functions such as Community Mobilization and Institution-
building, Microplanning, Societal Analysis, Participatory Rural
Appraisal, Development Program Management, Development
Finance and Rural Project Financing, Microfinance, Gender,
Governance and Social Entrepreneurship.
Elective Courses
offered in the second year provide advanced
learning in specific areas of the student’s interest, termed
as concentrations. Electives are offered in the management
functional areas, and in others such as Agriculture Input and
Output Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Transformational
Leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility, Natural Resource
Management, Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation
and Development Training.
Rural Living and Learning Experience (RLLE)
is a mandatory
segment. MBA-RM graduates must have the willingness,
capacity and drive to learn from and about the lives of people
in their area, and students are therefore attached for six weeks
to a development organization, and live in a project village.
They complete a live project, and systematically study and
analyse village society, economy and polity and the difficulties
faced by communities. They are often placed in underserved
rural areas, and their research and documentation conveys
the local situation to the outside world, adding value to
the communities and organizations which host them. The
Participatory Rural Appraisal exercises, and micro research
and field application projects included in other courses also
develop understanding of rural realities.
Management Training
segments include the RLLE, and the
Summer Internship Program (SIP) in which the students work
during for six to eight weeks with reputed organizations.
The SIP enables experience of the working environment
and managerial practices. In the live assignment in the
organization, students apply the development management
concepts, theories and frameworks learnt in the classroom,
and get the opportunity to learn the nuances.
Seminars and the National Colloquium in Rural Management
are core requirements, and feature eminent speakers from the
rural management field to discuss the field’s development,
issues and future directions. In the Development Ethics
Seminar, students discuss the ethical responsibilities and
dilemmas of a development manager, and learn of ways to
make principled choices and decisions.
Immersion Courses
are taught by thought leaders and
professionals in the industry and social sectors, and enable
students to broaden their horizons, learn of cutting-edge
developments and explore emerging opportunities. Students
musttakeatleasttwoofthesenon-creditedcourses.Immersion
topics have included Geographical Information Systems,
Business Planning for Social Enterprises, Product and Brand
management, Commodity Trading, ICT for Governance, Human
Rights and Social Justice, Renewable Energy Management and
Quality Certification systems.
Industry Interface & Practical
Exposure
The MBA-RM students organize and conduct a number of
events and activities, geared to design and develop their
managerial and team-work capabilities and also increase
their involvement with local communities and with industry
segments. A flagship event is the Gramotsava, a weekend of
rural and social marketing fairs organized in villages in the
region. Students undertake live projects in partnership with
sponsoring organizations, and collaborate with the village
leaders and the community to organize the events. In the RLLE
mela at the end of their village stay, students share the details
of the village, their experience and the projects undertaken
with the students, faculty and visitors of XUB. The RMax – the
association of the RM students – organizes Abhivyakti, the
annual Rural Management Conclave, with senior leaders from
industry and sector organizations; it also publishes Dhwani,
the rural management magazine and organizes case-writing
competitions during the year. Leadership Talks are also
a regular feature, bringing business and social leaders to
campus to interact with students.
Academic Calendar
The MBA-RM academic year comprises three terms of
approximately 12-14 weeks. The RLLE segment is part of Term
II in the first year, and the SIP is scheduled for 6-8 weeks
between terms III and IV. The weekly schedule typically has
16-20 sessions, which include classroom sessions and
time for other segments such as the NCRM and the DES.
The Gramotsava, Abhivyakti, RLLE Mela and some other
co-curricular events are scheduled on working days, while
Leadership Talks and Immersion courses are often organized
over some weekends.
Extra-curricular Activities:
XSRM encourages students to develop team skills and
citizenship qualities through participation in interest-specific,
voluntary student associations and other pursuits such as
sports, social service, book clubs, music, debates, quizzes,
contests, etc. A large number of Student Committees and
Associations promote student engagement in co-curricular
activities.
DEGREE
The Xavier University awards the MBA in Rural Management
Degree to students who successfully complete all curricular
requirements equivalent to 110 credits, and fulfil other
prescribed requirements of the MBA-RM Program. The Degree
is awarded to qualifying students in the Annual Convocation,
usually in the month of March/April.
Xavier University Bhubaneswar
Inspiring Futures
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