What to Choose: MMS or PGDM?

Done with the Graduation? So, What next? As you may be aware, nowadays having an undergraduate degree is no longer sufficient. You must gain a hands on experience of the real world. And for that, pursuing a post-graduation course is the most popular choice of the students. To land in a great career, students often go with the Management courses. Management courses help you develop your personality along with providing higher level of education. When it comes to making decisions, one of the most common questions most MBA aspirants have is whether to pursue MMS or PGDM?

The processes differ for both the courses, while MMS is a Degree and PGDM is a Certification. If someone is looking for these courses in Maharashtra, there are various reputed colleges which are offering both the courses such as IIT Bombay, JBIMS, NMIMS, VBS, etc. First let’s understand what is exactly MMS and PGDM.

Masters in Management Studies (MMS):
MMS is a two years’ full time Management Degree. For MMS, there is one common application process. Talking about Maharashtra state, the process is controlled by Maharashtra DTE (Directorate of Technical Education). To take the admission, first you’ll have to appear for common entrance test aka MAH-CET, followed by the Common Admission Process (CAP) after the results. MMS program comes under the control of the particular university that the institute is affiliated to.

Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM):
On the other hand, PGDM is a two years’ full time Diploma course. Although it’s a Diploma, it is valid and equivalent to a Post Graduate degree if the institute is approved by Association of Indian Universities (AIU). AIU is concerned with the recognition of degrees/diplomas offered by the Universities in India. It evaluates the courses, syllabus, pedagogy and equates them for the purpose of admission to higher education. In order to apply for a PGDM course, there are different application forms for different Institutes, where the admission process is controlled by the specific institute after you qualify the national or state level entrance exams like CAT, XAT, MAT, CET, etc. It can be offered by autonomous institutes (which are not affiliated to any university) as PGDM program is controlled by AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education).

Differences & Similarities:
PGDM courses usually offer better structure, course content and adaptability compared to MMS program. Since MMS course structure has to stick to the University course structure, core subjects and electives, it’s not possible to modify the courses within the syllabus as its pre-decided. As far as the job market is concerned, PGDM is far more industry relevant and practical. MMS tends to focus more on theoretical aspects.
PGDM offers the most up-to-date courseware while MMS tends to offer an outdated courseware in terms of changing scenario of industry and job markets. Hence, PGDM is more on the flexible side as the curriculum can be modified to meet the industry expectations as compared to MMS which is fixed. To conclude, MMS is exam oriented whereas PGDM is industry oriented. However, pursuing MMS program from the top institutes has its own worth.

In terms of cost, PGDM costs higher than that of MMS. In India, the fees for MMS degree ranges from ₹2-10 lacs and PGDM costs ₹6.5-25 lacs. Being the most affordable degree, the ROI (Returns On Investment) are higher for MMS as it is relatively cheaper than a full time PGDM program. The specialization subjects offered are pretty much same for both the courses. The placement scenario also tends be the same for both the programs in most of the top colleges. On the other hand, Recruiters actively seek to hire PGDM graduates because of the ease with which they integrate into their jobs without requiring extensive training.
To summarize, whether you choose to pursue MMS or PGDM, it is important that you select a solid Business School that aligns with your career goals. It would not matter if you’re not doing the right course from the right institute.

 
For further queries get in touch with us.

Vaishnavi Wagh
PGDM (20-22)
VES Business School