IIM Kozhikode

Basics

Country

India

City

Kozhikode

Campus(es)

Kunnamangalam campus

Parent university

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

Selected programme

Post Graduate Programme in Business Leadership (PGP-BL), Batch 08

Programme type

MBA-equivalent (one-year, full-time)

Credential awarded

PGDM or MBA, pending Government decision

Format priority tier

Experienced-professional equivalent (tier 1)

Language of instruction

English

Accreditations

AACSB, EQUIS, AMBAWeb, Oct 2026

Research round

Shortlisted (3 Oct 2026)

Selection rationale (full)

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PGP-BL is the best match to the requested one-year experienced-professional category: the school explicitly designs it for graduates with work experience, requires at least four years of post-graduation work, and accepts GMAT. This rubric tier denotes the priority for one-year executive/explicitly experienced-professional programmes; PGP-BL itself is full-time residential, not an executive MBA. A regular two-year MBA is not substituted.[102][104]

Timeline and duration

2027 intake

First week of April 2027

Start date evidence

Official 2027

Approx. start date

5 Apr 2027

Orientation / immersion

Global immersion (travel extra)

Start details (full)

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IIMK lists class commencement in the first week of April 2027. As of 3 October 2026, Phase 3 applications are open through 20 November 2026; the listed PI dates are 12–13 December 2026.[101][102]

Selected duration

12 months, five terms of 8 to 9 weeks

Duration (months)

12 months

Duration details (full)

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One year; full-time and residential, organized across five terms of 8–9 weeks. IIMK describes it as a one-year programme following an MBA curriculum; it is not a part-time/workingexecutive MBA.[101][102]

Application window

All deadlines

Phase 1: 15 Jul 2026 (closed) [Web: IIMK important dates] Phase 2: 31 Aug 2026 (closed) [Web: IIMK important dates] Phase 3: 20 Nov 2026 [PI 12 to 13 Dec 2026]

Rounds already closed

2 of 3

Next open deadline

Phase 3, 20 Nov 2026 (40 days)

Interview dates

12 to 13 December 2026

GMAT plan

GMAT route

Accepted (GMAT, GRE or CAT)

Alternative tests

GRE, CAT

GMAT Focus accepted

Yes, explicitly

Score validity

3 years

Score-sending code

D3Z-SQ-80

Minimum or recommendation

None published

Policy details (full)

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For the India application route, IIMK’s 2026 PGP-BL policy lists GMAT (alongside GRE/CAT) as an eligible test and expressly says GMAT Focus Edition scores are also accepted; scores must be from the previous three years and official GMAT scores sent directly to IIMK (code D3Z71 SQ-80). CAT is not used in this assessment. No school-published GMAT minimum, percentile cutoff, or incoming-cohort average/median/range is stated in the current materials reviewed.[80][101]

Strategic Focus target

655+

Basis of target

655 is about the 90.5th percentile

Target round

Phase 3, 20 Nov 2026

Sit GMAT by (final attempt)

30 Oct 2026

First attempt by (with retake buffer)

18 Sept 2026 (passed, single attempt only)

Target reasoning (full)

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Advisory target: 655+ on GMAT Focus, not an IIMK requirement or predicted admissions threshold. Transparent basis: GMAC’s official concordance table associates Focus 655 with legacy GMAT 700 at the table’s 90.5th percentile; the same table also maps 645 to legacy 700 at 86.7th percentile because concordance uses score bins. Use 655+ as an ambitious preparation goal given the lack of IIMK score statistics and her experience beyond the school’s stated 4– 7-year expectation, not as evidence of an IIMK admit cutoff.[80][101]

Score statistics

Focus evidence (full)

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IIMK expressly documents acceptance of GMAT Focus Edition for PGPBL admission, but publishes no Focus-specific minimum, percentile floor, cohort average/median, or score range in the materials reviewed. Do not treat an external score-concordance benchmark as an IIMK cutoff.[80][101]

Legacy evidence (full)

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The current admissions page lists GMAT scores from the previous three years and separately states that GMAT Focus scores are accepted too, supporting a GMAT route for legacyscale applicants as well as Focus applicants. No separate legacy GMAT cutoff or admitted-class average/ median/range is published in the current materials reviewed.[80][101]

Costs

Tuition / programme fee

INR 22.5 L

Tuition in INR (approx)

INR 22.5 L

Fee year

PGP-BL 08 / 2027 (official)

Application fee

INR 3,000

Other compulsory fees

Mess extra; immersion travel extra

What the fee includes

Delivery, books, campus accommodation, immersion coordination

Fee details (full)

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IIMK’s current PGP-BL fee page (updated 3 October 2026; PGP-BL 08/2027 intake) lists INR 22,50,000 programme fee and INR 3,000 non-refundable application fee. The programme fee includes delivery, books/instruction material, in-campus accommodation and facilities, plus programme/coordination fees for international immersion. Mess/canteen is extra and use-dependent; international-immersion travel and stay are extra. The fee page links a PGP-BL 08 fee breakup; confirm the instalment schedule before accepting an offer.[104]

Living cost estimate

Twin-share AC hostel included; mess extra

Living cost basis (full)

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Kozhikode campus, one-year residential programme: IIMK says incampus air-conditioned, twin-share hostel accommodation is included in the programme fee. Mess/ canteen charges are additional and use-dependent, and travel/stay for the international immersion is extra. IIMK does not publish a separate numeric annual living-cost or meal estimate on the cited fee/FAQ pages, so a total living budget cannot be verified from official sources.[103][104]

