Everybody in our country knows about MBA. In today’s corporate world, being an MBA is considered to be of huge value. Where MBA is a highly popular course, PGDM is not as highbrow because, according to common perception, it is not weighed-in much. This is the basic misconception that the value of an MBA is higher than PGDM, which is absolutely not true. In fact, in the industry, the corporates do not differentiate between the two and treat both the courses equally. In spite of many premium PGDM colleges in Kolkata and other parts of the country, there are many people who don’t know either about the course or the difference between the two.

Degree Diploma-
MBA is an acronym used for Master of Business Administration. It is a degree course. A degree is only given by the government and private universities and institutes which are affiliated with these universities. And PGDM is short for Post Graduate Diploma in Management. As the name implies, it is a Diploma course which many B-Schools and colleges recognized by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) offer.

Duration-
On the one hand, an MBA is a two-year management course, and on the other hand, PGDM can be both, a one-year course or two years programme. It varies from college to college; institute to institute.

Focus-
MBA course is more inclined towards stressing on one’s business knowledge and their concepts. In contrast, PGDM focuses more on practical aspects of the business world and prepare them for the highly competitive corporate environment.

Curriculum-
Since MBA courses are offered by universities, the curriculum designed for it also is regulated and revised with the consent of the university only. The introduction of change in such colleges becomes a lengthy procedure. But in PGDM colleges, such a system is relaxed, and course syllabus is frequently revised. Being autonomous institutes, they enjoy a smooth updating process.

Fees-
It has been observed that usually, expenses for MBA courses are less than PGDM courses. For PGDM courses, the fee range is Rs. 5-6 lacs to about Rs. 25 lacs.

If you are still apprehensive about taking up the PGDM course in Kolkata or any other state, then you must know that many top B-Schools like ISB, IIM, Calcutta Business School offer PDGM courses and not MBA degrees. Before deciding on which course to go for, one should take note of their personal goals and then make a wise decision. But one mustn’t miss an excellent opportunity at the right college just because it offers PGDM programme instead of the highly acclaimed MBA degree.