PGDM Lateral Entry || Check Admission, Eligibility, Colleges, Syllabus, And Scope

What is PGDM?

Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) is a postgraduate diploma course which incorporates the details of different aspects of management and business industry. PGDM course is of 2 years duration which offers specializations in subjects like Finance, Marketing, International Business, HR, and many more. All the working professionals and students opt for this management course for several reasons. This course curriculum is designed in such a way that it sharpens a candidate’s mind to deal with the daily problems that are faced in their studies, workplace, and other similar aspects.

In order to apply for this course, students must have passed their graduation from the management profile. Also, graduates from any stream can apply for this PGDM course. Admission of the candidates in the PGDM course is mostly based on the entrance exams like MAT, CAT, XAT, and more. There are a lot of colleges in India that offers PGDM course in a regular mode, online mode, or through the Distance Education mode. To get admission in a reputed college, candidates have to score good marks in the entrance exams as well as in their graduation course.

PGDM Course Key Highlights:

Full-Form of PGDM	Post Graduate Diploma in Management
Course Level	Postgraduate
Duration of the course	2 years
Examination Type	Semester/ Trimester System
Eligibility Criteria	Graduation in any stream
Admission Process	Entrance Exams, Direct Admission is also offered in some private colleges
Average Fees	INR 3-12 Lakhs
Top Recruiting Areas	Banks, Marketing Agencies, Market Research Companies, Educational Institutions, Consultancies, Law Firms, Entertainment Portal, Hotels and Resorts, etc.
Job Positions	Administrative Officer, Business Consultant, Finance Manager, Human Resource Manager, Public Relations Officer, Marketing Executive, etc.
Average Salary	INR 4-10 LPA
Top Companies	McKinsey & Company, The Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company, Deloitte Consulting, Booz Allen Hamilton, PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services LLC, EY LLP Consulting Practice, Accenture, etc.

What is PGDM Course?

• Post-graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) course is designed in such a way that it builds essential skills and capabilities in professionals to get into the managerial posts in various firms and companies. These skills make students responsive and sensitive to global issues.
• Candidates will gain managerial, executive, and leadership skills during the period of this course.
• This course helps the candidates in creating business class leaders. Also, prepare future executives who can lead the way with professionalism and sustainability. PGDM course nurtures and develops skills and qualities that are essential to lead effective businesses in today’s life.
• Industrial training and Internship is an important factor of this PGDM course to look into practical knowledge and get the required skills in this domain.

PGDM Course is offered by:

• Colleges that are recognized by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
• Universities that are autonomous in nature, i.e. the universities that are not affiliated with any university will also offer PGDM courses.
• If a university is accredited by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), then, in that case, the PGDM course becomes equivalent to an MBA degree.

Course Overview:

• PGDM course trains candidates to work in a wide variety of functional areas like finance, marketing, sales, and other important aspects of the company.
• This course imparts skills and knowledge with strong conceptual and management skills so that candidates become strong enough to manage all kinds of businesses.
• The major emphasis is given on the holistic development of the candidates with a purpose to make them world-class leaders and business professionals.

What is PGDM Lateral Entry?

PGDM Lateral Entry is a course that connects the aspirants in the 2nd year of the PGDM course, i.e., candidates have to take admission in 2nd year of the PGDM course. In order to take admission to the PGDM Lateral Entry, candidates need to qualify for the bachelor’s degree with a good percentage of marks.

Why PGDM?

• Post Graduate Diploma in Management is a 2-year post-graduate diploma course in the field of management. This PGDM course helps in creating business class leaders and future executives who can lead the way with professionalism and sustainability. This course looks after the skills and qualities that are essential to lead fluctuating businesses in today’s world.
• This PGDM course highlights on teamwork, leadership, and practical application-oriented methodology of studies. This PGDM course needs thorough knowledge, hard work, and perseverance as it is required in any regular degree course.
• This course helps in building conceptual knowledge and skills among students who can further work in the industries, government, or private organizations.
• PGDM is important as candidates can become Management Analysts, Consultants, and Executives and help an organization to grow. Also, after the completion of this course, candidates can go for higher degree courses and improve their skills.
• Candidates studying this course can build soft skills that are needed to run the firm in an efficient manner. This program is more industry-oriented and appropriate practical sessions are also conducted. Since an autonomous institute need not stand by the university standards, it can freely change its curriculum as per the current industrial and business standards.
• This course prepares its candidates to obtain a senior level position in a reputed organization.

