MBA vs PGDM: Which is better? Difference on eligibility, admissions, career opportunities, course structure & duration

Not sure whether you should pursue your MBA or PGDM? You’re not alone. You might have many questions like, “Is PGDM and MBA the same?”, “Which has more salary MBA or PGDM?, etc”. While both programs offer similar coursework, there are important aspects that make them distinct from one another; these key differences can help you decide which is better between MBA and PGDM. In this blog, we will walk through all the differences between MBA vs PGDM from their course structure to job opportunities

MBA- An Overview :

The Master of Business Administration is an internationally recognized degree designed to produce the essential skills needed in the business world.However, professionals see that it doesn’t limit those skills strictly to businesses but can also be helpful in other fields as well. Most MBA programs include a curriculum with certain topics such as operations and management. This program can provide you with a solid foundation for your new career or help you prepare yourself for better, higher-paying opportunities.

PGDM- An Overview

Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) is a management course with a more practical approach and curriculum that is focused on creating industry-ready graduates. The curriculum of this course encourages students to gain a range of management knowledge from project management to get a more in-depth understanding of areas like marketing, business, and customer service. And the curriculum is quite similar to MBA. PGDM, an industry-integrated degree program is with an ample amount of scope for on-job training, internships, fieldwork, and industrial exposure – becoming a part of the curriculum itself. Taking the PGDM decreases the amount of time it takes to acquire development in the workplace compared to other business degrees.

What is the difference between MBA and PGDM?

There are several other factors that make MBA and PGDM different entities. Outlined below are some additional ways in which the two differ.

Parameters

PGDM

MBA

Approving authority

AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Government of India

AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Government of India, UGC approval is needed at the university level

Course syllabus

Dynamic syllabus which gets updated as per the need of the industry and the syllabus is approved by AICTE

Syllabus is prepared by universities and it is not updated frequently

Equivalence

Equal to MBA from any Indian University


MBA a postgraduate degree

Qualification

Diploma course

Degree course

Duration

1-2 years

2 years

Average salary 

12 to 15 lakhs per annum

7 to 10 lakhs per annum

Entrance exams

MAT, CAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT

XAT, NMAT, SNAP, ATMA, CAT

Job opportunities

Project manager
data scientist
Auditor
tax specialist consultant, etc

HR manager
business analyst
marketing manager
Finance advisor
investment banker, etc

MBA vs PGDM: Salary and Job Scope

MBA

Job role 

Description

Salary per annum

HR Manager

The HR department ensures the hiring and onboarding process goes smoothly whenever new employees are required and also makes sure current employees are well taken care of.

INR 7-8 L

Business Analyst

A business analyst can be described as a data scientist whose objective is to make sense of what's happening in the past, collect information about a company's results as well as compare them with goals set for the future

INR 6-7 L

Marketing Manager

A marketing manager is a person who works in the marketing department of a company. The department handles the marketing of a company's products or services.

INR 5-8 L

Investment banker

Investment bankers specialize in arranging, managing, and executing all sorts of investment projects for their client companies. INR 8-10 L

INR 8-10 L

PGDM

Job role

Description

Salary per annum

Project Manager

The Project Manager is a person who oversees and handles each project that gets handled within an IT company. A PGDM in Enterprise Management degree program can prepare you to become a Project Manager.

INR 12-15 L

Data scientist

Data scientists help organizations to calculate the probability of particular outcomes - often in a very difficult or complex situation - using advanced analytics. A PGDM in Business Analytics can help you become skilled at being an expert data scientist.

INR 7-9 L

Tax specialist

A tax professional works as an accountant to ensure all sales, profit, and property taxes on a company are administered appropriately.

INR 5-7 L

Consultant

A Consultant is an expert who’s responsible for helping other firms come up with strategies to help them be more competitive in the business world. A Consultant may specialize in a field like Business, Law, Human Resources, Marketing, Finance, etc.

INR 9-12 L

MBA vs PGDM: Government Jobs

MBA

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree can make all the difference when it comes to finding that great career opportunity in either the private or public sector. It’s not only through an MBA that one can get a big break in the corporate world, but this course of study is also an excellent way to jumpstart an impressive career in the government sector.

Following are some job titles that can be achieved by students with an MBA:

  • Marketing officer
  • Personnel officer
  • Junior and senior executives
  • Management trainees

PGDM

Many government organizations and agencies have been actively looking for PGDM graduates who bring a lot of expertise and industry knowledge to the table. There has been an increase in the amount of hiring done by local governments in recent years and many are being hired each year. They are being hired for jobs like

  • Logistics manager
  • Assistant and Deputy manager
  • Banking officer

MBA vs PGDM: Which is better for Government Jobs?

To be perfectly honest, neither of these courses are preferable to the other. The best course for you is the one that matches your personal goals and the type of government job you want to end up in. In a country like India, finding a job with its central or state governments can be like striking gold when it isn’t usually so easy to do in most other places. So, choose whichever course makes more sense for you and make sure you apply yourself to achieving your goal.

MBA vs PGDM: Which course to choose?

Although some differences exist between both courses – MBA and PGDM, they do have a lot in common. Both provide their students with management training and educational experience. Although PGDM typically places more emphasis on management theory than the skills taught in other programs such as those certification courses attached to them. Recruiters will often quantify the worth of an applicant’s diploma or degree based on their level of skill sets minus the brand equity of the college or university through which he/she achieved that qualification.

To conclude, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management or a PGDM is an ideal choice for management students as it provides them with the much-needed practical knowledge required to enter the job market. An MBA degree does not provide you with the relevant experience that one needs when they first enter the job market post-graduation.

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