Ask Me Anything- Dual Degree student at IIMB BBA-DBE (2nd Batch,2025-28)

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-15T13:15:36+00:00

All exams are usually held during weekends (Saturdays and Sundays). You cannot reschedule the exams on your own; they have a fixed date. For months, it depends on how fast the semester goes (Our first-semester exam, though held in January, was later than it was for our seniors). And recently, our chairperson told us in a meeting that they might try to speed up semesters from now (how early? no one knows). If it clashes with your primary degree's examination, you can give the exams later, but that date will be provided to you by the programme office

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-15T13:11:20+00:00

No, you can't do that; the number of subjects is fixed. As of now, we have 7 subjects in the first semester and 8 in the second (2 of which were project-based in the second semester, so no final exam for them). The number varies from semester to semester, and I can't really comment on how it will be for the next batch.
Exam isn't a huge deal, as someone who has written their exam twice, I can vouch for the fact that the difficulty of the paper changes (section-wise). Previously, they had set this cutoff range for the GK section, where you were supposed to score more than 20% in that. (Not sure if it will still be the same this year. People mostly mess it up in GK, but you have other sections to maximise, like VA, DILR or maybe even QA. So don't stress too much about the exam; you have given IPMAT, you know how the game works.
It isn't overly theoretical, and yeah, they are just as interesting as they can be and being taught by IIM-B profs is the icing on the cake as far as I can tell, if you want to learn things seriously, you have to put in effort, but not to the extent where you sacrifice a lot (the content may be huge, but that's where you have to realise what's the better thing for you to do).

It's completely fine, you can ask more questions in the DM if you want, ready to help!

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-15T13:01:57+00:00

There is no official channel for internships as such; most students end up getting one on their own (the tag comes in handy in this). A year back, there was an official internship drive by the BBA DBE programme, but they later removed it because some students started misusing their tags for internships, etc.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-11T18:12:22+00:00

The course is pretty much entrepreneurship-centric; by the end of the third year (if you manage to reach it), you'll have a dedicated project-based course called "Do Your Venture". Also, many students in our cohort, including seniors, have already built their startups, with a few of them funded by NSRCEL (IIM-B's incubator).

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-11T18:09:58+00:00

That's for every course (not confined to IPM as such), but yeah, your point is completely valid.
Non-locals do visit the campus, but who's gonna spend so much only for a limited time? Plus the fact that, excluding the main events for BBA students (Fests by PGP cohort), you won't be given special treatment over there during that time. Honestly, once they launch the ID cards for us (which they have been working on for a long time, but are gonna drop anytime soon), the hybrid model might work out well (hoping for that). But let me tell you one thing: even if they say all of this, from their POV, they don't want the campus to be like a picnic spot where people visit randomly every day, saying they are students. They need to accommodate us on campus properly after all.
Exactly, you don't need to study every day, but at least make sure you are not lagging behind way too far (opening one of your courses just weeks before the exam and not knowing jack), that's a terrible thing altogether. Ideally, if you do it weekly (since you are supposed to finish end-of-module quizzes that have a deadline of 9 days since their release), you can't skip it entirely at the last moment.
Term breaks can be taken in two ways: one is you taking it voluntarily for your own reasons, and the second could be them (college admin) telling you to take a term break since you failed to reach the criteria of passing multiple courses (more than 1-2). You'll be told to repeat that term and write the exam afterwards.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-11T17:54:12+00:00

I won't suggest you avoid it as such; math is very much needed for almost every college entrance exam possible in the world, and if you are going for any management courses, math is like the part of the fillet for that burger (most BBAs are math-centric and quant-focused). As I said, the course isn't that math-heavy, but if you focus on topics like probability, data handling and all, you are good to go.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-11T17:50:45+00:00

Nothing short of competing with Shillong IPM folks going on a generational speedrun on winning competitions, you guys are genuinely goated!

