Hello

MBA: Stands for Master in Business Administration.



PGDM: Stands for Post Graduate Diploma in Management.



Why are they pursued?



MBA: A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is a degree course offered by the colleges affiliated to the universities. So, only universities can offer MBA programmes.



PGDM: A Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) is a diploma course offered by the institutes that are recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and which are autonomous and not affiliated to any university. However, accreditation by Association of Indian Universities (AIU) makes an institute's PGDM course equivalent to an MBA.



High/low fees



Fees is high in case of PGDM as compared to MBA. MBA institutes charge less fees as it is almost similar to university standard.



Are MBA and PGDM equal?



It is not mandatory that a PGDM is equal to MBA because then the college offering the PGDM course must have accreditation from AIU (The Association of Indian Universities).



Difference between the curriculum:



Although there are similarities between the curriculum of both, differences exist as well. A student pursuing MBA will be studying more of the theoretical aspects of management. An MBA institute will be following a fixed curriculum as it will be based on the university guidelines.



A student pursuing a PGDM course will be gaining knowledge regarding building soft skills and the programme is more industry-oriented. An autonomous institute does not have to follow university standards, so it is free to change its curriculum according to industry standards and change in the business environment. The course will prepare you for a senior level position in a company.



Most of the people, after gaining one or two year experience in management field, think of pursuing an MBA or a PGDM course, so as to further polish their credentials and job prospects. While many think that there is a difference between the two, few also perceive both as the same degree, with just a difference in the name. It is very much important for an individual to understand how both of them differ from each other and what their relevance is.



Pursuing both these courses helps one in the growth of their career, in getting a better position and obtaining a bigger salary.



Cheers !!

PGDM expands to Post Graduate Diploma in Management, the confusion starts when you see the term Diploma. Many students are of the view that it is a Diploma course and not a Degree; you are right to an extent that it is a Diploma. The main reason why postgraduate courses are named as PGDM is because when an Institute is an autonomous body. MBA is a two year management degree expands to Master of Business Administration, only Universities can grant MBA degrees. It could be foreign university or Indian University. There is minimal difference in MBA and PGDM as various top institutes are offering PGDM programs in India. You have similar subjects and similar career growth trajectory after completing the courses. The only issue is if you are going for further studies like FPM or a doctorate you need an MBA degree not a diploma. However this problem can be solved by universities which offer an equivalence certificate for MBA and PGDM.