Through this blog, we shall be highlighting some of the Best Courses that students can pursue after 12th Commerce and build a good career in the commerce stream.
Students normally get confused as to which degree or professional course to undertake in order to build up a good career base. Simply stated, What to do after 12th Commerce is a common query that students tend to face once they reach 12th standard.
Parents are also worried about the career options for their children that will set a good platform for them to become successful in life. There are numerous career options to select from. But, you wish to select the best for yourself.
So, here we shall be discussing about career in commerce i.e. career options for commerce students only.
Courses after 12th Commerce: How to Choose?
You can’t define one single best course for yourself. There are a number of degrees and professional courses to choose from. What matters is the one that you choose and prove it to be the best for yourself.
Making the right career choice is a major decision of one’s life. Sometimes it is a bit confusing. So, follow your interests and go ahead with what makes you feel happy.
You became familiar with a whole range of commerce subjects in class 11. Not only this, you further broadened your horizon by studying interesting commerce subjects in 12th class.
Therefore, once you pass 12th Commerce, you need to select in which direction you should move ahead. Taking the right decision is just a stepping stone for building a successful career in the commerce field. You have to put in the best of your efforts to achieve your dreams.
Commerce is a vast field where you will get to explore a variety of areas based on the course you select like:
- Finance
- Accounting
- Law
- Taxation
- Auditing
- Management
- Investing
- Insurance
- Investment banking
- General Banking
- Consulting
- Supervising
- Reporting
- Decision making
- Teaching etc.
So, if you are aware of your interests and which way you exactly want to go, things might seem a bit easy.
Here is a list of some of the main courses that commerce students can pursue after their 12th Commerce standard.
This is not in any particular order, you can go through this massive list and make a choice based on your specific interests. We have tried to cover a few major career options for commerce students.
10 Best Courses after 12th Commerce:
Here’s a list of Top 10 Courses that you can pursue after 12th commerce (not in ant sequential order):
1. Bachelors of Commerce (B.Com):
This is the general degree that spans over a period of 3 years that you can pursue after completing your 12th commerce. Having a normal B.com degree proves quite handy even if you are pursuing any of the professional courses. It is always beneficial to complete your graduation that may help you later on if you go for higher studies.
You can pursue B.Com as a full time course or through correspondence depending upon your choice. Distance education courses or correspondence courses are beneficial if you are also pursuing a professional course like CA, CS etc. Otherwise a regular degree is a better choice.
B.Com Key Takeaway:
This is the most common and the simplest career choice for commerce students. In fact, even if you think of pursuing any other professional course, having a basic graduate degree proves beneficial in the long term.
2. Bachelors of Commerce (Honours) or B.com (Hons):
This is similar to B.com but in an extensive form with specialisation in a particular subject or field like Accountancy, management or economics etc. The industry demand for B.com (Honours) is somewhat better than normal B.com. However,the admission criteria and eligibility conditions might be similar for both. These may slightly vary for different universities/colleges.
The subjects are also quite similar, the major difference being that you will get to do in depth analysis while studying B.Com (Hons).
B.com (Hons.) Key Takeaway:
Being an extension of the normal B.com, you’ll gain specialisation in a particular main subject of your choice.
You may also like: Top 10 Commerce Colleges in India
3. Bachelors in Economics:
This is yet another option for commerce students to pursue after their higher secondary education. You will get to experience practical knowledge on various economic concepts, economic policies, analytical methods and programs etc. If you are keenly interested in economics and want to gain specialisation about the economic framework, this might suit you.
Further, if you want to prepare for Indian Administrative Services or IAS, having an economic background shall be an added advantage for you.
4. Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA):
This is a 3 year Business administration course helping to build a base in core business disciplines. You get to explore different functional areas of a business environment. So, if you are interested in getting an exposure to the various business aspects and get a hold of the concepts of business administration, this course might be your choice.
In addition to academic learning, if you pursue BBA from a good university, you get well versed with business insights and real world business skills.
BBA Key Takeway:
After completing your graduation, you can look forward to a Post graduation degree like M.Com (Finance) or MBA (Finance) or MBA with specialisation in any other field as per your preferences. This is an obvious choice for the ones thinking to build their career in the financial and business management field.
In future, if you are thinking to pursue MBA you may wish to have a look at Top 10 B-Schools in India: Best Business Schools
5. Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS):
Another undergraduate programme designed to prepare students in the field of management. This is a 3 year course that provides theoretical and practical training which helps to inculcate leadership and managerial skills. A good understanding of managerial practices and concepts can guide you to explore ample of opportunities in the business world.
You get to learn and add varied knowledge in the field of management, human resources, organisational theories, research methodology etc. The demand for skilled managerial professionals has seen an increasing trend. So, having the requisite degree from a reputed institution can help you to become successful in the corporate world.
Some colleges might have renamed their BBA Course as BMS Course. So, don’t get confused and just clarify all the details beforehand from the respective college.
Important: Please note that semester system is being followed for most of the Bachelors and Masters degrees these days. Hence, check out all the relevant course details, fees, duration, subjects and other important aspects from the respective colleges/universities.
Professional Courses after 12th Commerce:
Adding to the graduation courses above, here’s a list of popular courses in the field of accounting and finance. Of course, a common and some of the best choices of students with a commerce background.
6. Chartered Accountancy (CA):
This is the best professional course for building a successful career in commerce. Becoming a Chartered Accountant opens the various doors to exciting career opportunities in diversified sectors. You can act as a Tax Consultant, an auditor, an advisor, a financial officer and so. This entirely depends upon whether you go in your own independent practice or you settle for a corporate job.
No doubt, CA requires lot of hard work and sincere efforts to enter this esteemed profession.
