PGDM Syllabus & Subjects List 2026: Download Semester-wise Syllabus PDF

Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) is a two-year professional programme that aims to train students for positions in enterprise across business functions. The curriculum provides students with excellent intellectual skills necessary for integrated company management. Almost every management institute, from the top to the regional, provides a postgraduate diploma in management. Students can enrol in this management course full-time or part-time. To enrol in a PGDM programme, students must first pass national or state-level entrance tests such as the CAT, XAT, MAT, and others. The aspirants can select their PGDM specialisation as per their interests and abilities. Financial Management, Marketing, and Human Resources are just a few of the PGDM specialisations available.

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All About PGDM Programme

PGDM Important Facts

Objective: The programme’s goal is to develop students into effective professional managers. The professional learning will develop valuable skills and enable them to adapt to national and international surroundings. Also, they will learn commitment towards attaining success, and maintaining high standards of ethics. They will also develop ability to operate successfully and efficiently, both separately and in-groups.

Scope: PGDM is considered the best alternative course for MBA. Candidates with a PGDM degree can find employment all over the world. The graduates of this course can find work in education, finance, insurance and banking sectors. They can work as HR Manager, HR Recruiter, Public Relations Manager, Research Analyst and Data Scientist.

Learnings: This management course will enable students to grasp the importance of the business environment and increase social awareness. It will also improve their critical thinking abilities and develop integrative thinking skills. The PGDM course is designed by experts to refine the communication skills of the candidates.

Fees: Admission to PGDM degree programmes is available at a number of private universities. Each college has its own fee schedule, which is decided by the courses and resources available. The fees of private institutes are higher in comparison to government colleges and can be completed at a price ranging from INR 10 to INR 25 lakhs.

PGDM Eligibility Criteria

The desirous students must meet the following eligibility criteria to ensure their admission to the PGDM course.

• The applicants must have completed their bachelor’s programme with aggregate 50 per cent marks in any discipline from a recognised university.
• The candidate's bachelor's degree or comparable qualification must have been achieved after finishing higher secondary schooling under the 10+2 system or equivalent.
• Candidates in their last year of a bachelor's degree or equivalent are also eligible to apply.

PGDM Syllabus

The PGDM curriculum is based on industry norms and can be broken into four semesters, allowing students to be employment and secure placements. The PGDM course covers areas such as finance, accounting, economics, insurance, business law, and management. And, because the PGDM job scope is so vast, there are employment chances both in India and overseas.

The PGDM programme includes both core and elective studies. The PGDM syllabus varies widely depending on the university/college. It is divided into two parts: a mandatory set of courses covering all foundation topics in management and an elective collection of courses aimed at developing job-specific skills and knowledge. The following is the semester-by-semester PGDM syllabus:

Semester-1
Subject	Details
Organisational Behaviour	Organisational behaviour is the academic study of how individuals behave within groups, and its concepts are mostly used to improve corporate operations.
Human Resource Management	This subject develops strong conceptual understanding about the behavior of staff in organisations. It also develop students' abilities to understand individual and group behavior within organisations.
Managerial Economics	Managerial economics, sometimes known as business economics, is a discipline of economics that applies microeconomic analysis to business
Computer Applications	Understanding the importance and uses of computer and its programmes.
Business Decisions	A business decision, also known as an operational decision, is any choice made by a business professional that determines the short-term or long-term operations of the organisation.

 

Semester-2
Subject	Details
Marketing Management	Marketing management is an organisational discipline that focuses on the practical application of marketing orientation, strategies, and procedures within businesses and organisations, as well as on the administration of a company's marketing resources and operations.
Cost and Management Accounting	Cost accounting is concerned with the computation and assessment of costs and expenses incurred in the acquisition or production of anything.
Economics	Managerial economics is a discipline of economics that deals with the use of economic methods in organisational decision-making.
Financial Management	Develop students' analytical and critical thinking skills in financial decision making, and use spreadsheets for financial modelling.
Professional Skills	--------

 

Semester-3
Subject	Details
Information Systems	An information system is an integrated set of components used to collect, store, and analyse data as well as to provide information, knowledge, and digital products.
International Business	International business necessitates greater expertise than domestic business. It may entail travelling to another nation and, in some situations, residing there for an extended period of time.
Marketing Management	The goal of this course is to help students improve their analytical skills, intellectual abilities, and practical knowledge in brand management.
Insurance Management	An insurance broker or services firm is referred to as an insurance management firm. This type of firm usually offers a variety of insurance products.
Operations Management	Operations management (OM) is the administration of business procedures inside an organisation to achieve the best level of efficiency achievable.

 

Semester-4
Subject	Details
Business Law	It refers to a body of rules relating to bankruptcy and insolvency in businesses.
Management Information System	-------
Research	-------
Strategic Management	The continual process of establishing an organisation's high-level goals, generating action plans, and implementing them.
Business Environment	This course seeks to provide students with the essential tools of analysis and decision making at the micro level and investigates how these might be used productively in the context of managerial decision making.

