What's Better: PG-Diploma Or Master Degree in Canada?

You might ask what are the differences between a PG Diploma and a Master’s degree? If you are searching for a comparison between a PG diploma and a Master’s degree in Canada, the information contained here will better position you to make the right choices concerning your academic goals and career in the long run.

Aside from guiding your career decisions, you will learn which program is a better option for you to get a job after school and, subsequently, permanent residence (PR) in Canada.

PGD vs. MSc DEGREE

Here’s what you can do, whichever you have, a Post Graduate Diploma or a Master’s degree.

With a low score in your bachelor’s program and low finance, PGDM will be a better option compared to a master’s degree for you.
Have good grades with enough finance? Then a master’s degree is certainly a good choice for you to Canada.
A strong student profile? However, if you are short on finance, you can make an application for scholarships for a master’s degree in Canada.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA AND MASTERS DEGREE IN CANADA

	PG Diploma	Master’s Degree
Duration	1 to 2 years	1.5 to 2 years
Tuition Fee	10,000 to 30,000 CAD	10,000 to 40,000 CAD
Education Institute	Colleges	Universities
Intakes	3	2
Scholarships	No	Yes
GPA / Percentage	Min 2.3 GPA / 60%	Min 3.0 GPA / 70%
IELTS	6	7
Undergraduate Credits	3 or 4-year undergraduate degrees	4-year undergraduate degrees
Value of Degree	Academically lesser than Masters	Academically higher than PG Diploma
Work Permit	1 year or 3 years (depending on program duration)	3 years
PR Points	15 points	30 points
Thesis	No	No
Future Prospects	Job/Master’s Degree	Job
Will I get a Job in Canada?	Yes	Yes
What do you suggest?	Best for students with low grades and less finance.	Best for students with good grades and good finances.

Note: With good grades, you can always apply for scholarships in Canada, especially if you have a limited budget.

COMPARISON BETWEEN A MASTER’S DIPLOMA AND A MASTER’S DEGREE IN CANADA

STUDY DURATION

A PG diploma program usually lasts 1 to 2 years, based on the study program. At the same time, it is between 1.5 to 2 years for a course-based master’s degree program. At the same time, a thesis-based master’s degree program is often two years.

TUITIONS FEES

Masters tuition fees are higher compared to diploma tuition fees. PG diploma fees range from CAD7k to CAD20k per year, while for Master, it is between CAD13k to CAD25k.

PR POINTS

A Masters’s degree gets you around 30 PR points, whereas a postgraduate diploma in Canada gets you about 15 points before filing for PR.

IELTS

A Master’s degree IELTS requirement is 6.5 bands in each module & overall is seven bands. During Postgraduate Diploma it is six bands in each module & 6.5 bands overall.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

A Master’s degree requires that you provide at least two letters of recommendation; however, for a Postgraduate diploma, there is no requirement for any Letter Of Recommendation (LOR).

INSTITUTION

Universities award masters & Postgraduate diploma degrees. Whereas only colleges award PG diploma certificates in Canada.

VALUE OF DEGREE

For obvious reasons, a master’s degree has a higher value than a PGDM regarding academics and the industry or marketplace.

INTAKE

The most common intake for a master’s degree is in September; nevertheless, a few still allow January intakes. There are three intakes for the PG diploma: September, January, and May.

WORK PERMIT

A one-year PG diploma program grants you a one-year work permit, whereas a two years PG diploma or Master’s degree grants you three years work permit in Canada.

UNDERGRADUATE CREDITS

- Universities require a four-year undergraduate degree to qualify for a PGDM or MSc program. While colleges accept three or 4-year undergraduate degrees for PGDM

GPA (BACHELOR)

The minimum requirement for Master’s degree eligibility is 70% or a 3.0 GPA minimum without any backlog or supplement. The minimum requirement for a postgraduate diploma is 60% or 2.3 GPA.

ONE-YEAR PROGRAM vs. TWO YEARS DIPLOMA PROGRAM IN CANADA: WHICH PROGRAM IS BETTER?

There are two main differences between a one-year diploma program and a two years diploma program in Canada.

Firstly is the cost of education: 2 years PG diploma is more expensive than a one-year PG diploma in Canada.
Secondly is Work Permit: With one-year diploma studies, you are liable to obtain one year of work permit, while with two years of diploma studies, you get threes duration of work permit.

Next, we will discuss tips to help you get PR in Canada with a one-year program.

HOW DO YOU GET A PR WITH A 1-YEAR PROGRAM IN CANADA

Here are five tips you can apply to make a one-year program enough for you to get permanent residence in Canada.