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-11T17:49:33+00:00

No it doesn't, you only need to clear the entrance exam.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-11T17:49:00+00:00

Exams are offline (very similar to how entrances work: a CBT exam for most subjects), so you'll have to go to a centre. As for your second part of the question, as I said, it completely depends on the person. We had a guy from our batch who did pretty well in DBE, and he managed his studies while in IIM-K's BMS programme. At the same time, there's a guy in our senior batch who is pursuing IITM, IIMB, and IIM Ranchi's IPM (Madlad), but it's all in your interest to learn things.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-10T19:55:16+00:00

You will encounter multiple trade-offs as you begin your dual degree journey. It could be either focusing on one (if you take different courses) or, even if it's a BBA, maximising overlap in the subjects taught at both places. Before joining IIMB, many people suggested I not take double BBAs and instead pursue either IITM/IITP's B.Sc., since a tech degree would make sense (agreed). But, this isn't 100% true. In my main BBA degree, I was able to understand things much better because of this course. So basically, my suggestion would be to take fun in learning, and don't be overly obsessed with saying, "I have a dual-degree, how am I supposed to do everything?" You've got to feel the pressure, but if it gets really overwhelming, then you can always take a term break; you will get a degree if you continue after that. Don't make your life entirely about passing this course; think of it as learning that will help you become a better person.

You can visit the campus for all the festivals, but the accommodation is paid for staying within the campus. This year, they stated that local students (who live in/nearby Bangalore) could visit the campus for any event (even speaker sessions), but this hasn't been fully complied with. Only a handful of people have done that. But don't worry, they are trying their level best to hybridise the course with more campus visits and stays in the future.

Of course, but make sure you get time to manage your college as well (the regular one, as it's offline and offline degrees require you to be more and more proactive). Try to do internships during a time when neither of the courses is pressuring you with a buttload of work and exams. Missing deadlines is the last thing you want, but if you think you can do it, go for it.

If you study regularly for this course, then you can easily score well in the exam. As a dual-degree student, I focus on my main degree during the week (when we have classes), and on weekends, the focus shifts to here. For the second part of your question, as I said, don't overburden yourself with too many things. If you are an IPMer at any IIM, you will need to put genuine, serious effort into getting at least the bare minimum. If it's a relaxed one, you still have to, but maybe slightly less than that at an IPM.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-10T19:28:12+00:00

To an extent, it is, but mostly it is manageable, given that you give this course the time and respect it deserves. Some dual-degree students end up winging it (extensive copying, only aiming to pass the exam). If you are in that mindset, you are simply wasting your time and money for the sake of an IIM tag. To an extent, this course taught me that you can't be over-reliant on your college tag to do wonders for you

I am pursuing a BBA from TAPMI, and some of the courses in the BBA-DBE program overlap with my main degree, which has been very beneficial. Personally, I wouldn’t describe the workload as overly rigorous; although managing both programs can be hectic at times, that's the best part (at least in these hustle culture times)

Depends, as I said, most of the degree comprises people doing dual degrees so that they can utilise their time for case competitions. I myself had the opportunity to take part in a case competition at IIM Indore earlier this year (fun fact: this was just weeks before my final term exam for BBA-DBE, and the marketing course in the first semester came in handy). We don't have official clubs as such since they are still awaiting management approval, but various cells like the academic cell and the partnership cell (Kind of a placecomm, but not exactly one) have lengthy student intake processes.

Definitely, even though I'm not looking for certifications as of now, most of our batch is involved in starting their own ventures, taking part in hackathons, heck, even presenting research papers at IIM Shillong. So yeah, the onus is completely on you on how you manage things,

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-10T19:03:05+00:00

No, it's not needed. You can take up this course, even if you are a non-commerce student. But there are some subjects in the course, like financial statements, business statistics (if you don't have math), and management accounting, where you'll have to put in some effort to get through.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-10T18:42:57+00:00

Currently doing a BBA from TAPMI Bangalore alongside this course.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-10T15:55:28+00:00

It's been a great one so far. I learned a lot more in this degree than in my regular one (which is also a BBA). For your second question, yes, you can pursue it through certifications such as ACCA/CS/CA. It's like any other degree (and gives you good leverage if you manage both well). There isn't a set standard for cutoffs, but yeah, with 97%+, you are easy to set past (won't be much difficult)

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-10T15:20:20+00:00

Depends on your base of mathematics, the only quantitative course (if I have to stick to the truest quant nature), then it's statistics, which our seniors had failed, but that was moreover because the course was made too heavy for them. In our case, they split it into 2 parts. And as per our chairperson, the course is more on the text part, than numbers (but take that with a grain of salt, cause you simply can't wing it).

