Still Confused Between PGDM, MBA, and PGPM? Check All the Details

Gaining popularity of the management courses has resulted in a wider career options for the graduates who look for a lucrative and futuristic career growth ahead. The students planning to pursue management in their postgraduate level, often gets confused between PGDM, MBA and PGPM. These courses might seem as more or less similar but they have their own key points, 

These business management courses can help the students in developing their skills and acquiring knowledge needed in the highly demanding business field. Therefore, it is important to select the right business management course to start a new career in the booming business sector.

There are three popular course options for the graduates, these are MBA, PGDM, and PGPM. Each of these courses holds its own advantages and disadvantages. Hence, the courses must be opted on one’s skills and interest. 

Since choosing might turn out to be a daunting task, here’s a brief explanation of each course. 

MBA (Masters in Business Administration)

MBA is presently offered by various B-schools across the country with diverse specializations. Some of the key features that distincts MBA from other management courses are: 

  • MBA is a masters’ degree program designed by various popular business schools in India.
  • Only those institutes can offer MBA course that are accredited by a university that allows them to give degree to the students. 
  • MBA is accepted all over the world which, in turn, makes MBA one of the popular choices among the students who want to pursue a career in business management.
  • The management institute has less authority over the course as it is managed by the accredited university and hence the course curriculum can’t be changed frequently.
  • During MBA classes, a detailed focus is laid on classroom-based theoretical understanding of the management subjects.

Eligibility criteria for an MBA:

  • Students must have secured a minimum of 50% in their graduation to apply for an MBA.
  • It is imperative for students to appear for a management entrance exam such as CAT, CMAT, GMAT, MAT, XAT, ATMA, etc. 
  • Candidates must research the university-specific aptitude testing criteria before applying for the same.
  • The final selection will be based on group discussions, interviews, writing ability tests, and previous academic records. 

PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management)

PGDM is a course which is similar to an MBA in terms of time and duration, but it is more expensive as compared to an MBA. However, PGDM course is more flexible as compared to an MBA but less standardized because the PGDM course doesn’t need any kind of accreditation from a university. Some points that will help in knowing more about PGDM course includes:

  • The autonomous institutes that are not affiliated to any university offer PGDM course.
  • The fact that they are not regulated by a university allows them for a lesser stability but they have enhanced control over their curriculum.
  • The PGDM courses are more specialized and they are designed to offer better focus on the specialized fields of management like Human Resources, Supply Chain Management, Retail, Sales and Marketing and many more. While the MBA course offers education in a more balanced way in all the fields of management rather than focusing in a particular field.
  • The course curriculum of the PGDM course is more specialized and less comprehensive, hence it might cater to less areas as compared to an MBA program.
  • An institute offering a PGDM course must have received approval from AICTE to be considered an equivalent of the MBA program.
  • The graduates of the course must have an MBA equivalent certificate to get jobs internationally.
  • Since PGDM is a diploma and not a degree course, so many prefer an MBA over PGDM courses.

Eligibility criteria for PGDM:

  • Similar to an MBA degree, admission to PGDM will be granted on the basis of graduation marks and management entrance exams. 
  • The candidates’ performance in group exercises, personal interviews, written ability tests, and CAT score will be considered at the time of shortlisting the eligible candidates.
  • The selection is based on the combination of above factors in addition to work experience in a managerial role.

PGPM (Post Graduate Program in Management)

In addition to MBA and PGDM, there is also a third category of post graduate management education which is known as PGPM. PGPM is a more flexible certification program allowing the institutes to tie-up with other leading institutes or groups to design specialized offerings for the students. Some of the features of PGPM include:

  • This course is mostly preferred by professionals.
  • The course offers a lot of flexibility in learning.
  • Also, it is a more budget-friendly course as compared to full time MBA or PGDM.
  • The admissions in these courses are granted based on the entrance exam and individual’s experience cut-off that vary from institute to institute.

Eligibility criteria for PGPM:

  • The candidates need to qualify either of GMAT/CAT/XAT/CMAT  in addition to a good academic record from a recognized institution.
  • Also, they need to write essays and must have a minimum work experience (different in each B-School).

The students planning to do a business management course from a B-School must know the real difference between PGDM, PGPM and MBA. Having a detailed understanding of these courses will help the students in selecting the right course for their management education. All these courses are professional aims at building a career path for students in management or business industry. 

 

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