The PGDCA full form is the Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application. This course is available as a post-graduate programme for the students who have completed their graduation. The duration of this course is one year which is further divided into two semesters.
In this course, students will learn about the various aspects of computer and software applications used in it through theoretical classes and practical experiments. You will also provide the developmental process of various applications.
Subjects related to computer applications such as database management systems, operating system and web programing will be taught in this course of two semesters. After the completion of this course, candidates will be able to join software industry.
If we compare with other post-graduates courses like M. Tech, MCA, MBA, this course takes lesser time to complete which is one year.
PGDCA is a programme which is very beneficial for the candidates who are willing to know about various computer application in the field of banking, insurance, accounting and other related field.
PGDCA Overview
- Name of the Course: Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application
- Type of the Course: Diploma
- Duration of the Course: 1 Year
- Average Fees: INR 80,000 to INR 1,20,000
- Job Profile: Web Developer, UI Designer, UX Designer, Ethical Hacker, Software Developer, Computer Programmer
- Popular Colleges: Jamia Millia Islamia, Madras Christian College, Lovely Professional University
- Average Salary: INR 2,00,000 to INR 6,00,000
- Top Recruiting Companies: Accenture, TCS, Infosys, Oracle, Tech Mahindra etc.
Benefits of PGDCA
- Candidates having intention to work in the IT industry and pursue their career in it, this course is suitable for those candidates. After the completion of this, you can join the various profession related to IT industry like web developer, web designer, computer language programmer, computer programmer, software developer, ethical hacker and many others.
- On comparison of other courses, this course takes less time to complete i.e. 1 year.
- Competition is very less than other courses as most of the students choose to pursue Master’s degree than diploma courses. So, it is a very good choice to make your career.
- One more benefits of this course is that most of the companies preferred to recruit PGDCA than a student of B. Tech graduate. This is because, the salary of a PGDCA students is lesser than B. Tech.
Types of PGDCA
Students can join this course as both regular as well as distance mode. If we consider distance learning of PGDCA, it is very cheaper than regular mode and students can enroll themselves where they want to.
On the other hand, in regular PGDCA programme, students have to attend at least once a week which is like normal class-room. In this programme, there is a good interaction between students and teachers. Quality of education in regular classes is much better than distance education.
In general, students have to complete their one year course within a maximum of three years but IGNOU consider it and extent the limitation to complete this course within four years.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility criteria for PGDCA is different and varies from college to college. There are some colleges that takes admission directly into the course such as IK Gujrat Punjab Technical University whereas some colleges consider minimum marks as cut-off such as Dibrugarh University set 40% as minimum mark to grant admission in this course. If you belong to reserved category, then you may have a relaxation of 5% mark.
Educational Qualifications: Students have to complete their graduation in courses like BA, B. Com, B. Sc, BBA, BCA, B. Tech etc.
Cut-off Mark: Generally, there is no cut-off mark but in some instances cut-off mark is required as in the Dibrugarh University.
Combination of Subjects: some colleges like IGNOU and Indian Statistical Institute only simple graduation is enough but in some institutions in Kolkata, candidates must have Mathematics as one of their subject in the graduation.
Age Limitation: Most of the institution does not mention any upper or lower age in their criteria. On the other hand, institutions like Vallabh Government College, Mandi take into consideration the age of the candidate during admission.
Admission Procedure
In most of the institutions admission are taken considering the merit of the students. However, there are some institutions such as Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi etc. grant admission on the basis of performance in the entrance examination. Qualified students of the entrance examination are further summoned for Interview.
Syllabus of PGDCA
The most important thing that every student must consider while intended to take admission into PGDCA is to go through the syllabus of PGDCA. You will get an overall idea about the course whether this course is suitable for you or not.
It should be noted that the syllabus is not fixed and varies from institute to institute but the basic topic remains same throughout the colleges.
Syllabus for First Semester/Term
Foundations of Computer Programming, Advanced Communication Skills, Basic Financial Management, Database Management Systems, Operating System.
Syllabus for Second Semester/Term
Object oriented programming, Software Engineering, Computer Networks, Data Structure, Web Programming.
Top PGDCA Colleges
1. Punjab Technical University
- Location: Jalandhar
- Duration: 1 year (2 semesters)
- Mode of Education: Distance
- Fees: INR 15,000
2. Dibrugarh University
- Location: Assam
- Duration: One year
- Mode of Education: Distance – Under Directorate of Open and Distance Learning(DODL)
3. Lovely Professional University (LPU)
- Location: Jalandhar
- Duration: One-year course and must complete within 3 years.
- Mode of Education: Distance
- Fees: INR 10,000 per semester
4. Indian Statistical Institute
- Location: Kolkata
- Duration: One-Year
- Mode of Education: Regular
- Fees: Tuition fee is not required in this institution
5. Directorate of Distance Education, Annamalai University
- Location: Tamil Nadu
- Duration: One-year
- Mode of Education: Distance
- Fees: INR 7,000
6. Institute of Distance Education, Maharishi Markandeshwar University
- Location: Haryana
- Duration: One-year
- Mode of Education: Distance
7. Patna Women’s College
- Location: Patna
- Duration: One-year
8. IGNOU
- Duration: One-year but must complete within four years
- Mode of Education: Distance
- Fees: INR 11,000 per semester
9. University of Delhi
- Location: Delhi
- Duration: One-year
10. Sardar Patel University
- Duration: One-year
- Mode of Education: Regular
11. Career Point University
- Location: Kota
- Duration: One-year
- Mode of Education: Regular
- Fees: Admission Fee (One-time) – INR 5,000 and Tuition Fee – INR 16,000
12. Vallabh Government College
- Location: Mandi
- Duration: One-year
- Mode of Education: Regular
Career Opportunities After PGDCA
After completing this course, candidates will get placement in different sectors of Information Technology and others. We have discussed some popular posts in the following section.
IT Sectors: In IT sector, candidates can join Office Automation, Telecommunication and Computing.
Finance and Banking: Finance sector is also a good area for PGDCA candidates where they are engaged for the development of software, accounting packages. They are also responsible for storage, maintenance and upgradation of data which are related to the transaction in the financial sector.
Health related Services: With the advancement of time, medical kits and diagnosis procedure is developing. Your duty is to maintain records of patient’s health and various studied medical cases.
Services of Hospitality: In this sector, you will be posted to supervise services related to IT in the cruise services, Airlines agencies, and travel agencies, etc.
Apart from this services, you will also be posted as Computer Animation Experts, Web designer, Applications Developer and many more.
Top Recruiting Companies
Unisys, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Bharti Airtel, Tata ELXSI, ASUS, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Boeing BEL, Cisco Systems, Alcatel, Robert Bosch, Unisys, Siemens, Sasken Communications, Qualcomm, TCS.
It can be said that PGDCA certificate holder have wide range of opportunities to make their career bright. The demand is also at its peak position, so, candidates need not to worry about their future.
PGDCA Full Form: FAQs
Q1. What is the full form of PGDCA?
Ans: The full form of PGDCA is Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application.
Q2. How much time is required to complete PGDCA?
Ans: The duration of this course is one-year having two semesters.
Q3. What is the minimum educational qualification for PGDCA?
Ans: Candidates have to complete their graduation from an authorized university or board.
Q4. Is PGDCA equivalent to master degree?
Ans: No, PGDCA is not equivalent to master degree. It is only a diploma course of one-year.
Q5. What is the advantage of a PGDCA course?
Ans: The major advantage of this course is that it comparatively takes lesser time to complete and can get jobs in various sectors such as banking, accounting, insurance and others.
