A 29-year-old from Pakistan (BE Electronics 2016, MS Project Management 2021) applying for a 1-year PG Diploma in Applied Business Management asked whether the course's weak relevancy to his background would sink the visa. Useful signal and one dangerous suggestion emerged:
- The existing master's is the file's soft spot — the SOP must carry it. The first substantive answer: a recent MS followed by a lower-level diploma invites the "why step down?" question, so a strong SOP explaining the career logic is essential.
- Choosing a program adjacent to the master's makes the story easier. Members floated PG diplomas in project management or supply chain as options with a cleaner progression line from an MS in Project Management than generic business management — the closer the new program sits to the existing credential, the less explaining the SOP has to do.
- Engineering-to-business is a known path. One member noted plenty of applicants with engineering backgrounds opt for business programs — the combination itself is not disqualifying.
- Reject the 'hide your MS' advice. One reply suggested concealing the master's degree. That is misrepresentation: omitting a known credential from an application risks a refusal, a multi-year ban, and contamination of future files. Declare the full education history and explain it — never edit it.