PGDM full form is Post Graduate Diploma in Management: the diploma IIMs awarded for their two-year programmes until the IIM Act, 2017 let them grant degrees, after which they switched to the MBA. IIM Ahmedabad conferred its first MBA degrees at its 54th convocation on 16 March 2019 (IIMA news).
Why did IIMs award a PGDM?
Before 2017, each IIM was a registered society with no power to grant degrees, so the IIMs gave a diploma for the two-year Post Graduate Programme (PGP), usually called the PGDM or the PGP diploma.
The Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017 changed that. Section 7(f) empowers each IIM to grant degrees, diplomas and other academic distinctions, and Section 2 declares the IIMs institutions of national importance. Since then the flagship two-year programmes lead to an MBA degree. See list of IIMs for what else the Act changed.
PGDM at IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta today
| IIM | Programme name | What graduates receive now |
|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | PGP (two-year) | MBA; the 54th convocation in March 2019 awarded the first MBA “instead of” the PGP diploma |
| IIM Bangalore | PGP (two-year) | Master of Business Administration, per IIMB’s programmes page |
| IIM Calcutta (Kolkata) | MBA | Listed as “MBA” in the CAT 2026 Information Bulletin |
The programme names did not all change. IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore still call their flagship course the PGP, and the degree at the end is an MBA. A search for “PGDM IIM Ahmedabad” or “PGDM IIM Bangalore” today leads to the same two-year CAT-based MBA. Alumni who graduated before the switch hold the diploma.
Do any IIMs still award a PGDM?
A few executive programmes keep “diploma” in the title. The CAT 2026 bulletin lists IIM Visakhapatnam’s Post Graduate Diploma in Management for Executives (PGDMEx) next to its MBA programmes. Outside the IIM system, private business schools such as SPJIMR still run a two-year PGDM (IIM vs SPJIMR).
For one-year and working-professional programmes, programme acronyms vary by campus; see PGPX, EPGP, one-year MBA at IIMs and executive MBA from IIM.
Common questions
What is the full form of PGDM?
PGDM stands for Post Graduate Diploma in Management. IIMs awarded it for their two-year programmes before the IIM Act, 2017.
Do IIMs offer PGDM or MBA?
IIMs now award an MBA degree for their two-year flagship programmes. The IIM Act, 2017 gave them the power to grant degrees; before that they awarded a diploma.
When did IIMs switch from PGDM to MBA?
The IIM Act, 2017 received assent on 31 December 2017. IIM Ahmedabad awarded its first MBA degrees at its 54th convocation on 16 March 2019.
Is PGDM from IIM Ahmedabad equal to an MBA?
IIM Ahmedabad’s two-year PGP now leads to an MBA degree. Older batches received the PGP diploma for the same programme before the Act took effect.
Is the IIM Bangalore PGP a PGDM?
IIM Bangalore still calls its two-year flagship the Post Graduate Programme (PGP), and its programmes page says it leads to the degree of Master of Business Administration.
Which IIM programmes still use “diploma” in the name?
IIM Visakhapatnam lists a Post Graduate Diploma in Management for Executives (PGDMEx) in the CAT 2026 bulletin. Check each institute’s programme page for the award before you apply.
Related: CAT, IIM Ahmedabad review, IIM Bangalore review, IIM Calcutta review.
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