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Difference between Msc and PgDip?

What's the difference between a Masters (MSc) and Postgrad diploma (PgDip)? Also, which one is better or gives a better chance of employment?

Reply 1

A PGDip is a lower qualification than a Masters. A taught Masters carries 180 credits, consisting (generally) of 120 credits from taught unit coursework/exams/tests etc and 60 credits from a dissertation. A PGDip is the taught Masters unit results only, minus the dissertation.

Some universities allow you to enrol on a PGDip course. This tends to be the case for people with an undergrad result too low for full Masters entry. Some unis then allow progression to the full Masters if PGDip coursework is good enough. At other universities, a PGDip may indicate that taught coursework has been passed but the dissertation has been failed. The PGDip can therefore carry a potential - if sometimes unfair - connotation of failure at Masters level.

As to which gives greater employment opportunities, that very much depends on the field you're aiming for. Very few jobs will specify a Masters as an entry requirement, so you need to research your target career to work out whether the investiment in either a Masters or PGDip is worthwhile. Also, you may find that some industries aren't familiar with the PGDip as a stand-alone qualification so that may not help you at all.

Reply 2

I had one module to redo and was supposed to get a compensated pass for my other module which I was capped on at 50%. Unfortunately after a year of going through Appeals and Complaints plus getting nowhere and then the university of UEL asked me to pay for two modules at a very high fee. Plus they never even had my moodle page updated back in January 2022 for the resit of my dissertation, my psychology advisor had to put me on a break so I could submit my dissertation on the 29th of April 2022 and then I was also told that I will only have to redo and pay for one module as I will definitely get a compensated pass if I pass my dissertation and the other module. So totally have had enough of being told different stories by senior lecturers and taking a PGDip in Psychology instead of a full Masters's. Also, there has been no compassion especially as all the learning was online with no moral support due to Covid.
Just to point out that I did pass my dissertation and should have only been paying to redo one module. How come the universities get away with taking all that money and telling the student different things with their modules.
(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 3

What’s the difference between pgdip and pgcert

Reply 4

Original post by Klix88
A PGDip is a lower qualification than a Masters. A taught Masters carries 180 credits, consisting (generally) of 120 credits from taught unit coursework/exams/tests etc and 60 credits from a dissertation. A PGDip is the taught Masters unit results only, minus the dissertation.

Some universities allow you to enrol on a PGDip course. This tends to be the case for people with an undergrad result too low for full Masters entry. Some unis then allow progression to the full Masters if PGDip coursework is good enough. At other universities, a PGDip may indicate that taught coursework has been passed but the dissertation has been failed. The PGDip can therefore carry a potential - if sometimes unfair - connotation of failure at Masters level.

As to which gives greater employment opportunities, that very much depends on the field you're aiming for. Very few jobs will specify a Masters as an entry requirement, so you need to research your target career to work out whether the investiment in either a Masters or PGDip is worthwhile. Also, you may find that some industries aren't familiar with the PGDip as a stand-alone qualification so that may not help you at all.

I did pass my dissertation and realistically should have only been paying to redo one module, even though I got 65% on Lab 2

Reply 5

Original post by Faisal101
What’s the difference between pgdip and pgcert


I think a PGCert is 60 credits

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