Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmacovigilance: Admission, Eligibility, Entrance Exam, Syllabus, Scope
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Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmacovigilance: Admission, Eligibility, Entrance Exam, Syllabus, Scope

Vandana PandeyUpdated on 08 Aug 2025, 03:12 PM IST

Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmacovigilance is a comprehensive one-year programme. The course is designed to offer candidates practically important information about the industry type, working modalities, techniques of quality control, and drug development, among others. The goal of the Post Graduate Diploma is to familiarise the participant with the updated theoretical and practical aspects of Pharmacovigilance.

This Story also Contains

  1. Highlights for PGD Pharmacovigilance
  2. PGD Pharmacovigilance Eligibility Criteria
  3. PGD Pharmacovigilance Admission Process
  4. PGD Pharmacovigilance Syllabus
  5. PGD Pharmacovigilance Fees
  6. Scope of PGD Pharmacovigilance
  7. Career Options after PGD Pharmacovigilance
  8. Benefits of PGD Pharmacovigilance
  9. PGD Pharmacovigilance Average Salary
  10. Top Colleges Offering PGD Pharmacovigilance

Candidates must have completed a bachelor's degree in any relevant field from an accredited university to apply for the PG Diploma in Pharmacovigilance programme. Some universities admit only those candidates who have prior experience in the field. The top colleges that offer PGD Pharmacovigilance are IGMPI India and JIS University.

Students can choose careers such as Pharmacovigilance Expert, Drug Safety Associate, Clinical Operations, and Drug Safety Specialist. Top Companies that hire graduates after PG Pharmacovigilance are Novartis, Parexel, Makrocare, Genpact, Biocon, Wipro, TCS, Larsen and Toubro, Wipro, UnitedBioSource, and Vial.

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Highlights for PGD Pharmacovigilance

Particulars

Values

Course Name

Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmacovigilance

Course Duration

1 year

Eligibility Criteria

Bachelor’s degree in any relevant discipline

Admission Process

Merit-Based

Average Salary

Rs. 4.1 Lakhs

Average Fees

Rs. 75,000

Entrance Exams

Some institutions may conduct entrance exams

Top Companies

Accenture, Cognizant Technologies, ICON, Paraexel, TCS, Larsen and Toubro, Wipro, UnitedBioSource, Vial

Job Positions

Pharmacovigilance Expert, Drug Safety Associate, Clinical Operations, Drug Safety Specialist

PGD Pharmacovigilance Eligibility Criteria

For admission to the PG Diploma in Pharmacovigilance, different colleges and universities have different course eligibility criteria. Some universities accept students based on their scores in graduation, while others require students to take entrance exams.

Eligibility Criteria
Details
Educational Qualification
Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
Minimum Marks
Typically, a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in the qualifying degree is required.
Entrance Exam
Admissions are mostly merit-based, but some institutes may conduct personal interviews or screening tests.

PGD Pharmacovigilance Admission Process

PGD Pharmacovigilance colleges have different prerequisites for admission. While most colleges offer direct admission to this course, some colleges might ask the candidate to appear for a university-specific entrance exam. Candidates are advised to carefully follow the admission procedure. The admission process for the PG Diploma in Pharmacovigilance is as follows:

Step 1- The candidate must go through the eligibility criteria and the instructions provided by the respective colleges before applying.

Step 2- Candidates are required to fill out the registration form from the aspired college’s website and upload the necessary documents.

Step 3- After registration, the candidate should appear for the entrance examination, if advised by the preferred college. If the college offers direct admission based on graduation scores, the candidate can move on to the final step.

Step 4- The final step is to pay the required fees to secure your spot.

PGD Pharmacovigilance Syllabus

The entire diploma is divided into 14 Modules, which are designed to provide relevant skills and knowledge to the enrolled students. The course ensures that the student understands the main epidemiological and statistical principles, concepts, and tools that are used in pharmacovigilance practices and research.

