The full form of PGDCA is Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application. The course is for graduate's students who want to pursue a career in the banking sector, insurance department and accounting field. The PGDCA programme will provide a specialization in computer science. During the course, candidates can get software knowledge that is designed to help the user to perform numerous tasks at a specific time. The course curriculum and syllabus are career-oriented and open a lot of jobs opportunities within the country and abroad.
| Particulars | Details |
| Course Name | PGDCA |
| Full Form | Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications |
| Course Type | Post Graduation |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Eligibility Criteria | Post Graduation |
The PGDCA is a full-time course and consists 1-year duration. Admission to the PGDCA course is based on cut off and merit. The entire course is divided into two various semesters that teach about different subjects like- programming, Soft skills, Oracle, Web programming, JAVA, Visual basic and more. PGDCA graduates can work as IT Support Analyst, IT Consultant, Software developer, PHP developer etc after completing the course. Moreover, you can find an excellent job in this field or also become a software engineer. So the candidates will work on their technical skills and improves their computer knowledge to become professional in the computer field.
To apply for PGDCA, you need to fulfil the under mention requirement-
You will opt for this course after the completion of a diploma in computer applications or a degree in computer applications. The admission process for most of the colleges in India is through merit only. So, it is very important to make sure that you are having a good score in a diploma course or degree course. There are a few colleges that go for entrance-test-based admission. These entrance tests are conducted once a year. You will have to keep checking for the notification to take up the entrance test. So, the process of admission is purely based on the college where you are seeking admission. JMIEEE and DUET are the most common entrance tests for this course.
This course can be completed both full-time and also in distance mode. It is completely your choice to decide how you wish to complete this course. There are several distance mode colleges also available in India.
When it comes to fees, it again keeps changing from college to college. Each college has its own fee structure. Some colleges have a fee as low as Rs 10,000 and some even charge more than a lakh for the same course. As there are both private and public colleges in India, private colleges fee is high compared to public colleges. So, you need to check the fee details before you make the choice.
A very important question that many students have in their mind is why to opt for PGDCA when there are so many other courses available for Computer Applications after graduation or diploma. There are many benefits like:
In this section, you will know about what you are going to study as part of this post-graduation diploma course. There will be two semesters and it is a course of one year.
Semester - I
Semester - II
In India, there are several colleges and universities available that offer you PGDCA courses. If you are looking forth best colleges list, then in this section we have given the list of the top 10 colleges:
| S.No. | Colleges Name | Location | Average Fees |
| 1 | Indira Gandhi National Open University | New Delhi | Rs. 21600 |
| 2 | Amity School of Distance Learning | Noida | Rs. 20000 |
| 3 | University of Delhi | New Delhi | Rs. 7000 |
| 4 | Madurai Kamaraj University | Madurai | Rs. 10000 |
| 5 | Sambalpur University | Sambalpur | Rs. 12000 |
| 6 | Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology | Hisar | Rs. 6000 |
| 7 | Punjab Technical University | Jalandar | Rs. 10000 |
| 8 | Annamalai University | Annamalainagar | Rs. 25000 |
| 9 | NRAI School of Mass Communication and Management | New Delhi | Rs. 10000 |
| 10 | Maharishi Markandeshwar University | Ambala | Rs. 27000 |
There are many job opportunities that you will receive after the completion of this PGDCA course. So, here are some of the job roles that you will be offered:
Software Engineer: As a software engineer you will be responsible for developing new codes and applications. You will have to write the code for existing or new applications.
IT Support Analyst: As an IT Support Analyst, you will be responsible for providing support through chats, emails, phone, or sometimes in person as well.
Web designers: As a Web Designer, you will have to work towards the designing and planning of web pages and websites. You will have to work along with your teams.
IT Consultant: Your job as an IT Consultant is to provide technical support for systems, both internally and externally as well.
Software developer: As a software developer, you will have to write code for application development, programs, and develop websites.
Quality Assurance Analyst: If you are given the role of a quality assurance analyst, then you will be responsible for the quality of the code developed by the development team. You will be checking the games, software, programs, and other applications developed.
Apart from this, there are many job opportunities that you will receive after the completion of the PGDCA course.
After the completion of PGDCA, you will get a number of job opportunities in software companies. You will earn Rs 2,00,000 to Rs 4,00,000 at the beginning of your career. As an IT Support Analyst, you will earn Rs 3,00,000 at the start of your career. An IT Consultant will earn a high, which is Rs 11,00,000 per annum. A software engineer will earn Rs 6,00,000 per annum. It again depends on the organization or company in which you are going to work. Also, if you are having any prior experience then you will be able to earn high. Many colleges even offer campus recruitment for PGDCA students.
As this is a professional course, you will have many job options immediately after completion of the course. But you can also choose to go for M. Tech or M.C.A or other courses related to computer applications. They will help in earning pretty good in the future when you start your career. M. Sc is another education option for those who wish to continue their education. So, now the choice is yours whether you wish to continue your education or you wish to get into a job.