Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM)

Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM)

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About Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM)

PGPM or Post Graduate Program in Management is a course available to students who have completed their graduation and are now interested in gaining managerial skills. One very important thing to note is that PGPM is a certification course not a degree course and it is offered under several other names also such as PGP, PGPX or EPGP. The course duration is generally 1 year but some colleges do offer 2-year PGP courses. Generally, 2-year PGP courses end in an MBA degree.

PGPM is a great course that imparts management skills to a student through the theoretical understanding of subjects as well as through hands-on exposure via projects and internships. The course is designed keeping practicality in mind and to help professionals climb up the corporate ladder. The curriculum is quite similar to an MBA programme but the duration is shorter, which makes the course suitable for working professionals.

Students of PGPM learn topics such as Marketing, Micro and Macroeconomics, Finance, Business Laws, Organizational Behaviour etc. Students are also provided practical learning opportunities through internships, research work, industrial visits, live projects etc. as part of the course. The PGPM course used to be associated with IIMs but nowadays many private institutes have also started offering these courses due to their popularity.

Quick Facts

  • PGPM covers topics like Finance Accounting, Marketing Management, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Corporate finance, Communication skills, Business Laws, Operations management, among others.
  • As this course is designed for working professionals, it provides ample opportunities for internships and working on live projects throughout the course period.
  • In the second year of the course, the students get an opportunity to select among the electives in the fields of Economy, Finance, General Management, IT, and Marketing.
  • After completing this course, the candidates can get hired in senior managerial positions in big corporate houses, MNC's and IT firms.
  • This course is considered at par with other management courses like executive-MBA and PGDM among professionals.
  • IIM is one of the top providers of PGP.

Types of PGPM

Due to an upsurge in the demands of PGPM courses from the IIMs, there are also different options available for the students to choose from the different types of PGPM courses offered.

Full Time

  • The full time PGPM course is a 2 year program that is designed in a way to transform professionals with high potential into competent managers.
  • It is a trademark course of IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management), though nowadays many private and public colleges also provide PGPM courses. The course curriculum is almost similar to that of MBA course.
  • PGPM Admissions are based on Entrance Exams conducted either at the national or university level. Top PGPM Entrance Exams: CAT, MAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, GMAT.
  • Full time PGPM Specialization includes PGPM Marketing, PGPM Finance, PGPM in HR, and alike. 
  • In IIMs and most of the other institutes that offer 2 year PGPM courses, each year is further divided into three terms that also include compulsory internships, research work and live projects as a part of the course curriculum.

Executive PGPM

  • Executive PGPM or 1-year PGPM is more suited for aspirants with quality pre-MBA work experience. 
  • Executive PGPM program typically has significantly higher ROI due to the lower total opportunity cost.
  • The candidates are admitted to the Executive PGPM program on the basis of academic record, work experience, and performance in the Personal Interview.

Course Comparison

There are various management courses that are available in India such as MBA, PGDM, Executive MBA, etc. that can be called almost similar to the PGPM course.

In the section below, we have described and compared these courses for your better understanding of the aim, purpose and outcome of each of the management courses.

HR

The course is also known as PGP-HRM, this course is designed for HR professionals, and includes topics such as Compensation and Benefits, and Talent management, etc.

Marketing

The course gives a detailed insight into marketing skills. The candidates generally land a job in the corporate sector.

Operations

This course generally provides detailed insights in operations management. The course comes with job opportunities in the corporate sector, MNC's and IT sectors.

PGPM Top Colleges

Here we have provided the list of top management colleges that offer PGPM courses which were ranked under top 20 by India Today in 2019.

PGPM From IIMs: Fees, Placement Package

College NameAverage Annual FeesAverage Placement Package
IIM AhmedabadINR 11,50,000INR 20,36,562
IIM CalcuttaINR 11,10,000INR 27,90,000
IIM IndoreINR 8,05,000INR 20,79,000
IIM KozhikodeINR 9,50,000INR 23,08,000
IIM ShillongINR 11,50,000INR 18,76,000
IIM TrichyINR 9,15,000INR 14,91,000

PGPM Admission Process

PGPM Has An Entrance Exam Based Admission Process. Most Of The Colleges Offering PGPM In India First Shortlist Eligible Candidates On The Basis Of Their Scores In An Entrance Exam And Then They Conduct Their Very Own Selection Process For The Final Selection Of Candidates. Given Below Is The General Admission / Selection Process Of PGPM Colleges. The Exact Process May Vary And Candidates Must Refer To The Admission Policy Of Their College To Understand The Exact Procedure That They Must Follow.

  • Candidates Must First Fill Up The Application Form Of The College That They Are Interested In. Application Forms Of Almost All Of The PGPM Colleges Can Be Filled Online From The Official Website Of The College.

Personal Interview (PI)

Group Discussion (GD)

Written Ability Test (WAT)

The Candidates Who Clear The Cut-off Specified By The College Are Shortlisted To Take Part In The Selection Process Of The College. The Selection Process May Have Up To The Following 3 Stages Or Rounds.