Module 1

Basics of Pharmacology

Phases of Clinical Trials

Clinical Application of Pharmacoepidemiology

Pharmacovigilance methods

The Clinical Research Industry

-

Module 2

Difference between Adverse Event and Adverse Drug Reaction

Classification of ADR

SAE Reporting

Side effects and medication errors

Module 3

Passive Reporting- Spontaneous reports and case series

Active surveillance

Targeted Clinical Investigations

Descriptive Studies

Module 4

Argus

MedRA

WHODD

MedWatch

ArisG

-

Module 5

Expectedness Assessment

Causality Assessment


Naranjo Algorithm

Hill’s Criteria

Module 6

Development Safety Update Report (DSUR)

Periodic Adverse Drug Experience Report (PADER)

Periodic Benefit Risk Evaluation Report (PBRER)

Periodic Safety Update Report (PSUR)

Module 7

CDSCO, India

FDA, USA


EMEA, Europe

MHRA, UK

TGA, Australia

-

Module 8

Services of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC)

Adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting in India

Pharmacovigilance System Master File & Capacity Building

Recent developments and future perspectives

Module 9

Materiovigilance Program Of India

Medical Device Vigilance in US, FDA

Guidance for manufacturers on vigilance in the UK, MHRA

Materiovigilance services across EU and non-EU countries

Module 10

Data Sources for Signal Detection

Tools for signal detection

Data mining- statistical techniques

Data mining methodologies

Module 11

Need of pharmacovigilance in herbals

Herbal concept of adverse effect

Pharmacovigilance of herbal medicines: Current state and future directions

Challenges in Herbal Drugs Pharmacovigilance

Module 12

Good pharmacovigilance practices

Coordination of pharmacovigilance inspections

Guidelines on PV Inspections (NMRA)

Pharmacovigilance Audits & Regulatory Inspections and Common Findings

Module 13

Argus

ArisGlobal

ABcube

-

Module 14

Industry-based case studies

-

PGD Pharmacovigilance Fees

The PG Diploma in Pharmacovigilance fees vary from college to college. Government colleges' fees are lower, while Private universities charge a high amount. The average fee for this diploma is Rs. 75,000.

The course fees for Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Pharmacovigilance can vary significantly depending on the institute, course duration, mode of delivery (online/offline), and additional certifications included.

Scope of PGD Pharmacovigilance

There is a lot of scope after the completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmacovigilance course. Students can get job roles such as Pharmacovigilance Expert, Drug Safety Associate, Clinical Operations, and Drug Safety Specialist. Further education is also an option for students. Students can go for a master's degree in Public Health, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or Clinical Research.

Career Options after PGD Pharmacovigilance

The Indian pharmaceutical industry is a booming one, with more than 8000 licensed drug manufacturers. In India, pharmacovigilance professionals are in great demand. Besides the Indian market, the U.S. market has an equally high demand for such professionals. Therefore, Pharmacovigilance professionals are desired by both domestic and international employers.

Pharmacovigilance Expert: Pharmacovigilance Experts perform a crucial role in clinical trials by collecting and analysing useful data and ultimately aiding in the availability of safe medicines and treatments for patients. They collect, evaluate, and analyse adverse event data to ensure that medications are safe and effective for public use.

Drug Safety Associate: Drug Safety Associates play an important role in determining whether drugs manufactured are safe or not by analysing clinical trial reports. Their work supports regulatory decisions and contributes to the safe use of medicines.

Clinical Operation Manager: Clinical Operation Managers oversee and guide the operations of a medical or healthcare facility. They determine the tasks and objectives and keep track of all the activities of the clinic. They manage timelines, budgets, compliance and ensure that clinical trials run smoothly and efficiently.

Drug Safety Specialist: A Drug Safety Specialist ensures that drugs are manufactured, tested, and marketed by regulatory guidelines and that adverse events or product quality issues are reported to the relevant regulatory authorities. They monitor adverse events, prepare safety reports, and liaise with regulatory bodies to maintain public health standards.