It is a known fact that a two-year program or four-year program offers virtually a hundred percent guarantee that you get a PR.

Go to any of the schools in Atlantic Canada.
Make sure to study there for a minimum of two years.
Obtain your postgraduate work permit.
If you commit to a contract with an Atlantic employer, you get your PR without work experience.

FIRSTLY: THE GRACE PERIOD

Upon graduation, you have 90 days to file for your PGWP.

During this period, you can find an employer. After finding one, you can make an application for your postgraduate work permit. This way, you are making use of that one-year requirement.

The requirement is one year of work experience before you get a permanent residence, which is exactly 1,260hrs in a year and 30 hours a week, every week in that year.

SECONDLY: YOUR PARTNER

Here your partner will come over to Canada on a work permit because you will only be allowed to work for only 20 hours a week during your studies.

You work unlimited hours, and your partner will also get another work permit after graduation. Therefore, you are multiplying your one year by 2 in addition to obtaining 24 months of possible experience.

Your partner can work to get permanent residence for you.

THIRDLY: IMMIGRATION PROGRAMS

Learn to apply strategy with your PGD work permits relating to where you should utilize your one year.

Coming to Atlantic Canada? That is Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. There is the Atlantic immigration pilot program here.

There is the availability of different PNP, which makes it relatively easy to obtain a PR. Thus, it will be easier to get a PR if you come to the proper province.

FOURTHLY: LOCATION

You have to be strategic with your job market applications and your profession. Do the necessary research on which provinces have the best and most in-demand jobs related to your industry.

Doing your research well will help you find the right employers, and with this, you will get your PR within one year. For instance:

Suppose you are into IT, say software engineering, and go to British Columbia. The best and most opportunities for IT candidates are there.
Into agriculture, go to Manitoba.
Interested in a job related to the oceans? Atlantic Canada is your best bet, Nova Scotia in particular.

FIFTHLY: BRIDGING OPEN WORK PERMIT (BOWP)

The bridging open work permits, commonly referred to by its acronym (BOWP), provide you with the opportunity to work after having filed for PR.

Nevertheless, you can make your application for the bridging open work permit even before you apply for PR. Also, it is possible to work in Canada while awaiting your PR approval.

FAQS ABOUT PG DIPLOMA & MASTER’S DEGREE IN CANADA

Let us answer some frequently asked questions about Canada’s PG diploma and MSc Degree.

Open answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any opportunities for you after your Master’s and PG diploma in Canada?

There are three options for you after a master’s program in Canada:

You can get employment in any company or any industry of choice.
You can choose to further your academic dreams by applying for Ph.D.
Lastly, you may apply for professorship jobs at any university or as an Instructor at any college.

For the PG diploma in Canada, two options are available to you:

You can choose to further your education by applying for a Master’s.
Secondly, directly apply for industry jobs.

In Canada, is a PG diploma equivalent to a Master’s?

Absolutely not; a PG diploma is never equivalent to a Master’s in Canada because there is a difference between the credits.

A master’s degree earns you 180 credits
Whereas a PG diploma is made up of a maximum of 120 credits.

Does PG Diploma have Value in Canada?

The answer is yes; a PG Diploma is valuable in Canada. With a PG diploma, you can land a good job, a permanent residence in Canada within one year, and a two-year PG diploma.

Can you get a job offer with a PGDM in Canada?

The answer is Yes; getting a good job after PGDM in Canada is possible. However, it would help if you keep the following few things in remembrance:

Make sure to study a PGDM program in a field that has a high demand
Pick the city with better job opportunities in your program area.

Which are the Best PGDM courses in Canada?

A lot of PGDM courses are available in Canada. However, the best among them are those which offer the possibility of a good job and PR in Canada.

Below are some of the most popular postgraduate courses in Canada.

Graduate Diploma in Business Administration at Concordia University
Postgraduate Diploma in Business at the University of Regina
Post Degree Diploma in Accounting (PDD-A)at Langara College
Postgraduate Diploma Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology.
PGD in Technology Management at Red River College of Applied Arts, Science & Technology
PGD in Hospitality Management at Selkirk College
Graduate Diploma in Computer Science at Concordia University

Conclusion

In conclusion, a Master’s degree in Canada is better than a PG- diploma. Not only will you have more opportunities for success, but you’ll also be able to get a higher-paying job. So if you’re thinking of moving to Canada, don’t hesitate – get a Master’s degree and start your career off on the right foot!

What’s Better: PG-Diploma Or Master Degree in Canada?

PGD vs. MSc DEGREE