Education not only allows us to differentiate between right and wrong, but also eliminate illiteracy, myths, and credulity and brings confidence in the individual. So, it’s not all about getting literate, but getting fully educated about our community, specific field, and advanced technology. After passing out from Senior Secondary Institution, there are two options available for a student, including a full-fledged degree or diploma course.
In our country, there are many good educational institutes which offer diploma as well as degree programs. The career expectation for a student relies on the capability of the student himself, the institute he chooses, the type of course curriculum it offers, and the student’s own work ethic and etiquette.
There are a lot of differences between the two and they aren’t interchangeable.
Professional Degree
What is a Professional Degree?
A professional degree is the certificate which is handed over to the student by the renown and recognized university or college after the successful ending of his studies in a stream at a specific level is called Degree. The student can be a part of degree courses after passing the higher secondary examination.
Professional degrees are delineated to train and prepare people for the professions which are practice-oriented. The amount of coursework trains the students about daily life situations and scenarios in their desired chosen field and commonly requires a pretty amount of real-world experience.
Types of Professional Degrees
- Associate Degree
- Bachelor Degree
- Master Degree
- Doctorate Degree
Eligibility
A student must have cleared an HSC examination or equivalent, to apply for a bachelor’s degree. A student must have a bachelor’s degree to pursue a master’s degree.
Time Period of Degree Program
The time duration of a degree program fluctuates from 3 to 4 years. Along with the theoretical study, the student also has to go for an internship of 3-6 months. This singularizes them from academic degrees, in which students are supposed to focus on theory and philosophy within their chosen field.
The impressive benefit of getting into a degree course is that the students get jobs easily in a short period of time. The studies of the degree course primarily focus on the specific degree appointed by the student. Some examples of Degree Courses include B. Com, B.Sc., MBA, B.E., B.Tech, B.A. M.E, M.Tech. etc.
Benefits of Getting a Professional Degree
The professional degree plays a very vital role in making the person’s personality and there are a lot of advantages and perks of getting into a professional degree. Following are few benefits of professional degree
- Career opportunities: As from the last few years jobs in private sectors are increased to a large number so opportunities for professional courses students are also increased. There are greater chances of placement for the individuals of professional courses. Companies in every region are increased due to the increase in globalization and MNC culture. Besides this the self-employment option is also present in some fields.
- Practical Understanding: The professional courses are not only based on theoretical knowledge but they also incorporate practical work. These courses are more focused to entertain students with important skills. Because of having a good experience of practicing a different type of skill, students can obtain good jobs in different fields.
- Self-employments: A very good opportunity for self-employment is available for the students of professional courses. The students can work in some well-established company for few years in order to understand the work and learn the tactics to excel in any specific field. After getting a good experience they can make their career in self-employment. Even they can become a job giver to others and helps in minimizing problems which people are facing due to unemployment.
Since we understand that degree is a long course that’s why a student gets more knowledge in a particular field. Besides this student can do higher education in related degrees. A student having a professional degree gets more preference than a student having a diploma. Students can also do diploma in order to have more knowledge and experience along with a degree.
Earning a degree also provides more potential doors to a student than a certificate or diploma. Many careers and professions require that the applicant has got at least a bachelor’s degree several career options require more than this.
Disadvantages of professional courses
Along with the benefits of a professional degree, there also exist a few negative points regarding professional degrees.
- Unaffordable Fees: The fee structures of professional courses are very way too high and not possible for everyone to afford it. Sometimes parents have to borrow the amount as loan to pay fess of their children in the medical and engineering sectors.
- Lack of good institutions: Although there are many private institutions that offer a professional degree there is a lack of good and well-established institutions. Only a few educational institutes are good according to HEC ranking. So it is not very simple for the students to be a part of a good educational institute.
- The compulsion of Course updation: You need to update yourself with updated knowledge of your field time to time according to your industry’s demand otherwise professional courses will not be of any use. So, it is compulsory to be updated according to the need of your work and industries.
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate given by an educational institution, such as a college or university that gives the guarantee that the student has successfully completed a specific course of study. The word diploma also alludes to an academic award which is given after the successful completion of study in different courses such as a diploma in higher education, diploma in graduation or diploma in post-graduation, etc. Diploma programs also give hands-on experience, so you can learn and practice different skills and expertise. When accepted for credit as part of a bachelor’s degree, it is usually deemed to be equivalent to the first year of the degree.
Types of Diploma
Following are two major types of diploma
- Graduate Diploma
- Postgraduate Diploma
Time Period of Diploma
A diploma course is a short term course (usually 1 to 2 years in duration) that focuses on training a person in a particular field.
Eligibility
The minimum qualification required for admission into a diploma course is passing of the tenth standard/equivalent examination, with at least 35 percent in different subjects including science and math.
Advantages of Diploma
A Diploma can be beneficial if you’re looking to make a change in your career in a relatively short amount of time and the field you’re entering doesn’t require a degree. Since Diplomas are often more technical or trade-based, they are helpful when wanting to pursue a career such as an electrician or a dental assistant.
- The diploma can be completed in a relatively short period of time.
- The fee structure of diploma courses is less as compared to a degree course and it is possible for everyone to afford it. They cost less than a full-fledged degree.
- No issues regarding prerequisites or other complicated enrollment procedures exist which you mainly have to face while getting into a degree program.
- Class schedules are often flexible as most attendees are working professionals.
- Classes are focused on the exact skills you will need in the field.
- Diploma programs mainly provide some kind of internships or externships, so you can get practical experience.
Disadvantages of Diploma
The downside to a Diploma is once you complete the required training and classes, you’ll only have a Diploma. One of the main differences between a Diploma and an associate’s degree is the general education courses you’ll be required to take in order to receive an associate’s degree, but not when you work toward a Diploma. The following are a few drawbacks to diploma courses.
- Diploma courses do not offer a good reward. That is why many students after doing diploma go for a degree course to face this cut-throat competition.
- The depth of knowledge is comparatively less in diploma as compared to the degree course.
- The competition is very less in the diploma course as compared to the degree course.
The decision to choose between a diploma and a degree is a very important life choice that needs to be taken very carefully by keeping all the facts in mind. In an ever-changing and competitive job market, vocational education can make you more capable to accomplish your career and life goals.
