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MBA vs. PGDM: Understanding the Difference

1 Dec 2020

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With the rise of corporate culture as well as encouragement to entrepreneurship in India, more and more students are opting for management studies. There is no dearth of institutes and universities offering postgraduate programs in management. In fact, Delhi & the NCR regions have close to 3,500 management institutes offering a wide range of courses all under the same academic bracket – MBA courses in Delhi. However, Indian students often find themselves faced with the choice of two such courses, namely MBA and PGDM. Candidates are often unsure about the difference in titles as well as the content. This leads to much confusion regarding which course one should opt for, and why. Here’s your guide to understanding the difference between the MBA and PGDM courses in India.

Let’s explore the difference between PGDM and MBA.

Decoding the Terminologies

Although, both courses essentially train you for managerial and leadership positions, there are quite a few technical differences. Perhaps the most striking among these are the formal names of each. The full form of MBA is Master of Business Administration, is a postgraduate degree. On the other hand, the PGDM full form is Post Graduate Diploma in Management. This PGDM program is a diploma.

What is MBA?

MBA or Master of Business Administration is a Postgraduate Degree in Management offered by most of the management colleges and universities across the world. As MBA is a master’s degree, only recognized institutions affiliated to reputed universities can offer a degree in Business Administration. Such universities follow a single curriculum designed for the course while offering bachelors, masters or doctorate degrees.

Why should you consider doing an MBA ?

Master’s of Business Administration is a distinguished degree that accelerates career aspirations of students keen to pursue a management career path. It also gives early level professionals an opportunity to jump to senior positions with greater responsibilities. MBA course duration is usually 2 years. There are a number of reasons to do an MBA.

What is MBA?

Most candidates pursue MBA programs with a sole purpose to hone their skills and become entrepreneurs and business leaders. The best part about pursuing an MBA is that the course is not restricted to a field. It is not of relevance if you have an engineering, commerce or an arts degree. What is important is that you want to make a career in management and are interested in a particular functional area. However, there still are some key factors that you MUST consider before choosing an MBA program. This step is crucial as your entire career depends on it.

Types/ specializations of MBA courses?

In India, there are 3 types of MBAs –

Full time MBA courses
Accelerated One-year MBA courses
Part-time MBA courses
Executive MBA courses

Irrespective of the type of MBA you opt for, just adding an MBA course can make your resume robust and can boost your career prospects.

Top 10 MBA Specialization in india

Now, coming to PGDM –

What is PGDM?

PGDM means Post Graduate Diploma in Management is a diploma course and not a degree. PGDM can also be offered by autonomous institutes (not affiliated to any university). Such institutes cannot offer an MBA degree. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approves colleges to offer PGDM courses. The curriculum is also based on a blend of industry requirements and incorporates key features from AICTE’s model curriculum.

Why should you consider doing a PGDM course?

Post Graduate Diploma in Management is meant for students straight out of college looking for a management career, or professionals with a experience of around two years wanting to advance their career prospects. The PGDM course is beneficial as candidates who are business-centric and focused on innovation and sustainability, are in huge demand. The program gives the students an extensive and an immersive exposure to all the concepts of management.

The idea of PGDM programme is to integrate learning and exposure across all functional areas and also increase awareness. Some of the curricula of PGDM programmes are innovative, and incorporate the cutting edge trends in the industry. Internships are also mandatory and a part of the curriculum to give the students meaningful industry exposure and experience, helping them develop their professional goals. The sole aim of the PGDM program is to develop a well-rounded personality that is ready to take on the rigorous business world.

Types/ specializations of PGDM courses?

The students of the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) programme are exposed to the following functional core courses, in the first year. They then choose their specializations accordingly, in the second year.

The popular specializations are –

Marketing
Finance
Analytics and Human Resource.

