Courses to Consider While Pursuing BCom

With the recent exponential growth of the Commerce industry, many opportunities are now available for all those who want to excel. Considering the tough competition nowadays, unfortunately, a simple 3-year B.Com graduation can leave you at a disadvantage. It is highly recommended that you try and build up your profile as much as you can during this 3-year period. Added certifications can be internships, summer schools or professional courses and diploma courses. These can also provide new experiences and a great deal of exposure, widening your horizon to choose a better career path later in life.

Professional Courses with BCom

You can choose between some of the following professional courses for students pursuing B.Com.

ACCA or Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

• This professional accountancy qualification is recognized across the globe.
• ACCA is an integrated course along with graduation (B.Com (Hons)) in International Accounting.
• You can also apply for the following distinct degrees during the 3-year course, upon completing all the exams:-Diploma in Accounting and Business, B.Sc. in Applied Accounting, and M.Sc. in Professional Accounting.
• Eligibility: Any student who has completed Commerce in their senior secondary school, including English and Mathematics/ Accountancy can apply.

CIMA or Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

• It is a professional qualification in management accounting from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
• CIMA does not require any group-based exams and the passing percentage for Indian students currently is 40-50%.
• CIMA is associated with the CWA (Cost and Work Accountants) Institute of India. 
• To pursue CIMA in India, the simplest way is to go to CWA and take 4 more papers to get the CIMA qualification. 
• The average salary with a CIMA certification is INR 5-6 lakh rupees, and fees for pursuing CIMA is approximately INR 2 lakhs plus the relevant tuition fees.
• Eligibility: There are no specific eligibility criteria for CIMA. Any student pursuing B.Com can join and train with CIMA.

Actuarial Science

• This course focuses on the mathematical and scientific methods required to assess the risk in finance, insurance, and other sectors and professions.
• To become an Actuarial you need to complete 15 papers, which are split into 4 levels.
• The duration of this course is approximately 8-9 years and today, only about 200 actuaries exist in India. 
• Upon completion, the average annual salary is INR 60-70 lakhs per annum.
• Eligibility: A minimum of 85% in 12th standard in mathematics is compulsory. The selection is through 4 levels of tests, along with an eligibility exam- ACET.

Check MBA Actuarial Science

Diploma Courses with BCom

Apart from the professional courses, students also go for some of these diploma courses with BCom.

CFP or Certified Financial Planner

• This professional certification course is for financial planners and is conferred by the CFP Board, USA.
• It is recognized in around 24 countries across the globe and is rated as Gold Standard by Wall Street Journal. 
• It is a 1-year course, with only 4 exams, each of 2 hours.
• The course fee is approximately INR 40,000 and post-course completion, the average salary is INR 4 lakhs per annum. 
• Eligibility: There is no specific eligibility criteria, so it is ideal to pursue it while doing your B.Com graduation.

Digital Marketing and Web Designing

• Digital Marketing covers S.E.O management, Social Media Marketing, and content development. Web designing, on the other hand, involves the development of skills for the development and maintenance of websites.
• A variety of different areas such as graphic designing, interface designing, including standardized code, proprietary software, and user experience design can be explored and learned in these courses.
• The course can take anywhere between 3 to 11 months, and is provided by many institutes. 
• The course fee is approximately INR 40,000 - 80,000 and post-course completion, the average salary is INR 4 - 15 lakhs per annum. 
• Eligibility: There are no specific eligibility criteria, so it is ideal to pursue it while doing your B.Com graduation.

Courses to Consider After BCom

After one has completed BCom, these are some courses which can be pursued. These courses give you advanced knowledge of the BCom Subjects you have already studied.

Chartered Accountant (CA)

• One of the most common and popular careers for commerce students, after graduating in B.Com is CA or Chartered Accountant. All CA exams are conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). 
• In order to gain the qualification, you are required to clear 3 examinations- CPT, IPCC, and Final CA. Please note here, the IPCC exam has two groups; 
• And after clearing one of the groups, you are required to register for an article-ship with an experienced Chartered Accountant for a minimum period of two and a half years.
• You can only appear for the Final CA exam, after clearing both groups of IPCC and successfully completing your article-ship.
• Similarly, Final CA also has two groups, and it is only after clearing both the groups, can you officially affix CA before your name.
• Eligibility: You must have a graduation degree along with at least two and a half years of work experience
• The CA course takes a total of three years, and the average salary range is INR 7 - 20 lakhs.

Masters of Commerce (M.Com)

• This master’s degree in Commerce is a program that focuses on a systematic study of Statistics, Taxation, Marketing, Accounting, Business, Finance, Economics, and Management.
• Eligibility: You must have a graduation degree in Commerce.
• The M.Com course takes a total of two years to complete, and the average salary range is INR 3 - 5 lakhs.

Masters of Business Administration (MBA Finance)

An MBA today is not uncommon. There is always someone in the family or friend circle who has an MBA. As far as the MBA is concerned, it is extremely important you are aware of the credibility of the institute you get your MBA degree from. For example, if you are an IIM student, your career growth is more likely to upwards from the beginning, as compared to pursuing an MBA from an ordinary or less renowned institute, which may not add any real value to your resume.

• All MBA courses require a good score in the CAT (Common Admission Test) exam. It is actually your CAT scores that determine your eligibility in almost all the top MBA institutes in India.
• While there are several streams you can get your MBA in, the ideal MBA is MBA-Finance after completing your graduation in B.Com.
• Eligibility: You must have a graduation degree. Some top institutes require you to have work experience as well (varies from institute to institute)
• An MBA degree takes a total of two years to complete, and the average salary range is INR 6 - 15 lakhs.

