IIFT MBA IB Working Professionals 2026-29: Programme Structure, Weekend Timings and Specialisations

The IIFT MBA IB Working Professionals 2026-29 programme spans 3 years and 9 trimesters, with classes held every Saturday (3:00 PM to 7:15 PM) and Sunday (9:00 AM to 6:15 PM) at the IIFT New Delhi campus — so you keep your job while earning a full MBA in International Business.

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) runs this part-time MBA as a direct replica of its full-time residential MBA IB — same subjects, same faculty, same academic rigour, delivered entirely on weekends. The 2026-29 batch follows the same curriculum template used by previous batches. If you have 3 or more years of managerial work experience and want a flagship IIFT degree without a career break, this programme is built for exactly that.

• Duration: 3 years, divided into 9 trimesters (approximately 3 trimesters per academic year).
• Weekend timings: Saturday 3:00 PM – 7:15 PM and Sunday 9:00 AM – 6:15 PM; the first week of each trimester runs as full-day intensive sessions from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM.
• Curriculum parity: Full replica of the IIFT MBA IB full-time day programme in course content and faculty.
• Specialisations: Finance, Trade, Marketing Strategy, Human Resource Management, Information Technology, and Economics.
• Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of 3 years of managerial work experience as on 30 June 2026.
• Campus: IIFT New Delhi, Qutab Institutional Area.

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IIFT MBA IB Working Professionals 2026-29: Programme Overview

The MBA in International Business (Weekend) is IIFT’s executive management programme for working professionals, leading to an MBA in International Business degree from IIFT — a Deemed University under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. Because the curriculum mirrors the full-time day programme, the degree carries the same academic standing.

The programme runs for 3 academic years across 9 trimesters, with 3 trimesters per year and each trimester lasting approximately 4 months. The 2026-29 batch is structured on the same academic framework used in previous cohorts.

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Weekend Class Schedule and Campus

Regular weekend classes for the IIFT MBA IB Working Professionals 2026-29 batch run on Saturday from 3:00 PM to 7:15 PM and on Sunday from 9:00 AM to 6:15 PM. At the start of each new trimester, the first week shifts to full-day sessions from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM on both days to cover orientation and intensive course content.

The Saturday afternoon start is a deliberate design choice — it allows you to complete a half-day of work on Saturday and still reach the IIFT Delhi campus by 3 PM. Sunday is the longer contact day, with over 9 hours of instruction. All sessions are held in-person at the IIFT New Delhi campus in Qutab Institutional Area.

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9-Trimester Course Structure of IIFT MBA IB 2026-29

The 9 trimesters are divided equally across 3 years. Year 1 builds the management foundation, Year 2 deepens core international business knowledge, and Year 3 moves into advanced subjects and your chosen specialisation electives. The table below reflects the expected year-wise curriculum arc based on the structure of previous batches.

The subject list above is based on the curriculum of previous batches and is expected to be similar for 2026-29. The final trimester-wise course plan will be confirmed by IIFT at the commencement of the programme.

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Specialisations and Elective Format

In Year 3, you select 18 elective credits from IIFT’s six functional specialisation areas. The elective structure gives you two paths:

• Dual major with minor: 6 electives in each of 2 functional areas and 3 electives in a third minor area (total: 18 credits).
• Triple major: Major in 3 functional areas, credits distributed as per programme norms.

Your chosen specialisation areas are reflected in the final degree transcript. Most students choose Finance and Trade or Marketing Strategy and Trade as their dual major combination, given IIFT’s core institutional focus on international commerce.

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Course Delivery and Pedagogy

The IIFT MBA IB Working Professionals programme uses the same faculty pool and teaching methodologies as the full-time MBA IB. The primary mode is classroom instruction on weekends, supported by case discussions, research work, and practitioner sessions.

• Classroom instruction: Faculty-led interactive sessions at IIFT Delhi on weekends — the core of the programme.
• Case method: Real-world international business cases are used extensively, especially in trade, finance, and marketing courses.
• Research and project work: In the later trimesters, you complete individual and group research projects aligned with international trade themes.
• Industry and practitioner sessions: Guest lectures from trade officials, export promotion body leaders, and global business practitioners supplement classroom theory.
• Learning management system (LMS): Digital access to pre-reads, course materials, and assignments so you can prepare for weekend sessions during the week.

Because the programme is a full replica of the day MBA IB, the academic rigour and assessment structure — including examinations, group assignments, and project evaluations — are on par with the residential programme.