It might be easy for CA entrants to clear the initial level. But, the higher levels you reach i.e. Intermediate (IPCC) and CA Finals, the tougher it gets. So, complete determination followed by consistent efforts are the keys to success. The new curriculum has been launched for CA Course wherein you need to do Foundation, Intermediate and Final levels.
This professional course is provided by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Its Head office is in New Delhi, branches are located all over India. You can visit the official website www.icai.org to get deeper insights on the course, eligibility conditions and admission procedure.
This a well known course promising rewarding career in the field of accounting, taxation, auditing, financial reporting to name a few. The theoretical knowledge alongwith the practical training (articleship) helps to build a good name and respectable position for yourself.
Know How to become a Chartered Accountant or CA? by following few simple steps.
The author of this blog is a Chartered Accountant, so you have read some exclusive details on the Chartered Accountancy Course.
7. Company Secretary (CS):
This is another professional course that is opted by students after 12th commerce. This course is provided by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India. A Company Secretary is basically responsible for all the regulatory compliance of the company and acts as an in-house legal expert. After doing CS, you have an option to practice independently or look in for a job in the corporate world.
This is also a preferred choice for students pursuing Chartered Accountancy. A combination of CA and CS is common choice among students to build a good career.
8. Cost and Management Accountant (CMA):
This course is provided by The Institute of Cost Accountants of India or ICMAI. Certified Cost Accountants maintain cost accounting records, do cost auditing, helps in planning, controlling and costing of products.
You can do your own practice as CMA or hold managerial positions in public as well as private enterprises. The role of Cost Accountant goes beyond that of Financial Accountant by helping in production operations and processes. You can chose the cost audit area, certification and consulting areas.
Also, have a look at CFA Certification: How to become a CFA?
9. Certified Financial Planner (CFP):
Are you are interested in building a career in areas of Personal finance, wealth management, insurance planning, mutual fund investing? If yes, then this might be a great fit for you. So, if you want to enter the financial planning world, then you need to get this certification as a Certified Financial Planner or CFP.
Financial Planning Standard Board India or FPSB India is the principal licensing body that grants CFP license.
So, if you are thinking to become a financial planner helping people in their investment planning, tax planning, insurance, retirement planning, CFP is a must have.
10. Bachelor of Law (LLB):
LLB is also a common degree that students pursue after their 12th standard. You might already know who a “lawyer” or “advocate” is and what are his duties.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) is the main regulatory body of Law Education in India. BCI provides certificate of practice after completion of LLB. In order to practice you need to clear the All India Bar Examination.
If you wish to do the *integrated course, you can take the admission in 5 year integrated programme after the completion of your 12th standard exams. *Integrated undergraduate degrees provided are B.A. LL.B., B.Sc. LL.B., BBA LLB, B.Com LL.B
The law students have a great scope of establishing name, fame and a good career in the long run. Moreover, studying from the top law colleges in India surely adds to your profile.
Additional Courses for Commerce Students
Here’s a bonus for you! Some additional courses that you can consider. Have you thought of building a career in actuary and foreign trade? Let’s have a look at the options available:
Bachelors in Foreign Trade
If your interest is in the import & export part of business then you can consider it. A 3-year course which will make you well-versed with how international foreign trade is done. In India, the best college for it is the IIFT.
Actuarial Science
Students who love math, financial theory as well as statistics will love it. It deals with pension funds, insurance, contingent events and much more. The basic time limit is 3 years but like CA it can take a little longer to finish.
Now, these were just few of the major courses for commerce students that you can select from. There might be many others courses to look for. Like you can go in for some banking courses or prepare for UPSC or IAS if you are interested in doing so.
Courses for Creative Minds
We have focused only on finance, accountancy, taxation, law and related courses in this post. There are numerous other courses that a commerce student can pursue as per his preferences, interests and creativity.
Students are also interested in:
- Wildlife photography
- Fashion designing
- Hotel management
- Other creative fields etc. as we got feedback in our comment section.
You just need to be confident, follow your passion and work hard to achieve success.
If you have the zeal to do something different, do have a look at Best Courses after 12th: Creative Career Options to look for!
Best Courses after 12th Commerce: A Final Take
Having guidance from your elders and experienced persons really helps. In fact, good elderly advice is essential to guide you in your career path. But, the final decision should be taken by keeping in mind your own passion and interests.
At the end of the day, you have to decide what you want to do. Stop thinking and start acting…
The education that you will gain today shall accompany you throughout your life and will surely guide your way.
If you follow your passion and pursue what you like, the success path will become much smoother for you. You can anyways become successful in life if you take the right career decisions and enjoy your career path.
In addition to the above, you may also have an idea and information on courses after 12th commerce without maths and Courses after 12th Arts.
Courses for Commerce Students Abroad:
Further, going abroad for higher studies is a common choice amongst students when they complete their 12th standard. If that’s your choice, you will need to checkout a list of courses after 12th commerce that you can pursue abroad. We shall be covering it in one of our upcoming posts.
In the meantime, you may also like to scroll through our exclusive list of Courses after B.com: Best Career Options for Commerce students!
Wish you all the best in building a successful career in the Commerce field!
Not to miss out, our interesting post on Top 10 Best Finance Courses & Certifications in India
Choosing the right path after 12th standard is what lays the foundation to a strong professional career and life. Especially for commerce students wherein the choices are endless. You can choose any path be it banking, finance, investment, financial planning, law, designing, teaching and even photography. So, Question yourself first! What are your interests? To make it easier for you, we have already enumerated some of the popular career choices for students in the commerce stream.
If you have any details or experiences to share on any other Best Commerce Courses after 12th, feel free to do so. For any course or career related queries, you can ask in the comment section below!