Read more about MBA Finance

Certified Management Accountant (CMA)

• Offered by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), USA, CMA is an international certification that is a great opportunity if you wish to go global or work in some of the top MNCs across the world.
• A CMA certification demonstrates your professional expertise in decision support, professional ethics, financial planning, analysis, and control, giving you a substantial edge over your peers for potential employers. To become a CMA, you need to clear two examinations. 
• Eligibility: You must have a graduation degree along with at least two years of work experience
• The course can take six months or more to complete, and the average salary is INR 5 - 8 lakhs per annum.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

• CFA is probably the highest standard of professional excellence in the investment industry. It is a globally recognized qualification that is offered by the CFA Institute. 
• In India, CFA aspirants are trained by EduPristine, India’s market leader for all three levels of CFA exams. CFA curriculums are offered through live online training, classroom training, and self-study packages. 
• Eligibility: You must have a graduation degree along with at least two years of work experience
• The course can take two and a half years to complete, and the average salary is INR 6.5 - 18 lakhs per annum.

Financial Risk Manager (FRM)

• FRM is an exclusive certification for finance and banking professionals recognized and certified by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP, USA). 
• An FRM certification offers lucrative career options in structuring, modelling, risk management, trading, and more. The certification has a two-part exam that is conducted in May & November every year.
• Eligibility: You must have a graduation degree.
• The course takes 9 months to complete, and the average salary is INR 10 - 18 lakhs per annum.

Business Accounting and Taxation (BAT)

• The perfect platform for B.Com graduates without any work experience is the BAT certification. Instead of resorting to working in BPOs, sales, or back offices, as a B.Com graduate you can get certified in Business Accounting and Taxation. 
• This course helps provide a practical understanding of taxation, reporting, accounting, and compliance, all the skills that are required by accounting firms, KPO, and other competitive finance and accounting profiles. 
• Eligibility: You must have a graduation degree in B.Com
• The course takes 8 - 12 weeks to complete, and the average salary is INR 3 - 10 lakhs per annum.

Integrated Courses with B.Com 

Candidates often prefer to take up integrated courses after the completion of their 12th level board exam. The integrated courses are popular these days due to the fact that the fees are on the lower side, the candidates can complete the courses at a single go without worrying about the admission process in the future and also in some cases save some years that are often invested in preparation for the course.

The following are the integrated courses with B.Com that the candidates can pursue for good career prospects.

B.Com with LLB

B.Com with LLB is a 5 year undergraduate course that allows the candidates to combine their knowledge in commerce with legal expertise. Candidates after the completion of the BCom LLB can take up jobs as legal business advisors, solicitor, business consultants, management accountants, etc. The following are some of the important points that the candidates must keep in mind while opting for this course.

• The duration of the course is 5 years but often a leeway of 1 year is provided to the candidates.
• The candidates can pursue the course after the completion of their 10+2 level exam from any field. The candidates generally need to score at least 55% marks in their 12th with a 5% relaxation for the reserved categories.
• The candidates need to pass the entrance examination such as CLAT, AIET, LSAT, LPUNEST, and many more to be eligible to study the course.
• There are over 90 colleges in India that provide the B.Com with LLB courses. Names of the top colleges are National Law School of India, Bengaluru, National Law University, Delhi, ILS Law College, Pune, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonepat, Amity Law School, [ALS] Delhi, etc.
• The average course fee ranges between INR 30,000-INR 12,00,000.
• The average salary after completion of the course is INR  468,000

B.Com with M.Com

B.Com with M.Com, is another integrated course with B.Com, that the candidates can pursue. The duration of the course is for 5 year. Candidates after the completion of B.Com with M.Com course can take various job roles such as account manager, investment managers, finance manager, accountants, sales executive, etc. The following are some of the important factors that the candidates must keep in mind before taking up the course

• Candidates from commerce as well as science stream can take up this course after the completion of their 12th or equivalent examination.
• The minimum percentage required for this course is 50% in their 12th or equivalent level exam.
• Admissions are provided on the basis of merit list or entrance examination. The entrance examinations are DUET, IPU CET, AUCET,etc.
• The top colleges that provide admission to this course are Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, Gurugram University, Gurugram, Jyoti Nivas College, Bengaluru, etc.
• The average fee ranges between INR 20,000-INR 150,000.
• The average salary ranges between INR 372,000-INR 10,00,000

B.Com with MBA 

Another integrated course with B.Com that the candidates can pursue is B.Com with MBA. An integrated MBA program allows the candidates to have better job prospects. The MBA course allows the candidates to climb the corporate ladder much quicker than a normal B.Com course. The following are some of the facts of B.Com with MBA course:

• The overall duration of the course is for a period of 5 years.
• The admissions are conducted on the basis of merit list or entrance examination.
• The candidates need to pass their 12th or equivalent level exam with at least 50-60% mark. The marks vary according to the colleges.
• The entrance examinations for this course are LPUNEST, DBS entrance test, etc.
• The popular colleges offering this course are Lovely Professional University, IME Ghaziabad, Doon Business School, etc.
• The average course fees range between INR 700,000 to INR 800,000.
• The average salary after completion of the course is INR 792,000

*Source for all salary ranges mentioned in this article is PayScale.