Estimated total (approx INR)

INR 22.5 L (tuition only)

Rankings and strengths

FT Global MBA

#65 (FT Global MBA 2026, PGP-BL)

NIRF (India)

#3 (NIRF Management 2025, institute)Web, Oct 2026

Ranking details (full)

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Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2026: #65 worldwide for IIM Kozhikode. IIMK’s own ranking table labels the relevant listing “Financial Times MBA (Global – PGP BL),” linking the programme to that ranking; this is a global programme ranking, not a domestic rank.[106][107]

Known for

Digital business strategy, analytics, global immersion

Known for (full)

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An intensive one-year residential leadership programme for experienced graduates, with five short terms, foundational and functional business courses, leadership and responsible-business content, reflective/experiential learning, electives, industry engagement, and a dedicated two-week international business-school/industry immersion (subject to the stated contingency). IIMK says it provides best-effort placement assistance.[102][105]

Class profile

Placements and careers

Placement / offers

61 students, 55 offers, 54 companies

Salary

Average INR 25.19 L, median INR 24.76 L, highest INR 36.45 L

Report year

PGP-BL05, Class of 2025

Outcome details (full)

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Latest directly located IIMK programme-specific report: PGP-BL05, Class of 2025. It reports average CTC INR 25.19 lakh, median CTC INR 24.76 lakh and highest CTC INR 36.45 lakh; 61 participating students, 54 companies and 55 offers, with six students placed through offcampus opportunities. The report cautions that CTC may include fixed/variable pay, ESOPs, joining and/ or retention bonuses and excludes company perks; it does not state a placement percentage. These are cohort outcomes, not admission cutoffs or promises for the 2027 cohort.[103][105]

Eligibility

Degree

Graduation with 50%

Minimum marks

50%

Minimum experience

4 years full-time after graduation by 31 March 2027

Preferred experience

4 to 7 years expected; no upper cap

Experience counted to

31 March 2027

Current employment needed

Not required

Employer sponsorship

Not required

Essays

Goals statement and alternative-resume essay

Interview

Personal interaction

Eligibility details (full)

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Requires at least four years of full-time remunerative work after graduation by 31 March 2027; part-time, project, internship, articleship and pre-graduation work do not count. The policy/FAQ reviewed do not require an applicant to remain employed or list employer sponsorship/endorsement as an admission condition. Her March 2026 resignation is not itself disqualifying; she must document qualifying prior employment and meet the unstated-in-profile graduation threshold of at least 50%. IIMK says there is no upper work-experience limit, while noting its expectation that candidates with 4–7 years may leverage the programme better, so nearly nine years merits a clear rationale rather than automatic exclusion.[103]

My profile fit

Fit rank

#6 (India)

Eligibility verdict

Meets (check 50% marks)

Experience vs cohort

About 9 yrs vs 4 to 7 yr expectation

Main risks and trade-offs

Above expected experience; credential pending

Why it fits (full)

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The one-year format fits her 2027 timeline and uses prior work experience rather than requiring a career reset into a longer regular MBA. Her B.E./technology background and almost nine years at Accenture can support a credible transition from technology delivery into broader business leadership, technology consulting, product or strategy roles; the curriculum includes digital business strategy, analytics, finance, marketing, operations, strategy, leadership and a global immersion. The programme is explicitly designed for experienced professionals, although she should address why PGP-BL remains the right next step after more experience than IIMK’s stated 4–7-year expectation.[102][106]

Profile fit (earlier round)

Not in research

Actions to strengthen

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1. Confirm her B.E. aggregate meets IIMK’s minimum 50%/equivalent requirement; obtain semester/year transcripts and the university’s grading conversion if needed. 2. Take the GMAT Focus early enough for an official score report and application submission; use 655+ only as a strategic target, not a school cutoff. 3. Collect employment/relieving letters, role and date evidence, and other official records proving at least four years of full-time remunerative post-degree work by 31 March 2027; show measurable scope and progression at Accenture. 4. Build a concise career-transition narrative from technology delivery to a defined business-facing target role and sector, with a realistic short-term step and long-term leadership goal. 5. Use the required goals statement and alternative-resume essay to evidence leadership, initiative, collaboration, social sensitivity and personal dimensions beyond job titles; quantify project outcomes and influence without overstating ownership. 6. Prepare for the personal interaction with examples of leading through ambiguity, stakeholder management, team impact, ethical judgment and current business awareness; be ready to explain why a one-year leadership programme is timely after nearly nine years of experience.[101][104]

Open questions to confirm

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Research cutoff: 3 October 2026. The 2027 commencement date is officially published, not inferred. Final credential is not settled: IIMK’s FAQ says the final certificate for these full-time one-year IIM post-graduate management programmes depends on the Government of India’s decision and could be a Post Graduate Diploma in Management or MBA degree; do not assume PGP-BL guarantees a degree titled MBA. Candidate’s graduation percentage is not provided, so eligibility is conditional on the 50%/equivalent minimum. IIMK states no upper experience cap but says 4–7 years may be better positioned. GMAT score statistics and an admissions cutoff are not published. Placement results are historical cohort outcomes, and the programme fee excludes meal/mess charges and immersion travel/stay.[101][104]

Full dossier

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK), Post Graduate Programme in Business Leadership (PGP-BL), Batch 08 (2027 intake)