As part of the BSchool’s that are not ordinary we are happy to induct a B-School that students often have queries about – The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal.
IIFM was established by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India in 1982. The institute offers a post graduate diploma in forestry management (PGDFM). A student may specialize in any of the following three areas:
- Conservation and Livelihood Management
- Development Management
- Environmental Management
The PGDFM offered by IIFM is recognized by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and equated to a corresponding Masters Degree of an Indian University by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The course curriculum of IIFM includes all the general management courses in addition the courses related to the above specializations and create a niche for IIFM students in the fields of Banking & Finance, Research & Consultancy, Wildlife and Conservation, Rural development & livelihood, Corporate sustainability, Corporate social responsibility, Eco-tourism, Business development and Marketing etc.
Fee Structure
The fee structure at IIFM is probably one of the lowest in the country. The 2 year fee (all inclusive hostel et all) is Rs 4 lacs only and for SC/ST candidates there is a further relaxation and the 2 year fee is only Rs 2.4lacs. For a detailed breakup you can visit : http://www.iifm.ac.in/pgdfm
Further starting 2015, IIFM has introduced a performance linked merit scholarship scheme where approx. 20% of the batch will get a scholarship of Rs 5000/mth after the end of the first term.
Placements
IIFM placed a total of 76 students out of a batch of 82 in 2014. The remaining 6 students either opted out of the process or were barred from the process.
IIFM has a healthy mix of jobs from the government and the private sector. As a lot of these jobs are not in the major metros and hence include a significant amount of perquisites including boarding, lodging, mobile reimbursements etc. Hence I am sharing the audited placement data in two categories, pure CTC salaries and others (salary + perquisites).
Pure CTC salaries
- Employers in this category include ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, microfinance companies and research and consulting organizations as well as ITC and NCDEX.
- The highest package offered was in the business consulting space and crossed Rs 7lacs per annum with an average of 5.25 lacs per annum
Salary + Perquisites
- Employers in this category are state government organizations such as the MP Forest Department, MP Horticulture Board, State Livelihood Missions and welfare organizations such as Srijan, WWF etc.
- The average take home salary is Rs 4.21 lacs per annum with a maximum of 4.98 lacs per annum. However each of these roles has significant perquisites which include housing, lodging, mobile reimbursements, travel allowances, medical insurance etc.
Selection Process
An applicant must have a min 50% aggregate score in their graduation (45% for SC/ST/DA(PWD)) to apply for IIFM. Students can apply to IIFM, Bhopal with their CAT’14/XAT’15 scores. In 2014 the CAT percentile cut off in the general category was around 80%ile. 2015 is the first year in which IIFM is also considering XAT scores, hence there is no trend available however this should be similar to the CAT %ile cut off.
After a first round shortlisting basis CAT/XAT scores candidates will have to appear for Group Discussion and Interview before a panel from IIFM. The process may also include a written assessment test in some cities if candidate profiles are very similar. The second stage selection process is conducted in Delhi, Bhopal, Kolkata and Bangalore.
The application deadline for IIFM Bhopal is 16th February 2015. If you have any queries please submit the same in the query form below and someone from IIFM will be getting in touch with you.You can also click on the following link to apply to the institute:
For further queries, please fill in the form given below.
All the best
Niharika Mittal
I never thought of enrolling for forest management till i came across your blog. in the upcoming years evironment is going to be the key areas for studies and if I enrol for this type of course today I am sure I get a lot of opportunities later on.
Dear Aniket
Good to see somebody who understands the importance of not-so-popular specialisations! There’ll definitely be opportunities.. Keep your eye out and all the best!
Whta is the minimum cat score required for an obc with 65% in both graduation and +2 and 78% in 10 to get a call from top b schools?
Sahil, you can refer to our tool IIM Profilizer to check your chances for top IIMs. You need to secure 98%tile or above for top B schools.
Sir,
I am a fresher and i have been selected for iifm and ximb-rm. could you please tell me which one is better in terms of future prospects and placements
Vaishali, IIFM should be considered between the two options. If you are interested in MBA in forest management, then it is one of the best institute for the same.
SIr, I have converted IIFM. Am a fresher. Should i join it or take some work ex and prepare for better clgs? bcoz honestly i dont know whether am interested in forest managment as of now. Will it be a right decision to join it now? pls guide…
Sharma, it is premier institute for an MBA in Forest Management. If you wish to pursue a career in that specialization then you should join IIFM. However, if you aim for better institutes then retake CAT and the other MBA exams.
Sir, if one have to choose between iifm and ssc cgl 2016 as a fresher which one should he opt for?
Sharma, it is completely your call whether to do specialization in Forest Management or SSC CGL 2016. If you are inclined towards doing an MBA, then go for IIFM.
IIFM, BHU, Army Institute of Management and Calcutta University, which option is good.