Next Step Is To Sit For Entrance Exams. The Most Commonly Accepted Entrance Exams For PGPM Admissions Include CAT / XAT / MAT / CMAT / GMAT. Depending Upon The College, One Or More Of These Entrance Exams May Be Considered Valid. IIMs Only Accept CAT Scores For Admission And For Admission To The Tier-1 IIMs, A Student Generally Has To Get A 99+ Percentile Score.

Post Graduate Program In Management (PGPM) Eligibility Criteria

Students Interested In Taking Admission To The PGPM Course Must First Ensure That They Take Note Of The Eligibility Criteria Of The Course. Colleges Judge A Candidate's eligibility Based On Two Main Factors -- Academic Background And Work Experience. PGPM Courses Are Generally Open To Candidates From All Streams. Given Below Are The Details Regarding The Eligibility Criteria Of PGPM.

  • Candidate must Have Completed His graduation In Any Stream From A UGC-recognized College Or University.

PGPM Courses Require Candidates To Have At Least 2 Years Of Work Experience To Be Eligible. However, Depending Upon The College Up To 5 Years Of work Experience May Be Required For PGPM Admissions.

Reserved Category Students Are Given A Relaxation Of 5% In The Minimum Percentage Criteria.

Candidate Must Have Received A Minimum Of 50% Aggregate Marks Or Equivalent CGPA in His graduation. Some Colleges May Specify Different Minimum Percentage Criteria.

Popular Entrance Exams For PGPM

Some Universities And Institutions Or States May Conduct Their Entrance Examinations For PGPM Admissions. The Exam Includes Topics Like Quantitative Ability, Data Sufficiency, Pie Charts, Caselets, Tables, Combination Of Graphs, Analogies, Antonyms, Current Affairs, Business & Economy, And Many More Subjects, Helping Them Get An Overview Of The Course. The Exams Are:

  • MAT
  • XAT
  • CAT
  • CMAT

 A Quick Glance At The PGPM Entrance Exams

The Students Must Qualify For The National Or State Level PGPM Entrance Exams Such As MAT, CAT, XMAT, XAT, Etc. Aspirants Can Choose B- Schools Or Coaching Institutes That Prepare Students For The Entrance Exams. The Entrance Exam Gives A Glance At The Entire Course, Thus Giving An Overview Of The Topic. Listed Below Are The General Entrance Exam Guidelines:

  • Time Management And Aptitude Knowledge Are Required For The Generalized Section.
  • The Exams Are Held Only In English, And Thus Language Proficiency Is A Must.
  • Skills To Prepare Are Current Affairs, Business & Economy, Who's Who, Taxation & Duties, Film Awards, Indian Constitution, Etc.

Preparation Tips For PGPM

PGPM Entrance Exams Involve Both An Aptitude And A Knowledge Testing Type Of Questions. So Being Well Prepared With It Would Be Of Use. Since The Exams Themselves Brief The Course, It Would Be Of More Use To Get Into An In-depth Study. Below Are Some Preparation Tips Made By Experts For Aspirants Who Want To Pursue PGPM.

Time Management: The Aspirant Should Be Capable Of Answering All The Questions In The Specified Time. Since It Involves Literature, It Would Be Lengthy.

Reading Newspapers: General Knowledge And Current Affairs Questions Are Often Asked In Entrance Exams And Sometimes In Personal Interviews And Group Discussion Rounds.

Skills: Trying To Focus More On Quantitative Aptitude, Analytical Reasoning, Descriptive Types, Data Interpretation, Etc., Which Are All Included In The Questions

Planning: To Prepare Well In Advance, Aspirants Should Practice With Sample Question Papers, Mock Tests, And Quizzes. By Analysing Their Errors, Aspirants Can Develop A More Effective Strategy To Attempt Entrance Exams.

Why Pursue PGPM?

If you are a working professional who is willing to pursue a management course to increase your qualification, your capability, and your management skills, then you must consider pursuing PGPM.

The following reasons are the other reasons why should you pursue the PGPM program:

  • Can be completed in less time: Most of the PGPM courses (except 2-year courses of IIM) can be completed in a year. After completing the course, a certificate will be provided equivalent to an MBA.
  • Learning through work: The design of the PGPM course is such that it includes either a compulsory internship or a compulsory live project in an interval of every 3-4 months or sometimes even throughout the year. Such an abundance of internships and live projects are generally not available in any other management-oriented courses.
  • Huge Job Opportunities: PGPM graduates have huge job opportunities in various sectors such as Corporates, MNC's and IT sector companies.
  • Higher Salary: The salary package for PGPM candidates generally ranges between INR 10,00,000 and INR 25,00,000 which is considerably higher than any other academic course. This is the main reason why candidates go for this PGPM program.

Who should do PGPM?

PGPM is an ideal choice for those who want to gain extensive knowledge related to the field of Management, Business, and Administration in a short span of time.

  • Students who want to pursue a career in Management can ppt for a PGPM Course.
  • This course promises a high salary for individuals who can lead teams and manage them. Individuals with great leadership qualities should definitely opt for a PGPM course to build your career in managerial roles.
  • It’s an excellent option for those students who want to switch their careers.
  • It provides an opportunity for less experienced professionals to advance in their careers.