What is a PGDM Course?

The full form of PGDM is Post Graduate Diploma in Management. It is a 2-year post-graduate course for students who wish to step into the management field. The basic eligibility for the course is graduation in any field. Various colleges have their own procedure for admission, either they offer admission through the direct admission option or through an entrance exam. The course curriculum is somewhat similar to that of an MBA degree, and its goal is to provide students with rigorous knowledge about the field through various case studies and seminars that will teach them valuable management principles and prepare them for the workplace.

PGDM Programme Types

• Regular PGDM

A Regular or full-time PGDM means that you will need to visit the campus on a regular basis and attend lectures. The course fee for a regular PGDM can range from INR 4 Lakh to 24 Lakh depending upon the institution or university.

The course equips you with an in-depth knowledge of management and related concepts. It offers specialisations like Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, IT and many more.

A full-time PGDM course will increase your employability and networking opportunities. It will equip you with relevant skills to compete in the job market and help grab the best opportunities.

• Online PGDM

In the case of an Online PGDM, you don’t need to visit the campus but attend classes virtually through the internet. The Online PGDM course duration can vary from a few hours to 2 years depending on the institute or online platform that you pursue it from.

The PGDM course in the online mode provides you with flexibility in learning and studying at the comfort of your home or anywhere. Today, a number of online learning platforms such as UPgrad, Amity Online, and Great Lakes Institute of Management offer online PGDM courses in various fields.

It helps you master the various management principles which will help you advance in your career. Furthermore, you don’t need to quit your job as the course is completely online,

The Online PGDM course fee typically ranges between INR 30,000- 1,00,000, depending upon the institution.

• Part-Time PGDM

The PGDM course is also offered in the Part-time mode, which is most beneficial for working professionals who want to upscale their careers. A part-time PGDM can be completed flexibly in a duration of 2-3 years.

Only working professionals with some work experience can opt for the part-time PGDM course. The course caters to all their upskilling needs and provides many opportunities to gain hands-on experience and expand their professional networks.

• Executive PGDM

The Executive PGDM is a 1-year programme in management studies at the executive level. It is also offered part-time and is considered almost equivalent to an Executive MBA course.

The Executive PGDM course gives an edge to those individuals who are already working and helps them reach better positions. The course fee ranges from INR 75,000- 19,00,000 depending upon the institution.

PGDM Course Highlights

• Better Fit Than an MBA

A PGDM degree is seen as being highly respected in the corporate world, even more so than an MBA degree. This is because the course curriculum of a PGDM programme is specialised and skill-based. It serves as an entry window into the business sector.

• Updated Curriculum

Comparing an MBA degree to a PGDM course, MBA courses are provided by almost any college or university. But PGDM courses are only provided by the autonomous institutes which are AICTE-approved. This also gives the autonomous institutes the liberty to update their study curriculum from time to time. On the other hand, most of the MBA colleges are still following the old study curriculum which hampers students’ growth in today’s ever-changing environment.

• Duration of PGDM Course

The duration of the PGDM Course is 2 Years which is further divided into 4 semesters.

List of Specialisations

According to your interests and preferences, you can choose a host of options for pursuing a PGDM course. Some of the top specialisations offered in PGDM are:

• Finance
• Marketing
• Supply Chain Management
• Operations Management
• Accounting
• Information Technology
• Hospitality
• Human Resources
• International Business

Eligibility Criteria & Entrance Exams

The minimum eligibility criteria to pursue PGDM is graduation in any stream. While some universities take direct admissions, other universities take entrance-based admissions. The Entrance Exams for PGDM are almost similar to the MBA courses, which are CAT, XAT, MAT, GMAT, ATMA, CMAT, SNAP and NMAT.

Admission Process

Every university or institute has its own admission process for the PGDM course. Some take direct admission, while others consider the entrance exam score for admission. The typical admission process is given below:

• Register at the online admission portal of the university
• Fill out a detailed application form, upload the documents, and pay the application fee
• Appear for the entrance examination
• Wait for the merit list, attend counselling and take admission

PGDM Course Fee Structure

The fee structure for the PGDM course varies depending on the university and mode of pursuing it. While the regular PGDM fee ranges from INR 4-24 Lakhs and if it is an online or part-time PGDM course, the fee would vary from 10,000- 2.50 Lakhs on average.

Subjects & Syllabus

The subjects and syllabus for the PGDM course are almost the same for most of the colleges in India. But, it may vary slightly for certain colleges according to their curriculum. It shall be noted that the PGDM syllabus gets updated every 6 months, so the subjects written below might vary from college to college and depending upon the specialisation chosen. The students also get to choose their choice of elective subjects.