What is the Difference Between PGDM and MBA?

Parameter	PGDM	MBA
Full-Form	Post Graduate Diploma in Management	Master of Business Administration
Overview	PGDM is a 2 years PG diploma degree offering specializations in Marketing, HB, General Business, etc.	MBA is a 2-year degree course which offers specializations in HR, Marketing, Finance, and much more.
Objective	It mainly focuses on giving practical knowledge to the candidates. The course curriculum is more industry-oriented as compared to the MBA course.	It focuses more on developing both the theory and practical knowledge and the required leadership skills among the students.
Duration	PGDM is of 1 or 2 years of duration. A 2-year PGDM is equivalent to an MBA.	According to UGC, MBA is of 2 years of duration.
Curriculum	The curriculum is flexible in PGDM course as the colleges can introduce elemental changes on their own, based on the demand and needs of the industry.	The curriculum is not revised frequently as the universities cannot opt changes without the consent of the university or the regulating body.

PGDM Specializations:

PGDM in International Business: This PGDM course is of 2 years of duration which provides in-depth knowledge and training in the field of international business and its related aspects. PGDM in International Business is conducted in many colleges in India such as the Indian Institute of International Trade, Asian Business School, etc.

Average Fees	INR 4-12 Lakhs
Average Salary	INR 4-10 LPA

PGDM in Operations Management: This PGDM course provides skills to the individuals to make them deliver efficient services in minimum time and low cost. PGDM in Operational Management is undertaken by the professionals and the students who want to learn different things related to the smooth and optimal working of the operations department.

Average Fees	INR 3-10 Lakhs
Average Salary	INR 4-8 LPA

PGDM in Business Analytics: These days, analytics is an important part of any organization. PGDM in Business Analytics offers students to give knowledge in terms of business analytics practices, tools, and techniques in order to give insightful information from the data collected, extracted, and analyzed.

Average Fees	INR 4-20 Lakhs
Average Salary	INR 5-10 LPA

PGDM in Marketing: This PGDM course covers all the aspects related to Marketing Management, Marketing Research, etc. PGDM in Marketing trains the candidates to look after the market value of the company or a product with the help of various strategies and tools.

Average Fees	INR 2-5 Lakhs
Average Salary	INR 4-10 LPA

PGDM in Finance: This PGDM course is for the candidates who are interested to learn the different aspects of financial management including working capital management, international finance, etc. PGDM in Finance is also helpful to examine the expenses thereby making balance sheets and analyzing several concepts of cost minimizations.

Average Fees	INR 1-5 Lakhs
Average Salary	INR 4-12 LPA

Other PGDM Specializations

• PGDM in Biotechnology
• PGDM in Business Entrepreneurship
• PGDM in Retail Management     
• PGDM in E-Business

Eligibility Criteria for PGDM Lateral Entry:

The candidates who want to take admission to PGDM Lateral Entry must have passed their M.Com Degree or Post-graduate Diploma/ Degree in Business Management/ Human Resource Management/ Financial Management/ Marketing Management/ Insurance Business Management/ Export Marketing Management from a recognized university.

PGDM Admission Process:

For taking admission in 2 year PGDM course, admission takes place based on the entrance exams which are conducted by the national bodies, institutes, or a group of institutes. After clearing these exams, aspirants will be called for further rounds of admission process like written test, group discussion, and personal interview. Final admission is provided to the candidates based on their performance in these rounds.