In a nutshell –

MBA vs. PGDM: Affiliation and Accreditation

As MBA is a degree, it can only be offered by universities and institutes affiliated to universities. Their curriculum is accredited by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

On the other hand, autonomous bodies like IIMs are not authorized to offer a degree. Therefore, their course, the Post Graduate course in Management is recognized as a diploma and is regulated by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

MBA vs. PGDM: Academic Differences

As mentioned earlier, while both courses aim to train you in management and administration, their approach differs significantly. While an MBA course tends to be more theoretical, a PGDM focuses on the technical aspects, providing exposure to real-life business situations. Also, a PGDM is very different from a one-year PGP offered by many private institutes all across India. Another advantage of a Post Graduate Diploma in Management is, as it is offered by autonomous institutes, the curriculum can be upgraded more frequently to include the new changes and trends in business management. However, if you wish to pursue higher education abroad, a PGDM is considered to be a diploma, while a university-affiliated MBA is counted as a degree, giving you a better standing.

MBA vs. PGDM: Curriculum

MBA vs PGDM - Curriculum

Though MBA and PGDM courses may not differ vastly. We all understand that management is a dynamic sector, and a lot of changes happen every day. Having the same curriculum year by year can set the students back. Due to the rigid stance of most of the universities, they don’t change their syllabus as per industry requirements for MBA. PGDM courses, on other hand, have no such concerns. Because of their autonomous nature, institutes are very sensitive to the changing demands of the industry. The PGDM syllabus changes to ensure students are up to date with current industry trends. PGDM courses are much more adept in being industry-ready.

How it Impacts You Professionally?

In India, as well as overseas, both MBA and PGDM courses are regarded as having equal value when it comes to career prospects. Having a PG diploma instead of a degree is certainly not considered to be a drawback. It is the reputation of your university or institute and more importantly, your professional capabilities that truly matter. Now that you have a better understanding of the differences between the two programs, you can go through the MBA and PGDM course details, evaluate the courses and choose as per your academic and professional preferences.

How is SOIL as a B-school? Why should a candidate opt for SOIL for their MBA / PGDM courses?

SOIL, based out of a start-up and innovation hub, hub began its journey almost a decade ago. Published by the ABP Group, Business World Magazine (leader in business news) ranked SOIL Institute of Management in the 18th position on its “Top B-schools for 1 year MBA” list.

Top B-school-One-Year Programmes

Rank

Name

City

Zone

Leadership (15)

Leadership
Excellence

Knowledge
Creation
(25)

Global
Interface

Intellectual
Capital

Innovation &
Incubation

Insititutional
Capabilities (25)

Faculty

Infrastructure

Transition from
Knowledge
Force to Work
Force (30)

Industry
Linkages

Placement

Finance(5)

Return of
Investment
(Roi)

Total

100

Indian School of Business

Hyderabad

South

9.8

99.8

XLRI Xavier School of Management

Jamshedpur

East

4.6

9.5

9.1

14.3

9.2

9.3

17.5

4.6

92.1

MDI Management Development Institue

Gurgaon

North

13.1

14.3

9.1

8.6

13.8

8.5

8.8

15.4

4.3

85.9

IMI International Management Institue

Delhi

North

12.5

8.6

8.2

12.8

8.3

79.4

TA Pai Management Institue

Manipal

South

11.5

3.8

8.1

7.3

11.5

7.6

11.8

3.8

72.4

SOIL Institute of Management

Gurgaon

North

3.5

7.9

11.2

6.6

7.5

11.6

3.7

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Well, this isn’t just it, there are a number of more reasons that make SOIL Institute of Management so special.

Unlike most B-schools, where the focus is primarily on academics and professional accelerations, the School Of Inspired Leadership lays emphasis on a holistic development where growth and development is seen not only in terms of profession, but also increased self-awareness, confidence, having a fully developed EQ, and developing the ability to calm and intelligently deal with adverse situations.

Yoga and meditation, the students learnt at SOIL helped them navigate through the unprecedented, trying times of the pandemic. SOIL, not only professionally, it also plays a huge role in the growth and development of mental and physical well-being of its students, making it one of the most sought after B-schools in India.

Key Links

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