Semester 1	Semester 2
Organisation Behavior & Management Functions	Marketing Management
Human Resource Management	Managerial Economics
Economic & Social Environment	Strategic Management
Introduction to Information Technology	Quantitative Techniques for Managers
	Operations Management

 

Semester 3	Semester 4
Financial Management	International Business
Information Systems	Research Methodology
International Business	Business Law & Corporate Governance
Marketing Management	Management Information Systems

Benefits of Pursuing a PGDM Programme

• Broader Career Opportunities

A Post Graduate Diploma in Management surely helps in increasing the job opportunities and career scope in a variety of fields such as public, private, manufacturing, and education sector. According to a Corporate Recruiters Survey, employers are willing to pay significantly more to job candidates holding a management degree. It also suggested that companies pay up to 84% more to management professionals.

• Entrepreneurial Skills

The PGDM course equips you with highly-demanded business and management skills. It serves as a guide by encouraging students who want to start their own businesses to explore various industries, come up with original ideas, and put those ideas into practice.

• Industry-Oriented Curriculum

Unlike the MBA courses, which are more theoretical and follow the same study curriculum year after year, the PGDM courses are more industry oriented. The study curriculum of PGDM courses is updated after every six months depending upon the market changes.

Top Universities for PGDM

Regular PGDM Institute	Course Fee (approx.)
1. SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai	INR 20 Lakhs
2. Xavier School of Management(XLRI), Jamshedpur	INR 23 Lakhs
3. International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi	INR 17 Lakhs
4. Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Bangalore	INR 16 Lakhs
5. Birla Institute of Management Technology, Noida, UP	INR 12 Lakhs
6. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai	INR 11 Lakhs

PGDM Job Opportunities & Salaries

1. Banking & Finance

Banking jobs are available in both the private and government sector. You can step into investment analysis, security, portfolio management, financial advising, corporate finance, risk management and many more banking and finance options if you have an interest in the field.

Job profile	Average Annual Salary
Fund Manager	INR 15 Lakhs
Chief Risk Officer	INR 13 Lakhs
Finance Manager	INR 10 Lakhs
Investment Banker	INR 8.71 Lakhs
Financial Analyst	INR 4.09 Lakhs

2. Entrepreneurship

The PGDM course equips us with the right knowledge on how to run and grow a business. Thus, entrepreneurship is such a rising field in today’s times that helps create opportunities for others and rightly makes use of the acquired knowledge of management education.

Unlike job salary packages, an entrepreneur would not have a fixed salary, but in this field, you can surely grow to great financial growth and the possibilities are infinite.

3. Data/ Business Analytics

With the expansion of technology and digital marketing, the use of data and its management has become crucial to businesses. Thus the field of Data or Business Analytics offers great job prospects and salary packages.

Analytics Manager	INR 20.6 Lakhs
Senior Analytics Consultant	INR 15 Lakhs
Analytics Consultant	INR 13 Lakhs
Assistant Manager Analytics	INR 10.5 Lakhs
Decision Analytics Consultant	INR 10.2 Lakhs

Summary Table

Course Name	PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management)
Course Type	Management
Duration	2 Years
Fee Structure	INR 6-18 LPA
Average Salary	INR 18-20 LPA( Tier 1 college) INR  5-8 LPA(Tier 2 college)
Job Roles	Supply Chain Manager, Retail Manager, Business Analyst, HR Consultant, Entrepreneur, Project Manager and many more
Entrance Exams	CAT, CMAT, NMAT, XAT, ATMA

FAQ’s

Q1. Which is better: PGDM or MBA?

Both the courses are almost similar, but MBA is seen to be more theoretical but also provides a holistic view of different specialisations whereas PGDM is more rigorous and industry oriented. Both are better in their own ways.

Q2. Are PGDM and MBA the same?

PGDM courses are focused on the current developments in the business world whereas MBA programmes are focused on the fundamental concepts of businesses.

Q3. Which PGDM course has the highest salary?

PGDM courses in Finance and Operations can offer you high salary packages.

Q4. Which PGDM course specialisation is best?

PGDM specialisation in Marketing is considered as the best.

Q5. Who can do PGDM?

A Graduate in any field from a recognised university with a minimum of 45% marks can opt for the PGDM course.

Q6. Are PGDM students eligible for PhD?

No, PGDM students are not considered eligible for a PhD. If you wish to pursue PhD, you should hold an MBA degree to be eligible.

Q7. How many semesters are there in PGDM?

There are 4 semesters in the PGDM course.

Q8. Does PGDM have a scope?

Yes, PGDM has a good scope as it is more industry oriented, less expensive than MBA and is considered equivalent to a postgraduate degree.

Q9. What is the salary of PGDM in India per month?

The salary after PGDM will totally depend upon the institute from which you pursue your course, but on average, you can expect a salary of INR 30,000 per month.

Tags: pgdm, pgdm course, pgdm programme, Post Graduate Diploma in Management