Online MBA in HR vs General MBA in India: Which Program Is Better for 2026?

2 minute read

Aastha Kumari

Aastha Kumari

Update on 10 Dec, 2025, 04:06 PM IST

In today’s digitised world, students prefer flexibility in education, with the quality being compromised; therefore, to meet the standards, online MBA programs are a top choice for working professionals and recent graduates. The online MBA programs offer a variety of specialisations like IT management, HR and Finance, etc. Among all, for the aspirants of people management, the best online MBA in India is the Human Resource (HR) specialisation.

 

Table of Contents

  1. What is an Online MBA in HR?
  2. What is a General Online MBA?

 

What is an Online MBA in HR?

The online MBA in Human Resource Management is a postgraduate degree with a duration of 2 years. It aims at developing talent acquisition, relations with employees, management, labour laws and organisational behaviour. Students who want to engage in workforce management and alignment of HR strategy with business goals must opt for this specialisation in an online MBA.

 

The Core Subjects include:

  • Talent Management
  • HR Analytics
  • Industrial Relations
  • Organisational Development
  • Performance & Appraisal Systems

 

What is a General Online MBA?

In a General MBA, there is a much broader understanding of management functions. It doesn’t include just one specialisation but a more integrated curriculum, including finance, marketing, operations and HR fields.

 

The Core Subjects in the General MBA include:

  • Financial Management
  • Marketing Management
  • Operations Management
  • Strategic Management
  • Organisational Behavior

Top Universities Offering Online MBA (HR & General) in India

University Name

Specialisation Offered

Fee Range (₹)

Avg. Salary (₹ LPA)

Placement Support

Manipal University Jaipur

HR & General MBA

₹1,75,000

₹5.5

Yes

NMIMS Global

HR & General MBA

₹1,96,000

₹6.5–7.2

Yes

Jain Online

HR & General MBA

₹1,96,000

₹5–6.5

Yes

Symbiosis (SCDL)

HR & General MBA

₹1,50,000

₹4–6

Yes

Chandigarh University

HR & General MBA

₹60,000–₹1,00,000

₹4.5–6

Yes

LPU Online

HR & General MBA

₹1,56,000

₹5–6.5

Yes

IGNOU

HR & General MBA

₹62,000

₹3.5–5

Limited

The students must compare and verify certain factors that are crucial in determining which institute provides better facilities for the best online MBA programs in HR and General specialisations.

 

After the comparison made between 7 universities based on fee structure, average salary and placement support provided for online MBA in HR and General MBA, the Manipal University Jaipur is highly preferable because it has an advanced LMS. It provides robust placement support, and the curriculum is industry-relevant, especially in the HR specialisation of the online MBA.

 

Career Scope: After an Online MBA in HR

 

There are several job roles where students can make their career after an online MBA in HR. Some of them are mentioned below:

  • HR Manager
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist
  • Compensation & Benefits Manager
  • Learning & Development Head
  • HR Business Partner
  • Organisational Development Consultant

 

After the successful completion of an online MBA in HR specialisation, several companies hire HR MBAs with a good salary package ranging from Rs. 4.5-10 LPA, which varies according to the company and the experience level of students. Some of the companies are:

  • IT & Software
  • FMCG
  • Manufacturing
  • E-commerce
  • BFSI
  • Healthcare

Career Scope After a General Online MBA

 

As compared to the MBA in HR specialisation, the General MBA provides a diverse variety of job roles to students who are confused about their career preferences. The average salary package after a General online MBA is approximately between Rs. 5 and Rs. 12 LPA.

 

Job roles provided after a General Online MBA:

  • Business Analyst
  • Marketing Manager
  • Product Manager
  • Project Lead
  • Operations Manager
  • Management Consultant

Who Should Choose an Online MBA in HR?

  • The people who like to work with people around them have good interpersonal skills or want to develop such skills, along with employee development management.
  • The people who have some experience in the field of HR or who want to upgrade their skills for leadership development.
  • The online HR MBA is the best for those who are serious about maintaining culture at their workplace and employee recruitment.

Who Should Opt for a General MBA?

  • The people who have not yet decided on their specialisation in a particular field and are aspiring to learn about business.
  • Those who are aspiring to start their own business, or want to become a consultant or who want to be a leader.
  • Aspirants seeking flexibility, wider job options, and exploring more.

Comparison of the fee structure between the online HR MBA and the General MBA

University

HR MBA Fee

General MBA Fee

Manipal

₹1,75,000

₹1,75,000

NMIMS

₹1,96,000

₹1,96,000

Jain

₹1,96,000

₹1,96,000

IGNOU

₹62,000

₹62,000

Conclusion

 

Best Online MBA in HR and General MBA are good options, and the choice made depends on the future aspects and career goals of the students. The students can go with an HR MBA if they are looking for talent management and building culture within an organisation and the workplace. A general MBA can be opted for in case the students want to lead a team, desire flexibility or start a business of their own.

Frequent Asked Question

A:

Only those online MBA programs, whether in HR or any other specialisation, which have been provided by a university having approval from the UGC, are valid for jobs and competitive exams

A:

It is possible to change domains into some other field after pursuing an online MBA in HR, but the condition is that the student must have some relevant experience. 

A:

Typically, General MBA graduates earn more, especially if they move into finance, consulting, or product roles.

A:

Manipal University Jaipur is one of the universities that provides one of the best online MBA programs. It provides services like robust placement support, an excellent LMS system and an industry-relevant curriculum.

A:

The students are eligible to go for their studies, like a PhD after an MBA, only if it is done at a reputed and UGC-approved university. 

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