"MBA or PGDM, which is the Best" - is probably the most confusing question in people's minds before admission.People wonder which one will be the best course to pursue, leading them towards a very successful career opportunity.There is a trend among us that we ask for a suggestion from our elder ones. Now the problem is MBA alumni prefer, MBA and PGDM alumni prefer PGDM. And in the middle of the confusion, people end up picking the wrong course ruining their careers.Well, to know which is the best, there are specific criteria which you'll need to follow. Let's begin with that.MBA (Masters in Business Administration) and PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management) both courses are both Master's level courses.MBA vs PGDM:PGDM will provide your diploma, while MBA will offer your degree at the end of the course
There may be a thought that a degree is better than a diploma which is entirely wrong. PGDM has equivalent value to MBA. Now, there is a small line between equivalent and equal. So, you need to be very careful while picking the course for you.Don't worry; we are there to help you.SyllabusUniversities generally govern MBA institutes, and the university decides the syllabus for the course. In contrast, most PGDM institutes come under the autonomous body, and the Institute decides the syllabus for the course.So, how "MBA vs. PGDM" the term is appropriate! It is that the MBA universities change the syllabus after some years and PGDM institutes have the liberty to keep the syllabus the same. But that is not a drawback for MBA institutes. Universities pick the most updated and flexible syllabus as the students can be beneficial. They even give the liberty to its institutes to choose the electives. For example, Pune University changes its syllabus every five years, which means in every five years, they update its syllabus. For the electives, they give the liberty to the institutes to choose. Now, whatever the syllabus is, the institutes keep the most appropriate and practical-based subject as an elective.CostGenerally, MBA institutes have lower fees than PGDM institutes. One of the leading causes behind it may be that most MBA institutes come under government-approved universities.You may think that higher investment brings a higher rate of return, but that's not true. For Example, ISMS, an MBA institute that is doing good and giving higher returns to its students, offers a low fee structure. It's one of the best MBA colleges in Pune with numerous Academy of Excellence Awards.MBA vs PGDM: In terms of the Corporate ValueMost of the MBA institutes (Be it Public or Private) come under government by universities whose degree is highly acceptable incorporates. For example, SPPU (Savitribai Phule Pune University) or formerly known as Pune University, is now one of the top 10 universities in India whose degree is given great value in corporate. One of the main reasons behind it might be its practical approach.On the other hand, most of the PGDM institutes come under an autonomous body. That means the Institute itself offers the diploma, and what happens is many small institutes claim to be very good. Still, in reality, their certificate is not given that much value in the corporate as they claim.So, be very careful while taking admission in PGDM.MBA vs PGDM: In terms of Practical ApproachPGDM course is mostly practically based. That means they focus more on practical than theoretical.On the other hand, it was said that an MBA course is theoretical primarily based rather than practical and technical Exposure. Well, this theory is entirely wrong. If we look at the syllabus today, we can see that MBA universities are now turning their heads from the theoretical side to the practical side, and institutes are following the same. For example, ISMS, whose students are offered an MBA degree from Pune University, and despite being an MBA institute in Pune, relies more on practical Exposure than theoretical. That is why ISMS takes their students on regular industrial visits and conducts Campus to Corporate sessions with various corporate experts every weekend so that the students can be more corporate-ready.Besides these, the Institute offers two internship opportunities (Both paid Summer and Winter Internships) to its students in the top leading companies to know what is going on in the corporates and so that they can have some on-the-job training. And the result of all these is seen in their placement. (Click Here to See the Placement Report). If we speak about ISMS, it has four types of MBA courses, PGP MBA (Triple Certification), MBA SLM, MBA (Agribusiness) (With Internship in the USA or Denmark), and MBA International (For the people who want to study MBA in the UK). Each of these courses has excellent value in the corporates, and that is why students of ISMS are placed in the leading companies with more salaries than most of the PGDM institutes in Pune.So, what's defining MBA vs PGDM?Well, the main difference between MBA and PGDM is the institute practices. As we have told before, many small colleges claim to be good, which they are not in reality so, you have to be very careful while taking admission. Now, MBA and PGDM both are good, but before taking admission, check the ROI (Return on Investment) factor. There is a stereotype in people's minds that more investment means more returns, but that is not the case. To prove it, we have already given the placement report of ISMS, which is doing very well and becoming one of the best MBA colleges in Pune.So, here is the conclusion: If you are good at academics and want to learn something extra, you should go for MBA as it has both Theoretical and Practical and Technical Exposure and one more thing, MBA starts from the ground level. On the other hand, PGDM has less theoretical Exposure, and it's best for those whose base is already strong.