Career progress: PGDM vs MBA

The long running debate between which one of the two is better – PGDM or MBA – particularly from the perspective of career growth, can finally be put to rest. Read on to know which one is right for you and how you can make this decision for yourself.

While most people use the terms MBA and PGDM interchangeably, the two are actually quite different. It is necessary to understand the difference between the two, before you decide to pursue one of them with the intention of furthering your credentials and job prospects.
An MBA stands for Master Of Business Administration and PGDM stands for Post Graduate Diploma In Management.
An MBA is a postgraduate degree course offered by colleges affiliated to universities. In Pune, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) has under its aegis 15 institutes offering high quality management education.

PGDM courses are offered by autonomous institutes that are recognized by the All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE) and do not have affiliations to any university. PGDM courses would be equivalent to an MBA only if the institute offering the PGDM is accredited by Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
MBA institutes generally charge comparatively lower fees with respect to PGDM offering institutes, as the fees for an MBA is set per university standards.
Comparing the curriculum , an MBA student will find their studies to be more focused on the theoretical aspects of management. Due to the university guidelines the curriculum for an MBA will be fixed and less likely to revisions for upgradation. For PGDM students, the focus will be on acquiring knowledge regarding developing soft skills that will enable them to become prepared for the industry. As the obligation to follow university standards does not exist for autonomous institutes, they are free to change their curriculum in accordance to industry standards and changed in business environment that prove highly beneficial to the students undertaking this course. This course equips you with the skills that qualify you for senior level entry in an organization.