A post graduate diploma in management (PGDM) course is extremely popular amongst graduate students. Students always have their finger on the market’s pulse and they realise just a graduate degree cannot be enough in the competitive professional world. Hence, many opt for management courses, and a PGDM is the most popular management course owing to its market-centric education.
But simply doing a PGDM course is not enough, you have to do the course from the right college. The right college will give you many additional benefits with a PGDM course, making you a sought-after professional. So, you have to invest some time and effort into finding the right college if you want to get the best out of your PGDM course.
In the following blog, there’s information on how to choose the right PGDM college in India after graduation. There are many criteria you can use to narrow down the best colleges. There’s all the information you need on all these criteria, and by the end of the blog, you’ll know how to choose the right college for the PGDM course.
How to Choose Right PGDM College after Graduation
Finding the right PGDM college is not a matter of luck, it is a matter of knowing the right criteria. The following 10 pointers are the criteria to judge a college and its PGDM course. Also, make sure these criteria align with what you want from your PGDM course and college. Only then will know which is the right college for you. Here’s how you choose the right PGDM college after graduation:
Colleges Accreditation
PGDM is an important and expensive course, so it is closely monitored by the government and its agencies. They provide accreditations only to the best colleges with the best courses. You have to look for accreditations like AICTE approval for courses. AICTE is the authority that oversees PGDM courses.
Other important accreditations are NAAC ratings and ISO certifications. NAAC stands for National Assessment & Accreditation Council. This University Grants Commission is the authority overseeing NAAC. ISO is a quality standard rating. Only the best colleges in the country get excellent NAAC ratings and ISO certifications. You can also look for rankings and ratings by private but respected educational authorities in the country.
Your Requirements
In a bid to find the right college, students tend to forget their own requirements. This is probably the most important criterion to find the right college. You need to find a college that fulfils all the requirements you have from a course and college. But before that, you need to know your own requirements. Make a list of what you will look for in your ideal college and use this list for your search.
Don’t keep your requirement list too generic. Look for specific things like digital infrastructure, hostel, gymnasiums, extracurricular activities, etc. A college may not have all of them, but you will find a few colleges that have some of them. It will help narrow down your choices.
Curriculum
Most PGDM colleges in India have their own websites where you can find information on their curriculum. All you have to do is fill out the enquiry form on the website and you will get detailed information on the course curriculum. Some college websites don’t even require you to fill out the enquiry form.
Once you have the curriculum details, you can compare the curriculum with other colleges. It would be easier for you to assess the quality of each curriculum. You can even make comparisons to curriculums taught in international universities. Ensure the curriculum is up-to-date according to the latest developments in the industry. There also has to be a balance between theory and practical.
Integrated Programs with Certifications
The best colleges understand the changing needs of the market and adapt accordingly. They have begun providing integrated programs with certifications along with PGDM courses. These programs are designed to give the students a competitive edge by giving them knowledge on additional developments in the field of management.
Digital marketing, cloud computing, analytics, language training, securities market, and more – such programs and certifications make students tech savvy, improve their communications skills, and equip them to take on the challenges of a globalised and digitised world. If a college provides such courses with an already updated PGDM course, it is an excellent college and well-worth considering.
Placement Track Record
Placements matter a lot. Though many colleges boast of having 100% placements, if you take the time to look at the quality of the placements, you’ll realise that the 100% figure does not matter. You need to carefully check the history of a college’s placements to truly understand the quality of placement.
One of the best sources to get the right information on placements is a college’s alumni network. They will give you an honest account of the placements scenario. You can also get in touch with a college’s placement cell for more information.
Internship Opportunities
One of the most important parts during your post graduate education is going to be your internship. This is the time where you will truly learn what the real industry conditions are, and even get to test the knowledge and skills you have gained during your OGDM education. Most colleges give internship opportunities at the end of the semester.
Good colleges usually have tie-ups and collaborations with the best companies. They use these relations to get their students internship opportunities. Along with practical education, internships also lead to job and career opportunities for the students. So, if a college can get its students the right internship opportunities, it can do a world of good to their lives and careers.
Global Exposure
Industries and the marketplace have become globalised, so should management education. Look for a college that will provide you global exposure through associations, tie-ups, and collaborations. Global exposure can do wonders for the students’ careers and even create opportunities for them to have a career overseas.
Global exposure also raises the quality of education in the college, benefiting the students. So, look for a college and course that will give you international exposure. Some colleges even provide international study tours and internship opportunities, but considering the current pandemic, such benefits might be on hold.
College Alumni
Alumni are the former students of a college and they are the best people who can give an honest opinion on their college. You can get in touch with a college’s alumni network through the placement cell or social media groups. Alumni can give you information on the curriculum, the faculty, college, placements, and more. This information will help sort out the right college for you.
Another advantage you get from talking to alumni is that you can network with them. They can guide you on your career and even bring you career opportunities after you have completed your PGDM course.
Location
Now you may wonder why location plays such an important role, but it does. For example, if a college is located in an education hub like Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Bengaluru, or Delhi, it is most likely a good college. These cities and few more are famed in the country for providing good management education.
A good location also means that the college has to be well located in the city. It makes it easier for you as a student to travel around, find accommodation, experience culture, enjoy student life, and more.
Industry Collaborations
The best colleges have strong industry collaborations. These collaborations result in the courses being strong and industry-centric. Students get the best and most relevant education, and they even get job and internship opportunities, and placements through these industry collaborations.
One of the biggest advantages of industry collaborations is that many industry experts come in as guest speakers and lecturers. These guest faculty can provide a unique insight into the industry and provide knowledge and information that will help students in their careers.
You can get an education anywhere, but will it help? If you truly want to do well in a PGDM course and give yourself the best opportunities, you have to choose the right college in India after graduation. There are many colleges in the country, but if you search according to the pointers given above, you will find the right PGDM college and be on track for an excellent career.
Speaking of the right colleges, it cannot get better than the Aditya Institute of Management Studies & Research. They are regarded as one of the best management colleges in Mumbai and are consistently ranked in the top 10. AIMSR meets all the criteria mentioned above and could be the right PGDM college for you. To know more about AIMSR and its excellent PGDM course, visit their website and fill out the enquiry. You will get all the information to make the right decision.