Below is everything you need to know to assess the value of a graduate degree and determine whether or not it’s worth it. In this article, we have explained everything you need to know about the postgraduate diploma and have answered all the possible questions you may have about it.

When you graduate from college and earn your first degree, you certainly breathe a sigh of relief; At last, you have a first degree from a university that can put your feet up on a high, life-enhancing pedestal.

But then, years later, he discovers that a first degree isn’t all he needs to get to the top of his career. While some people may consider a graduate degree, others may consider a master’s degree.
You may be wondering what exactly a graduate diploma is worth, since almost anyone who isn’t doing a master’s is doing it. We created this article to satisfy your curiosity.

[lwptoc]

The value of the graduate diploma

The postgraduate diploma is generally good for those looking for ways to enhance their career. It gives you an advantage over those with only a first degree and the good thing is that it takes less time than a master’s degree. While a master’s degree is made up of 180 credits, a postgraduate diploma is made up of 120 credits or 60 credits for shorter versions.

There are so many courses that can be done in a graduate diploma, it could be a vocational course, an academic course, or even a legal course.

In most cases, especially for those undertaking an academic course, the main difference between a master’s degree and a graduate diploma is that students undertaking a graduate diploma do not necessarily do a dissertation.

Students are always accessed with assignments, coursework, or a combination of both. If you are doing a postgraduate diploma in a vocational training course, you may need to keep in mind that it becomes really practical and is intended to intensively prepare you for better opportunities and ideas in your chosen profession.

This is to say that, unlike what you may have heard before about the value of a graduate diploma, it is actually very valuable and can be used to achieve a myriad of goals.

What does a graduate diploma mean?

A postgraduate diploma is a shorter additional qualification usually obtained after the first degree to advance in the career or profession. Complements a first degree. A graduate diploma is almost at the same academic level as a master’s degree in various fields.

The slight significant difference is that the master’s degree has a higher number of credits than a graduate diploma and also, while a master’s degree is time consuming, a graduate diploma is not.

Because of this disparity, a master’s degree is considered more often than not a graduate diploma in the workplace and this is why many graduates go directly to a master’s degree instead of a graduate diploma, but this does not negate the fact that a graduate diploma is still very valuable.

Is the graduate diploma equivalent to a degree?

No, a graduate diploma is not the same as a degree. This is a direct answer to avoid confusion.

A graduate diploma is a higher academic award than a college degree (known as a first degree). In academic relevance, a graduate diploma can be equated with a master’s or any other graduate award, as the case may be, but definitely not a first degree.

Before one can do a postgraduate diploma, they must have completed their first degree. The value of the postgraduate diploma cannot be overstated, it is a qualification that should be adopted by anyone who wants to go beyond the limit of having a postgraduate degree.

Can I do masters after PG diploma?

Okay, yes! It is absolutely possible for you to attend a master’s program after a graduate diploma.

Both a master’s degree and a graduate diploma are graduate programs, but they are not exactly the same as I explained above. If after completing your graduate diploma, you feel that a master’s degree is next for you, you may continue with it.

Is the graduate diploma higher than the bachelor’s degree?

A postgraduate diploma is a qualification obtained after completing a first degree. A postgraduate diploma can be GradD, GDip, GrDip or any other related qualification.

The level of study varies from country to country. It could mean being at the same level as the last year of a bachelor’s degree at a level between a master’s degree and a doctorate.

Postgraduate diploma and postgraduate diploma may be synonymous in some countries, while in other countries postgraduate diploma is a higher qualification (in countries where postgraduate diploma is bachelor’s degree).

In countries like Nigeria, there is an academic certificate known as a National Diploma that is obtained in a minimum of two years of study at a polytechnic in the country. There is also the Higher National Diploma which also takes a minimum of two years after which one must have obtained the National Diploma.

While the national diploma is by no means equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, the higher national diploma is almost at the same level as a bachelor’s degree and in most cases are considered to have equal value with respect to jobs in public offices .

While it is understood that a postgraduate diploma is valued differently between countries, in Nigeria, a postgraduate diploma is safely valued above a bachelor’s degree.

However, however, a postgraduate diploma is higher than a bachelor’s and even a master’s degree. If there are countries that consider it otherwise, it certainly won’t be valued below a bachelor’s degree.

You can read more about the postgraduate diploma on wikipedia .

Can you do a graduate diploma without a degree?

Well, appropriately, you are expected to have completed your first degree before considering a graduate diploma, but if you are in dire need of earning a graduate diploma without a degree, you can still try using the following tactics:

• Take advantage of your work experience. You may not have earned your degree, but you may have had enough work experience that it’s almost equivalent to earning a bachelor’s degree. In your application, speak with experience about what you have gathered over the years working at that organization.
• Your knowledge in another field may also be helpful. Let’s say you want to do a graduate diploma in accounting and you have a vast knowledge of business administration, your experience could act as transferable knowledge and can be equivalent to that gained in a similar bachelor’s degree.
• Take studies online. Online classes are very flexible and convenient. While earning a diploma offline can be rigid, online training offers better opportunities in several ways.

What is the difference between a diploma and a PG diploma?

The main difference between a diploma and a graduate diploma is that while a diploma can be undergraduate or graduate, a graduate diploma is always at the end of an undergraduate degree.

A PG Diploma is higher than a simple Diploma which in most cases is lower than a Bachelor’s degree.

Which is better, MSc or PGDip

PGDip stands for postgraduate diploma, while MSc stands for master’s degree. There may not be a simple answer to which is better between a master’s degree and a graduate diploma.

You may need to choose which of the two is best for you based on what you need the rating for.

PGDip is a good choice if you want better opportunities at work in a short time, but then the MSc might also be right for you if you’re looking for career experience. MSc may be more intensive than PGDip, but PGDip may be better for trying to achieve more in a short period of time.

Conclusion

We believe we have been able to show you the value of a graduate diploma and what it looks like academically and in the workplace.

This will certainly help you in decision making. There is no point in collecting academic certificates that are certainly not useful to you, it is better to know the value of what you want to look for and determine if it is really worth your time or not.