Having 4 yr of work exp
Dheeraj, since you have a work ex of 4 years, it is suggested to go for EX MBA. These institutes will not add much to your profile. Prepare for GMAT and target ISB Hyderabad.
i got call call from iifm. what kind of placement should I expect there? I got 90 percentile in cat and no work experience. graduated in 2013 with 80%
Anuja, IIFM has an average salary between 5-6 LPA. It is visited by companies like iCICI Bank,SKS Microfinance,Sahayog Microfinance,Axis Bank,SBI,India Finserve,Microsave.
If you are inclined towards Forest Management then you should take up this institute. Otherwise, try to target to better institutes for MBA.
My xat score 75.838 and GK is 78.92, do i have stand at IIFM. Is there a possibility that i will be getting a call for GE-PI. Please help
Thank You
Sukanya, there is a slim chance for getting a call from IIFM.
Sir
2 years left for my graduation
And my profile is X- 6.8 CBSE
X11- 5.2
FRESHER
what should be my strategy for the preparation of CAT
What are the chances of getting iifm with such profile, how much %ile is required for getting into the iifm.
Hemendra, if you are enrolled in a classroom program, it is important to always stay ahead of the class. Take a couple of weeks to go through your classroom and coaching material. Go through the concepts to ensure that you are thorough with all the basic formulae & techniques of solving different question types by August end. Practice all the Level-1 and Level-2 MCQs. Avoid the very difficult questions as this year too CAT is expected to be easy-moderate level of difficulty.
2 weeks into your preparation, start taking 1 Mock CAT per week. Each practice test and Mock CAT should be analyzed in detail to ascertain what worked or did not work for you. Spot the important questions that appeared in the mock. These important questions should be revised once a week.
The analysis process is explained in my blogpost Things you must-do after every mock you take.
Effective mid-September you should move to 2 Mock CATs per week and once you finish your practice material start attempting CAT 1990-2008 papers.
In addition to the above you should be reading the editorial, business and international pages of an e-paper daily (Indian Express or The Hindu).
The cutoff for IIFM is 70%ile in CAT.
Mica or iifm?
Sir i will a love travel job or govt job.
which college will be better for the purpose ?
Sorrab, MICA is a much better institute and should be preferred especially if you are interested in marketing.
sir what should be my choice welingkar or IIfm. i’ve got a call from both these colleges
Ashish, while Welingkar has an advantage of being in Mumbai and IIFM offers a niche program in Forest Management, my preference is for IIFM as the placements are similar with a lower fee. Also IIFM allows you good opportunities in developmental organisations also.
thanku sir….
Sir, I have wl/ 7 in iifm and a ubs call.My cat percentile is 91.75 and 22 months work exp in CSR.Please guide me which institute to take among the two.
Victtor, UBS Chandigarh has not had good placements and hence you could prefer joining IIFM.
If you can increase your CAT score to around 95%ile then you should consider going for a retake.
sir,
I Scored 94 percentile in XAT and I have converted IIFM. Since I am a fresher, I am undecided between joining IIFM and taking a drop and preparing for CAT 2016. Please guide.
Amaanat, IIFM is a compromise for someone with a 94%ile in XAT and I agree your decision for a retake. Suggest that you pick up a job and prepare simultaneously.
SirI have FMS BHU in hand and I m w/l 33 in IIFM. Will I be able to get through in IIFM? And which one will be better between the two?
I am in general category.
Vivek, you will most probably get through to IIFM Bhopal.
I would go for FMS BHU as IIFM is a sector specific course and will have restricted placement opportunities. In terms of package too FMS-BHU is likely to be marginally ahead of IIFM. Please check the placement reports of the two and then decide.
Placement report of FMS-BHU
IIFM placement brochure
thanx for the reply sir. I am joining FMS BHU..
sir plz rank in order,,nibm,ubs,pumba,welingkar,iifm,mbe du
Kalpak, please refer to the post Jayein toh jayein kahaan 2015: Which Institute? for my order of preference.
Hello, i want to know about NMIMS-Banglore, SIIB and SIBM-Baglore, which amongst the three is better and why.
Thanks in advance for answering my query.
Soham, based on placement record my order of preference is SIIB Pune, SIBM Bangalore and NM Bangalore.
Sir I have scored 75 percentile in CAT, Can I consider IIFM Bhopal as one of the option or wait for the call from new IIM’s, what do you suggest.
Prateek, IIFM is possible as its cutoff is likely to be 70%ile. New IIMs are not likely at 75%ile
SIR,
I want to seek your opinion about IISWBM Kolkata…
I have got 80.4 percentile in cat 2014 and have applied there, so I wanted to know wheather IISWBM is a good option to do my MBA from…
Rahul, yes it is a good back up option.
Sir, I have 78.22 percentile in CAT ’14.What are chances of getting call?I have a environment background in studies.I am really interested in this course.
Which other institutes should I apply for?
Anne, unfortunately no good institutes are possible at your score.
Hello Sir,
My cat percentile is 94.49 and qa=96 va=81. Would it be worth joining IIFM or IMT G. what would you suggest?
Rishav, IMT G is acceptable but not IIFM.