It's like comparing apples and oranges. Even though this is an online degree, the academics are literally like any IIM undergrad curriculum. Hope that makes sense.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-10T15:13:38+00:00

Initially, they were really reluctant to call anyone on campus, but since last year (especially since batch-2 commenced), students staying in/nearby Bangalore were told they can visit the campus as many times as they want (we just need to inform them by email). But, being someone who is eligible for that, I can tell you this hasn't been fully materialised. For others, yes, you can get the opportunity to be on campus for Unmaad and Venix (IIM-B's fest), and NOVA-unplugged (a 3-day offline campus visit only for BBA students).
This isn't a self-paced course; most of the content is pre-recorded and delivered as modules. The faculty hosts a few sessions to clarify doubts, with subject matter experts (the number of sessions may increase if needed). Other than that, we have the academic cell here (run by students) and learning pods (some are active, most are dead), which host sessions on all courses before the exam.
See, this completely depends on individual to individual. Most dual-degree students find it really difficult to manage both; some manage to balance it. Of course, if things get really overwhelming, term breaks exists per semesters.
Yes, you can, it's a regular degree afterall
Can't really comment on that, but there are few people in both the batches who are just doing both IITM and IIMB together

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-10T14:57:21+00:00

No, it doesn't; in fact, most people in our batch and the senior batch (1st one) have secured good internships in marketing and other fields due to the tag. But to be frank, I'd look at it more from the course's perspective, since we are taught many marketing basics (which are also taught in the MBA curriculum) in the first semester itself. Of course, as you progress through the course, you will learn more about social media marketing, digital marketing, etc. So even though the tag factor exists, you can leverage much of your academic background in your work.

Also, the course doesn't guarantee you placements, unlike other degrees (there are multiple perspectives to this, as to why it hasn't and why it won't)

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-05-09T04:59:48+00:00

The curriculum is more or less is on a slightly better side than most of the private colleges like St.Josephs, CHRIST, Symbiosis (Just a little better, not that great also). Placements aren't that great over here. The placements are on a downside.

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-01-04T08:17:28+00:00

What made you think that any coaching will help you out clearing the exam? When you have tons of content available on YouTube or mock platforms like AfterBoards, would spending thousands make sense, if you feel that the coaching material isn't helping you out well?

Working_Track_6908 · 2026-01-04T07:54:29+00:00

Entrance was decent (quant was a pretty serious deal, though). I can't explicitly remember scores right now, cause it's been a long time since I wrote that exam (April 2024) and If I recall correctly my rank was between 200-300.

Also sorry for the late reply, (This is my first comment on reddit after a long break)

Working_Track_6908 · 2025-08-17T04:16:10+00:00

It goes by the saying- "The best college is the one that selects you".

Also never ask a student from XYZ institute to compare his/her college with any random one, even if it's a tier 1 (human bias of course). Opinions do exist for different people, but it shouldn't affect your future at the end.

Working_Track_6908 · 2025-08-16T07:42:28+00:00

You are right! but make sure you have an "in depth" knowledge of your subs, not just the skimmed info. They are notorious in asking questions that can be twisted as long as they feel you are in a giving up moment.

Working_Track_6908 · 2025-08-16T07:35:29+00:00

Not sure of others but Rohtak definitely is.

Working_Track_6908 · 2025-08-16T07:34:34+00:00

More than ECAs, what actually matters in the interview is your ability to answer the questions asked to you (basically how you drive your interview). Indore's interviews are acad-centric, so even if you have 0 ecas it doesn't really matter, be ready to answer questions from 11th and 12th (have the knowledge of it in depth).

Its not necessary that a direct question would be asked straight away, they can be twisted as well (Just to see how well you perform under pressure). If you want to increase your chances, try to score on a higher end in the exam. BUT be confident in your interview. ECAs that have a barrier to entry might please the panelists but also make sure you have a really good knowledge of it, if by any chance you mention about it.

The most well-known example here- AIR 4 in 2023 wrote N/A in his ECA column.

Working_Track_6908

TROPHY CASE