The elective subjects in PGDM courses are:

Elective Subjects in PGDM
Subject	Details
Communicating Critical Decisions	Students are taught the skills to take critical decisions in challenging situations.
Innovation Management	Management of innovation processes and change management are combined in innovation management.
Entrepreneurship	--------
Supply Chain Analytics	Supply chain analytics can assist businesses in real-time adaptation to fluctuating customer demand caused by disruptions.
Quality Management	To gain an understanding of the challenges that can be tackled statistically, To familiarise students with diverse statistical analysis tools and techniques, to build a grasp of these tools and approaches, and to make.
Project Planning	Project planning assures successful project and on-time delivery, which is critical in any technical business.
Internet Marketing	Internet marketing is a broad phrase that encompasses digital marketing as well. Internet marketing includes online operations like email marketing and social media marketing.
Marketing Research	Marketing research is the systematic collection, recording, and evaluation of quantitative and qualitative information about marketing products and services concerns.
Sales and Distribution Management	It is the process of making decisions on the organisation's aims.

PGDM Specialisations

Candidates seeking a job in management can select from a variety of subjects available through the PGDM degree. Students can opt for any subject depending on their area of interest. Each college offers a different set of specialisations which enable them to gain in-depth knowledge about that particular field. They can choose any of the below-mentioned specialisation based on their personal interests.

• PGDM in Banking and Financial Services
• PGDM in Human Resource Management
• PGDM in Marketing
• PGDM in IT
• PGDM in Business Analytics
• PGDM in Operation Management

PGDM Books and Authors

The below list includes the name of the books and their authors:

Book	Author	Details
Marketing Management	Philip Kotler	This book talks about the errors in business models as a result of ongoing globalisation, the growing role of corporate social responsibility and technology advances.
The One Minute Manager	Kenneth Balnchard	This book is suitable for managers who want to enhance their managerial skills and perform necessary office chores. It discusses ways that can help readers enhance their work productivity and job satisfaction.
Esential Managers Management	D K	A complete guide full of great recommendations for increasing productivity, performance, and passion in the workplace. A diverse range of talents is required to achieve excellence as a manager.
Business Organisation &Management	Abha Mathur	The book provides basic clarification on the topics relating to  Management Evolution and its Impact on Future Managers. Also, how businesses adapt to uncertain environments and decision Making Methods.
Financial Accounting	Bhushan Kumar Goyal	It train students on topics relating to capital and revenue expenditures, post-balance sheet events, accounting policies and estimate.

PGDM Entrance Exams

A number of universities and institutions conduct entrance exams for PGDM admittance. The exam covers financial planning, computer applications for business, and professional skills programme for assisting students in understanding the course. The following are the PGDM admission exams:

 CAT:  Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level management aptitude test that is organised to provide admission to the MBA graduates. This test allow admission to students in programmes offered by 20 IIMs and more than 1,200 B-schools in India. The CAT exam includes multiple-choice questions.

MAT: For admission to MBA/PGDM programmes, the All India Management Association (AIMA) administers the Management Aptitude Test, also known as the MAT. Multiple times a year, the exam is given in four phases: February, May, September, and December. Candidates who meet the requirements may be admitted to more than 800 business schools that accept the MAT.

GMAT: The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is conducted by The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) all the year round. GMAC is an international non-profit organization of business schools that also serves as a primary resource of research and information about quality graduate management education.

CMAT: The National Testing Agency (NTA) administers the three-hour Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) for students applying to MBA and postgraduate management programmes. In India, the CMAT is one of the most well-liked MBA entry tests. Every year, 70,000 or more candidates apply. Around 1300 B-schools in India recognise CMAT scores.

NMAT: NMAT, also known as NMAT by GMAC, is a national-level entrance exam for MBA admissions at NMIMS University and other prestigious B-Schools in India and worldwide. NMAT was administered by Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies until it was taken over by GMAC. The NMAT is created with the convenience of the test-takers in mind.

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Top Exams for PGDM

PGDM Distance Programme

Several business institutions provide Distance PGDM courses based on exam marks such as CAT, MAT, and XAT. Many institutes provide entrance exams as part of the PGDM remote learning admissions process. This is best suited for working professionals who can continue their studies along with their employment. The students need to possess bachelor’s degree in any field with aggregate 50 per cent marks, besides qualifying the admission test to seek admission. The interested students can pursue distance learning programme from:

• IIM, Calcutta
• IIM, Lucknow
• IGNOU
• NMIMS
• IPS Academy

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Top Ranked MBA Colleges

Following are the most popular PGDM Colleges in India. Learn more about these PGDM colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.

Following are the top exams for PGDM. Students interested in pursuing a career on PGDM, generally take these important exams.You can also download the exam guide to get more insights.

Following are the most popular PGDM Specializations . You can explore the top Colleges offering these Specializations by clicking the links below.

Following are the most popular PGDM courses, based on alumni reviews. Explore these reviews to choose the best course in PGDM.

Following are the top ranked colleges for PGDM based on rankings published by The Week, Business Today and National Institutional Ranking Framework (MHRD).