If,
You are a student and want to explore various courses after 12th in commerce, or
You are a guardian and need to guide someone specifically in the commerce stream, or
then this blog post is for you where we will discuss various demanding career options in commerce after the 12th.
The core subjects are Economics, Business Studies and Accounting, during higher secondary school.
A career in commerce revolves around these major subjects, but there are other lucrative career options you can choose after the 12th, which we will discuss in the later part of this post.
Various courses after the 12th in the commerce stream lead you to a reputed job in government and private firms.
So let’s start,
We have divided the course into two categories:
- Professional course after 12th commerce
- Degree course after 12th commerce
Professional Courses after 12th Commerce
Major professional courses after 12th commerce are:-
Chartered Accountant – Chartered Accountant is the most sought professional course. CA plays a prominent role in managing financial accounts, budgeting, auditing, business strategy and taxation for an individual or an organisation.
The minimum eligibility to appear in the foundation course exam is 10+2 in any stream.
An individual can become CA after qualifying three-stage chartered accountancy course (Foundation, Intermediate and Final) conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
Cost and Management Accountant- Cost and Management accountant is another profession that is like CA. Workfront CMA deals with cost management, preparing budgets, financial reporting, forecasts and analysis.
The minimum eligibility to appear in the foundation course exam is 10+2 in any stream.
Cost and management accountancy is a three-stage course (Foundation, Intermediate and Final) conducted by the Institute of Cost Management Accountants of India (ICMAI).
Company Secretary- The Company Secretary works as a Secretarial auditor, compliance officer, and advisor to the management department of companies. In simple words, CS suggests or advises an organisation to follow the laws and governance as per the administrative body.
The minimum eligibility to appear in the foundation program is 10+2 in any stream.
Company Secretary course is a three-stage course (Foundation Program, Executive Program, Professional Program) conducted by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
Actuary – Actuarial science is a pretty new but very important professional course. An actuary gets signing authority for insurance products and pensions.
Workfront actuary works in risk management and probability analysis.
He/She will use mathematical and statistical skill in evaluating and decision making of any product
Minimum eligibility is 10+2 with mathematics. You need to qualify for ACET (Actuarial Common Entrance Test) and become a member of IAI (Institute of Actuaries of India).
It has 15 papers and is divided into four stages
- Stage 1: Core principles – 9 exams
- Stage 2: Core Practices – 3 exams
- Stage 3: Specialist Principles – 2 exams
- Stage 4: Specialist Advanced – 1 exam
You can pursue BSc in actuarial science as well. We will discuss it later in the ‘degree courses’ section.
Other professional courses Internationally acknowledged:
Certified Public Accountant – The U.S. has a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) just like CA in India. An individual needs to qualify Uniform CPA Examination (CPA Exam) conducted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
An individual can complete the course in a year, unlike CA.
The eligibility criteria for CPA differ with different states in the U.S. and it is credit based.
Likewise, there is CPA Canada, CPA Australia and ACCA for the United Kingdom.
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants- The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is an accounting body based in the UK that provides Chartered Certified Accountant designation after qualifying the exam.
The minimum eligibility criteria are to pass the 10+2 exam in the commerce stream and it takes around 3 to 4 years on average to complete the course.
Certified Management Accountant US- IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) provides certified Management Accountant US (CMA) certification.
Minimum eligibility is a bachelor’s degree and two years of experience in management accounting or financial management.
After completing the course, you can have a job profile in Cost Management, Finance manager, Financial analyst, and Corporate controller.
Financial Risk Manager – The Global Association of Risk Professionals provides financial Risk Manager – FRM certification.
The minimum eligibility criteria are only two years of relevant experience. Take an exam that is divided into two parts.
Chartered Financial Analyst- CFA is another globally recognized designation provided by CFA Institute. The CFA exam is of three levels and the minimum eligibility criteria is a bachelor’s degree and 4000 hours of work experience.
CFA will take a role in asset management, investment banking, consulting, research analyst, etc.
Certified Financial Planner – CPF is a certification provided by the Financial Planning Standards Board, India (FPSB). There are 4 specialization exams followed by the CFP exam.
You need relevant work experience. Regarding Job aspects, individuals can work as Financial planners/Advisors in financial planning firms, wealth management firms, banks, and insurance companies.
Chartered Wealth Manager – American Academy of Financial Management (AAFM) awards CWM certification. The course is divided into two levels – Level 1 and Level 2.
The minimum eligibility criteria are 10+2 for enrollment, but in order to get the certification you need graduation.
Another way is after graduation, with relevant experience of 3 years in the finance industry, gives the opportunity to appear directly in the level 2 exam (but you need to undergo training for both levels).
After certification, you can get opportunities as a wealth manager, investment manager, relationship manager, financial analyst, etc.
