What is the best course Degree vs. diploma?

DEGREE VS. DIPLOMA

Both degree and diploma are types of recognition conferred on a person to complete an educational course. However, there are a lot of differences between the two, and they aren't interchangeable.

To understand the difference between a degree and a diploma, we first need to know what a university is, what AICTE is, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) role in India.

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees for several courses.

UGC

UGC stands for the University Grants Commission. The UGC was established in November 1956 as a statutory body of the Government of India for the coordination, determination, and maintenance of standards of university education in India.

All cases about allocating grants-in-aid from public funds to the Central Universities and other Universities and Institutions of higher learning might be referred to the University Grants Commission.

CITE

UGC is to universities, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), private institutes impart technical education. The body works towards the qualitative improvement of technical education and implementation and proper maintenance of norms and standards in a technical education system.

What is a Degree?

The duration of a degree course is usually 3 to 4 years, and the emphasis is on academics. For example, B.Com (H) is a 3-year degree course that teaches students subjects like accountancy, economics, and business studies; B.Tech is a 4-year degree course that teaches subjects like physics, chemistry, and math and includes the subject one plans to major in, an MBBS is a 5 and 1/2-year-long degree that teaches the general aspects of medicine.

Who Confers the Degree

Only a university can confer a degree. To pursue higher education, only a degree from a UGC-approved university is accepted. AICTE-approved private institutes are affiliated with UGC-approved universities. If a person graduates from an AICTE approved private institute affiliated with a UGC-approved university, he still gets the university's degree.

Example: There are many AICTE approved private colleges under Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, but after completing the course, the student does not get a degree from the institute; he gets a degree from the university in this case, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.

Curriculum

The curriculum is designed to provide an overview of many subjects other than the one the student may be interested in. For example, in an engineering degree course for Computer Science, the first year focuses on subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanics, and Engineering Drawing apart from languages like C and COBOL; subsequent years have subjects like Digital Electronics and Analog Electronics.

Typically, there is one subject that you major in, called the specialization, whereas other subjects are called electives.

Scope

After finishing your degree, you can take up higher education to better your skills or look for a job in your field. For example, after a B.Com (H) degree, you can opt to work in finance or accounting or apply to college abroad to pursue an MBA or M.Comm.

Eligibility

A person must have successfully passed the 12th standard to pursue a bachelor’s degree. One must possess a bachelor's degree to pursue a master's degree.

What is a Diploma?

A diploma course is a short-term course (usually 1 to 2 years) that focuses on training a person in a particular field.

Who Confers a Diploma

An institute, a polytechnic, or even a university can offer a diploma course. There is no need for the institute or the university to be UGC or AICTE approved.

Curriculum

The course is designed so that the person gets basic theoretical knowledge about the subject in focus, apart from extensive practical training needed in the job industry. A lot of diploma courses have on-the-job training and apprenticeship and focus more on practical exams. For example, a diploma in computer science involves subjects centered on programming languages and computer hardware only.

Scope

After a diploma, you can either enroll in a degree course or look for jobs. For example, in universities like Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, you can enroll in a B.Tech in Computer Science course after completing your diploma course.

In that case, you will be directly given admission to the second year. It is generally tough to get admitted to a higher degree after only a diploma course. To do so, you need to pursue a course for at least 1 or 2 more years after your diploma.

Eligibility

A person can enroll for a diploma course even after class 10. There are diploma courses that require the candidate to be an HSC pass-out. Diploma courses at the master's level require the candidate to have a graduate degree.

Degree Vs. Diploma

 Degree

 Diploma

 A degree course is usually a 3 to 4-year long course conferred by a UGC-recognised university after completing a course. An institute cannot confer a degree. A diploma is a short-term course, lasting 1 or 2 years, and is not necessarily given by a university. It could be conducted by an institute or polytechnic as well.

 Only a university can confer a degree. To pursue higher education, a degree from only a UGC-approved university is accepted. An institute, a polytechnic, or even a university can offer a diploma course. There is no need for the institute or the university to be UGC or AICTE approved.

 Typically, there is one subject that you major in, called the specialization, whereas other subjects are called electives. A diploma is a specific academic award usually awarded for professional/vocational courses.

A degree holder is preferred over a diploma holder in the same field.  

The relative importance of a diploma, when compared to a degree course, is less.

 Degree programs give more in-depth knowledge and potentially start you at a higher level.

Diploma programs provide education within your given field and get you into the workforce sooner.

Career Prospects

Across the country, there are many reputed institutes, including the IIMs, which offer diploma and degree programs. The career prospects depend on the competency of the student, the institute, the kind of course curriculum it offers, and the student's own work ethic.