PGDM Lateral Entry Admission Process:

• Register and Apply
• Aspirants can apply online with the required information.
• Merit Screening
• Admission will be done on the basis of the marks obtained in graduation.

How to prepare for PGDM Entrance Exams?

The preparation tips for any management entrance exam is the same for all the exam in terms of syllabus and type of questions. Candidates can qualify these exams if they follow a time table, cover all the syllabus on time, practice sample papers, and by giving mock tests.

There are three main sections in the PGDM entrance exam -

• Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension
• Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation
• Quantitative Aptitude/ Reasoning

Also, some entrance exams have a General Knowledge (GK) section. Points to keep in mind while preparing for PGDM Entrance Exams:

• The part Verbal Reasoning analyzes a person’s vocabulary, reading skills, and attentiveness to details. To master this section, candidates should read books, journals, magazines, newspapers, etc. of international standards like Economic Times, Wall Street Journal, and more.
• Quantitative Tests incorporates questions from topics like Algebra, Geometry, Probability, Progressions, permutation & Combinations, and other Maths topics. Solve such questions and increase your mental math skills.
• Candidates should have basic knowledge of Current Affairs and update on what all is going on in the world for the general Knowledge round. The best way to master this section is to read newspapers and refer to international news platforms.
• Get the best and updated study material. Surf the internet or ask your teachers or colleagues who have knowledge in this section.
• Give at least 10 Mock tests before giving the exam. There are several official mock tests available online. Select any one and start your practice.
• Give time-based tests so that you master on the examination day. This will provide you an edge over other candidates.
• Stick to a time table. Manage your exam syllabus accordingly so that you finish it on time, and take time for revision as well.
• Focus more on time-based practice so that you will better prepare for the exam day. The exam will be computer-based tests, so, arrange your time for all the sections in a proper way that no questions are left unattempted.

How to Get Admission in a Good PGDM College?

• Choose your target college beforehand and know the exact admission criteria for the same.
• Admission in any colleges is based on the performance in any one of the management colleges, therefore a good percentile in one of the PGDM entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, GMAT, etc is important.
• Also, your marks in a Bachelor’s degree are also important. Score at least 70% in your undergraduate degree for better chances.
• Prepare for the Written Test and Personal Interview Round by surfing the online videos and articles.
• Keep looking at the important dates and regularly check the internet and newspaper for any update about the entrance exams.
• Good GK skills are also important. Be confident about your exam time.

Top PGDM Colleges in India

NIRF Ranking	Name	Location	Average Annual Fees
3	Indian Institute of Management	Kolkata	INR 6,75,000
16	SP Jain Institute of Management and Research	Mumbai	INR 5,85,000
18	Great Lakes Institute of Management	Chennai	INR 11,91,000
20	Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS)	Mumbai	INR 95,200
27	International Management Institute	New Delhi	INR 7,70,000
28	Indian Institute of Management	Ranchi	INR 13,84,000
29	National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE)	Mumbai	INR 9,40,000
33	T.A. Pai Management Institute	Manipal	INR 14,00,000
36	Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA)	Chennai	INR 15,26,000
37	P.S.G. College of Technology	Coimbatore	INR 82,000

PGDM Distance Education:

Candidates can pursue the PGDM degree through distance education or online mode as well. There are several colleges, institutes, and platforms in India to pursue this course. IGNOU is considered to be one of the best colleges in India for online learning and distance learning.

College Name	Mode	Duration
IGNOU	Distance	2.5-8 years
Welingkar	Distance	2 years
NMIMS	Distance	2 years
Nalanda Open University	Distance	1 year
Institute of Management Studies (IMT)	Distance	2 years
Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL)	Distance	2 years
IPS Academy	Distance	2 years
National Institute of Management & Technology (NIMT)	Distance	2 years

PGDM Syllabus:

Postgraduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) syllabus and course curriculum is based on the compulsory subjects and elective subjects, which students have to choose according to their interests and which industry they want to have a career in Finance, Human Resources, Operations, Marketing and many more. There are 4 semesters in the PGDM course and if a candidate takes admission in PDM Lateral Entry, then they have to appear for only 2 semesters, ie only for 1 year.

