be provided. This has been cleared by MICA when I called them.

4. For the profile of people, MICA is anyway a profile based calling. So would make little sense if they went through the whole deal of profiling again. Looking at the course I can't see why someone who is fit for the flagship is not right for this new course.

But, if we could all give a brief profile then maybe a pattern may emerge, who knows?

My profile: Freelancer Web Designer, Short Stints at PR agencies. Wanna be Account Planner.

---

Lastly, I continue to be a bit hesitant about the actual use of the course. I mean i'm not convinced its a great thing. So you have to put your options into consideration before you take a call.

I'm probably getting a job with a couple of great ad agencies. In that case, it might not be a such a good idea to leave that job for this course. But, If you don't have a great job, need to do a master this year, or don't have another option in terms of b-school that this won't be bad.

Finally, you'd still get the MICA stamp. No one's gonna ask you "hey, did you do the PGPCM or the PGPCME" or that what a friend in HR tellme. The faculty remains mostly the same. So it may lack the magic of the flagship course, but, there's a good chance it will help your career.

So much so for now,
Chinmaya

[vibha singh]

Hi All,,
I am also the reciever of the same mail..got the interview call for PGPCM but cudn't convert that...I am also a bit confused abt thi...

But my views are tht if u want to go for communication industry only then there is no point for waisting one more year...and convertin PGPCM next year..if u thin u wont get a similar job lik PGPCM then u will be able to develop and reach to that position in this extra one year where u will be directly after doing ur PGPCM...

also if u hav the caliber n u missed mica jus bccos of sum stupid silly reasons...u can prove urself after completing this...

but main disadvantage is that we wont have any campus to njoy as there wud be no residence as well as classes in MICA...

I think the classe will b in Gujrat Law society premises as I infreed from the broucher..

CAN pls ANUBODY GIV A LIGHT ON INVOLVEMENT OF GUJRAT LAW SOCIETY IN THIS COURSE..

What I am feelin that MICA is just givin their brand name to this course rest all will be conducted in Gujrat Law society..so thats the factpr on which I am sceptical..

Also if you are talkin abt the similarity abt the courses then it wont matter i feel so..a normal private engg. college and a IIT have the same courses (almost) for a particular branch but still we know the difference...

also as somebody mentioned that its nt good for account plannin and all tht but I feel if once u r there after doin a job 2 or 3 yrs u can switch b/w the specifications..yeah it wud be bit diff but u can do that..i have heard many people who have moved from client side to agency later on...so if u hav the passion n caliber u can prove ur self late yeah but u will need a bit diligent for that...

Pluses:
1. MICA brand name
2. Great ROI, for sure - much more than our own course.
3. Same faculty
4. Almost same course material
5. It's still a PGP.

Minusus:
1. First batch!
2. No residential stay


Please give ur views...newas my profile is

working in COGNIZANT for last two years..passed from IT-BHU..

[yettobepaid]

Strenghts
1. MICA Brand Name
2. Decent ROI on Investment
3. Similar Faculty

Weakness
1. No campus stay
2. Placements won't be competitve as compared to the flagship course
3. No classes in campus, if that's the case, infrastructure would then be an issue
4. Shorter duration, thus, lack of depth (comparatively)

Opportunites
1. Short course duration, allows you to be in the industry sooner
(not sure how big an advantage though)
2. Similar space to develop yourself as an individual (since facutly is the same, even if the course is not the 'right fit' some initiative should be able to fix that)

Areas to be confirmed
1. Same Faculty
2. Where will the classes be held
3. Role of this Gujrat Law Society
4. The precise job roles that the specialisations will facilitate
5. Inputs, as to what the indutry sense is


Random Idea
Since its a 15 month PG in Communications a second Exec MBA from a b-school is a serious possibility if the need is felt say 3-4 years down the line. Thats an idea i'm toying with.

Finally
Add any areas that may have been mixed. This will help way the positives and negatives for each individual.

Later,
Chinmaya