10 Steps: How to Choose PGDM College in India?

The Post Graduate Diploma in Management is a professional postgraduate course for the subject of management. It is an excellent alternative to MBA and other management courses. It is even preferred more by recruiters as the course is as close to actual industry conditions and is heavily regulated by the AICTE. This maintains the quality of the course, and the students' interests are protected. 

A PGDM will open many career options for you, but it is important that you do the course from the right college. The right college will ensure you get quality education, industry exposure, and placement into a reputed company where you will get a good salary and lots of experience. Therefore, choosing the right PGDM college is paramount.  

How to Choose PGDM College in India

There are so many PGDM colleges in India today that it can be hard for students to pick the right one. However, there are a few ways you can narrow down the choices, and choose the right college for you. The following are the steps you should follow:- 

Your Goal & Requirement

Knowing your goal and requirement in your professional career will help with choosing the right PGDM course and college. You need to do a thorough self-assessment and ask yourself questions like what career do you want, what company and industry do you want to work in, and do you want to be able to find jobs overseas. Addressing these questions will help you understand your goals and requirements from the PGDM course, and help you decide which colleges to look for, and make a list of the ones to try out for. 

College’s Accreditation

Once you have made a list of potential PGDM colleges to try out for, you can eliminate a few names by looking at the colleges’ accreditations. The first and foremost accreditation you should look for is by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). This is the lead authority technical education like engineering and management in India. There’s also the National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC) which provides ratings for colleges that provide higher education. 

Course Curriculum & Pedagogy

This is an important aspect to look out for. You can find information on the course curriculum and pedagogy on the websites of all the colleges. Almost all colleges providing management courses have websites where you can access information on curriculum and pedagogy. Look for a curriculum that is regularly updated to incorporate the latest trends in management. In the pedagogy, look for a course that gives you freedom of thought and room for innovation. The course should also have a lot of practical work that will prepare for what you will face in your profession. 

Integrated Certification Programs

Is just your course enough? In today’s competitive, professional world, you need something more to do better than others. Look for PGDM colleges that also provide additional certification programs. These programs can range from industry-approved software certifications to programs in different languages. There can also be a few courses in personality development or mentorship programs. All of these will certainly give you an advantage. Therefore, look for colleges that provide integrated certification along with the PGDM course. 

Placement Records

There are many colleges out there that boast of 100% placement, and they are true that they get their students placed. But what sets a college apart is where the students are placed. One of the best places for students to learn is in a big company where they will get responsibilities related to their profession. Plus, big companies also pay well. So, if you get a good starting salary, your salary figures will only get higher from thereon with experience. So, look at a college’s placement record, and the companies where most of their students are placed. 

Internship

One of the most important learning phases during a PGDM is an internship. During an internship, you are exposed to the industry you will be working in. You will get to see firsthand how companies function, and how the operations take place. Good colleges have associations with the best companies, and these companies offer internship opportunities to the students. Look for colleges that provide internships in the reputed companies. A good internship can also lead to placement in that company, and you are bound to well in your PGDM course. 

Faculty

Faculty matters a lot nowadays. There are too many colleges out there that don’t have the right faculty teaching the students. No matter how good the course, if the faculty cannot teach it well, it will not matter. While choosing a college, enquire about the quality of the faculty. Current students and former students are the best people to tell you about the faculty members. Look for a college that has the right mix of young and experienced faculty members who have great credentials and have also worked in the industry. 

Global Exposure

The world has gotten smaller. There was a time when your education related to your country, and the country's industry was more than enough but not today. You need your PGDM course to make you a professional that can thrive anywhere in the world. This can only happen with global exposure during the course. Look for a PGDM college that also provides an international study tour. This study tour can do wonders for you as a student and a future professional, and even open doors for international opportunities. 

Alumni

The alumni of a college can guide you well on how good their alma mater is. There are alumni networks that you can get in touch with and enquire, Most of them are helpful and will give you their honest opinion. Their guidance can certainly help you in choosing the right PGDM college. You can ask them about the course, faculty, infrastructure, placements, and their experiences after the course. This information will certainly help you a lot. 

Location

The PGDM colleges in India are located in the big cities of the country. Location matters a lot because remotely located colleges mean they will be a lot of inconvenience to the students. Colleges in the big cities have good infrastructure, faculty, access to modern amenities, etc. Some cities also gain a reputation for being education hubs, and if your PGDM college is located here, you can be sure of a good education. Look at colleges in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi, Indore, Kolkata, and Chennai. 

Follow the above-mentioned steps, and you will find the right PGDM college in India. The right college can make all the difference in the world. Therefore, it is important that you follow the steps and zero in on the perfect PGDM college for you. 

If you don’t want to go through the further hassle of searching, you can always enquire about the PGDM course at Aditya Institute of Management Studies & Research. AIMSR checks all the required boxes to be considered as an excellent PGDM college. The institute is also rated among the top colleges in Mumbai. So, just visit the AIMSR PGDM page on their website and fill the enquiry form for details on the PGDM programs