Semester I

• Managerial Accounting and Control – I
• Organisational Behaviour-I
• Managerial Economics (Microeconomics)
• Business Communication
• Operations Management –I
• Quantitative Techniques – I

Semester II

• Macroeconomics
• Financial Management I
• Marketing Management – I
• Managerial Accounting and Control –II
• Quantitative Techniques – II
• Organisational Behaviour-II

Semester III

• Human Resource Management
• Management Information System
• Financial Management – II
• Marketing Management– II
• Operations Management-II
• Research Method

Semester IV

• Strategic Management
• Business Environment (Indian and World Economy)

Electives:

Economics

• International Economics
• Export-Import Management & Strategies
• International Trade
• Advanced Econometric Analysis
• Business Forecasting

Finance

• Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
• International Finance
• Risk & Insurance Management
• Merchant Banking & Financial Services
• Corporate Valuation, Merger & Acquisition
• Micro-Finance
• Taxation & Tax Planning
• Advance Equity Research
• Derivatives & Equity Research
• Retail Banking
• Bank Performance Analysis
• Project Appraisal and Financing
• Financial Engineering
• Treasury Management
• Fixed Income Markets
• Business Analysis and Valuation
• Management Control Systems
• Strategic Financial Management

Human Resource Management

• Organisation Development and Change
• Strategic HRM and International Perspective
• Building and Leading Effective Teams
• Managerial Excellence
• Negotiations Management

Information System

• Business Process Re-engineering
• Management of Software Development
• Business Module for e-commerce
• Enterprise Resource Planning
• Data Warehousing & Data Mining
• Knowledge Management
• Decision Support System

Marketing

• Consumer Behaviour
• B2B Marketing
• Product and Brand Management
• Services Marketing
• International Marketing
• Advertising and Sales Promotions
• Retail Management
• Managing Marketing Communication
• Customer Relationship Management
• Rural Marketing
• Internet Marketing
• Advanced Marketing Research

Operations Management

• Project Management
• Advanced Operations Research
• Services Operations
• Supply Chain Management
• Quantitative Models for Logistics and Transportation Management
• Advanced-Data Analysis

Strategy Area

• Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Finance
• Merger, Acquisition and Corporate Restructuring
• Competitive Strategy
• Business Valuation

General Management

• International Business
• IPR Law And Management

PGDM Books & Course Material:

Name of the Book	Name of the Author
Management (Text and Cases)	V.S.P. Rao & V Hari Krishna
Essentials of Management: An International Perspective	Koontz & Weihrich
Business Communication Today	Bovee, Thill & Chaturvedi
Operations Management: Theory and Practices	Mahadevan
Organization Behaviour	Stephen P. Robbins, Timothy A. Judge & Seema Sanghi
Production and Operations Management	E.E. Adam and R.J. Ebert
Financial Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis	Ashok Banerjee
Contemporary Management	Gareth R. Jones & Jennifer M. George
Human Resource Management	John Ivancevich

PGDM Jobs:

After completing the PGDM course, candidates can find a number of job opportunities in both the public and private sectors. Candidates can also get into the research and educational institutes and become professors and teachers for Management, Accounting Business and Soft skills where their duty will be to provide their knowledge and expertise to the younger aspirants.

Candidates can go for Human Resource Development Managers where they will have to cope up with the standards that are set by the firm or company where they work under and deal with the human resource. Human Resource is an important component of any firm and for this effective management and leading skills are required.

PGDM course provides knowledge, skills, and training to the candidates who want to take manager and leadership positions across the various sectors like healthcare, finance, banking, manufacturing, logistics, marketing, sales, business analytics, etc.

This 2 year PGDM course is the most common management course, after MBA. The PGDM course curriculum incorporates core subjects and elective subjects, required to have a career in a senior position in any industry.

Career prospects after completing this course are very deep. Apart from going for the senior position, candidates can also become a researcher, industrialist, entrepreneur, and many more.