Benefits of PGD Pharmacovigilance

Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmacovigilance is a comprehensive programme offering candidates knowledge and practically important information about the industry type, working modalities, techniques of quality control, and drug development, among others.

Knowing all theoretical and practical facts about post-marketing surveillance makes the candidate comfortable and confident when working in the industry. Moreover, the field of pharmacovigilance is a rapidly growing industry. Careers in this field can lead to director or managerial positions with decent salaries.

PGD Pharmacovigilance Average Salary

A PGD in Pharmacovigilance generally prepares candidates for entry-level roles with salaries ranging from Rs. 4.2 to 7.1 LPA. With experience and strategic career moves, mid-level positions can reach Rs. 10 to 15 LPA, senior managerial roles Rs. 12 to 20+ LPA, and leadership/director roles can surpass Rs. 25 LPA in top organisations or metro cities such as Gurugram, Mumbai, or Bengaluru.


Job Profile

Average Salary

Pharmacovigilance Expert

Rs. 7.1 LPA

Drug Safety Associate

Rs. 4.2 LPA

Clinical Operations

Rs. 6.4 LPA

Drug Safety Specialist

Rs. 6.0 LPA

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Top Recruiters:

  • Accenture
  • Cognizant Technologies
  • ICON
  • Parexel
  • TCS
  • Larsen and Toubro
  • Wipro
  • UnitedBioSource
  • Vial

Top Colleges Offering PGD Pharmacovigilance

As the demand for drug safety professionals continues to rise, several top institutes in India have introduced specialised Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) courses in Pharmacovigilance. These programmes are designed to equip students with practical knowledge of adverse drug reaction monitoring, regulatory frameworks, clinical research, and risk management.

Name of the college

Fees

Institute of Good Manufacturing Practices

Rs. 1.10 Lakhs

JIS University

Rs. 75,000

Adesh University

Rs. 1.46 Lakhs

Adesh University, Bathinda

Rs. 1.57 Lakhs

Department of Technology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune

-
ICRI India

-
AIICR (Advanced International Institute of Clinical Research), Jaipur

-


Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmacovigilance is a comprehensive one-year programme. The goal of the Post Graduate Diploma is to familiarise the participant with the updated theoretical and practical aspects of Pharmacovigilance. Students can get job roles such as Pharmacovigilance Expert, Drug Safety Associate, Clinical Operations, and Drug Safety Specialist at top companies after the completion of the course.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the scope after a Post Graduate Diploma in Pharmacovigilance?
A:

There is a lot of scope after the completion of Post Graduation Diploma in Pharmacovigilance course. Students can get any related job roles and also opt for further education is also an option for students.

Q: What are the job roles one gets after the completion of PGD Pharmacovigilance?
A:

Students can get job roles like Pharmacovigilance Expert, Drug Safety Associate, Clinical Operations, and Drug Safety Specialist.

Q: In what specialisations can one pursue a master's degree after PGD Pharmacovigilance?
A:

Students can go for a master's degree in Public Health, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or Clinical Research.

Q: What is the duration of PGD Pharmacovigilance?
A:

The duration of PGD Pharmacovigilance is one year. However, one can pursue an executive diploma in the field which is for 6 months.

Q: Which companies hire students who have a PG Diploma in Pharmacovigilance?
A:

Top recruiters include Novartis, Parexel, Makrocare, Genpact, Biocon, Wipro, TCS, Abbott, Apcer Life Sciences, Jubilant Life Sciences, Biosys, Quantum Solutions, Wockhardt, WNS, GVK, Merck Group, Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Upcoming Exams
Ongoing Dates
Chandigarh University (CUCET) Application Date

1 Jul'25 - 30 Sep'25 (Online)

Ongoing Dates
Karnataka PGCET Counselling Date

29 Sep'25 - 29 Sep'25 (Online)