PGDM Job Sectors:

Given below are some of the common job sectors for both the freshers and experienced PGDM graduates:

• Multinational Companies
• Banking Sector
• Manufacturing
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Educational Sector
• Export Houses
• Factories
• Marketing Companies
• IT Companies, among others.

PGDM Jobs

• Brand Manager
• HR Manager
• Project Manager
• Business Manager
• Investment Banking
• Business Consultant
• Finance Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Account Manager
• Customer Relations Manager
• Recruitment Manager, among others

Job Positions	Lowest Salary (in LPA)	Average Salary (in LPA)	Highest Salary (in LPA)
Marketing Manager	4.2	7.15	9.22
PR Officer	2.47	3.01	5.05
HR Manager	3.82	7.15	9.77
Brand Manager	9.15	10.55	16.8
Finance Manager	5.11	9.99	12.05
Business Consultant	4.36	9.86	16
International Sales Manager	4.64	10.8	18.17
Strategic Manager	7.6	10.84	15.44

PGDM Jobs for Freshers:

PGDM graduates with 0-1 year experience can go for the following jobs available in the market:

• Risk Analytics
• Banking
• Investment Banking
• Commercial Business
• Digital Marketing
• Business Operations
• Sales
• Customer Relations
• Logistics

A fresher can earn between INR 3-8 LPA in one of the above-mentioned job roles and sectors.

PGDM Government Jobs:

A PGDM graduate can apply for a number of government jobs on the basis that they have skills and experience. Given below are some of the jobs which can go for in the government sector -

• Economics
• Finance
• Accounting
• IT
• Marketing
• Human resources
• Decision Making
• Strategy Planning
• Law
• Logistics & Supply Chain Management
• Production
• Food & Agriculture Management, among others

PGDM Job Description

Job Position	Job Description	Salary
Business Consultants	Business Consultants are also known as Management Analysts and work in areas like marketing, human resource management, finance, and accounting. Business Consultants help improving companies by channelizing their assets in a positive and profitable direction.	INR 9.86 LPA
Administrative Officer	An Administrative Officer performs as the nodal point for all the employees and the governing authority. They provide administrative support and manage queries arising in the organization.	INR 4.13 LPA
Human Resource Manager	The main role of an HR Manager is to lead, motivate, and drive the working HR in the firm. They handle an organization's HR policies and programs like employee compensation, benefits, promotion, safety, performance, working capability, and staffing levels.	INR 7.15 LPA
Public Relation Officer	A PR Officer is there to manage the reputation of his or her organization. As a PR officer, candidates have to understand and gain support for their clients. Candidates should have the ability to influence someone's opinion and behavior.	INR 3.01 LPA
Finance Manager	The major duty of a Finance Manager includes creating and reviewing financial reports for the organization and look after the various accounts. They prepare activity reports that are used by the senior officials and forecast the financial trajectory of the organization.	INR 9.99 LPA

PGDM Scope:

PGDM has a wide scope in areas such as marketing, sales, business analysis, finance, and many more. After completing the PGDM course, candidates get leadership and management skills, and their personalities will completely change and they will be able to manage large projects with efficiency. PGDM course provides various opportunities in all fields. Apart from working in private, public, and government sectors as a manager, candidates can also become a researcher, an entrepreneur, or an instructor even.

Candidates can also open their own company with the proper planning and research, starting from small to big, based on their ideas and interest. There is a huge demand for professionals with management qualifications in India as well as globally. Candidates can work in marketing companies, manufacturing sectors, business consultants, finance sector, research organizations, big entrepreneurs, IT companies, and others.

For higher education, candidates can go for a full-time MBA degree if they have pursued PGDM online or through distance. Given below are some of the common MBA specializations.

Candidates are also eligible for many Ph.D. courses, and MPhil in the management field, like:

• Ph.D. in Marketing
• Ph.D. Management Studies
• MPhil in Management
• Ph.D. in Finance