CIMA- Chartered Institute of Management Accountants has two certifications: CIMA professional qualifications and Certificate in Business Accounting. After qualifying CIMA, they will entitle an individual with CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant) designation.
The minimum eligibility is 10+2, where there is no exemption on exams but graduate and postgraduate candidates have exemptions on certain exams.
There it is, some of the popular professional courses. As you will notice, internationally acclaimed professional courses have different eligibility criteria. Therefore, we recommend having proper planning and looking up your interest will help in the long run.
Note:- Most professionals incorporate these international courses later in their careers. For example, CA and CPA or CMA and US CMA or MBA finance and CFA.
Degree Courses after 12th Commerce
Career-oriented degree courses after 12th commerce are very popular choices among students.
Bachelor of Commerce- B.Com. is a reputed degree provided by universities in India. As per the data from AISHE 2019-2020, the number of students enrolled is 3666311. By the stats, it seems one of the desired career choices after 12th commerce.
It’s a 3 years undergraduate course. Some of the core subjects in the course are Economics, Business Studies, Statistics, Accounting, Taxation, Banking and Company law.
The minimum eligibility criteria is 12th passed but different universities differ with subjects, as few universities require a candidate with Accountancy, Business studies and Economics in HSC.
Further, after completion of B.Com. an individual can get job opportunities in private or Government organisations. Also, as per your interest, you can opt for higher studies such as M.Com., MBA or even go for professional courses.
B.Com. Honours– It is a 3-year undergraduate degree course like B.Com., the only difference is one can opt for a specialization subject as per his/her interest.
The minimum eligibility criteria are 12th passed but we recommend checking university eligibility criteria because some Universities require mathematics in 12th for specific specializations.
Major specializations are:-
- Banking & Finance
- Strategic Finance
- International Finance
- Finance & Accountancy
- Travel & Tourism
- Accountancy
- Statistics
- Taxation
BA Economics- Bachelor of Economics is a 3-year undergraduate degree course, the minimum eligibility criteria is 12th passed with Economics/Mathematics/Computer science as one of the major subjects.
The course provides knowledge of finance, business, the country’s economy and Market trends. There is a good scope and opportunities in government and private firms, where one can work as an economist, analyst or planner.
Bachelor of Vocational Program- B.Voc. program is a 3-year undergraduate course. This course develops theoretical and practical skills.
It provides flexibility to candidates by offering pre-defined entry and multiple exit points. This course allows students to get professional exposure in an industry.
There are multiple specializations that an individual can pursue as per interest. The minimum eligibility criteria for the B.Voc. program are 12th passed in any stream.
B.Voc. program offers specializations mentioned below.
- Banking and Financial Services
- Tourism and Travel Management
- Retail Management
- Printing Technology
- Web Designing
- Health Care Management
- Software Development
B.Com. + LLB- Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Law is a 5 years integrated course. This course gives exposure to commerce such as accounting, business studies, and economics.
It provides knowledge about various laws in India such as corporate law, constitutional law, Legal aid, and Parliamentary debates.
Minimum eligibility criteria for B.Com. + LLB integrated course is a 12th pass in any stream. Universities conduct entrance exams such as CLAT, AILET, LSAT & BHU UET to get admission to their program.
Actuarial Science– B.Sc. in actuarial science is a three-year course. Further, you can study M.Sc. in actuarial science or you can take a job. It deals with the study of financial analysis, and risk assessment for future financial outcomes.
Minimum eligibility is the 12th pass with mathematics. This course demands mathematics and statistics skills.
B.Sc. in actuarial science from the University of Mumbai Patkar Varde College gives an opportunity to get exempted for up to 6 actuarial papers from IFoA UK. There are very few colleges that provide a degree in actuarial science. Please visit college sites for the admission process.
An actuary works in insurance and financial policy-making companies.
Bachelor of Business Administration– BBA is a 3-year undergraduate degree with minimum eligibility criteria of a 12th pass in any stream.
The course provides exposure towards leadership, Business Management and corporate trends.
This course has a very good scope as a student can further move and develop their career in different specializations like Finance, marketing and Human Resources.
Job opportunities are available in both government and private organisations.
There are a few entrance exams for the process of admission, such as UGAT, IPMAT & BHU UET. One can check universities’ websites for admission as few of them take admissions on a merit basis.
These days colleges have started an integrated MBA for 5 years where students can study BBA and MBA both. IIM Indore conducts an entrance exam IPMAT for admission to an integrated MBA program.
Bachelor of Management Studies – BMS is a 3-year Undergraduate degree course with minimum eligibility criteria of a 12th pass in any stream.
BMS courses are the same as BBA, just that few colleges or universities use different names.
BBA + LLB– Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Law is a 5 year integrated course similar to BCom + LLB.
This course gives exposure to Marketing, Finance and Fundamentals of laws in India.
The minimum eligibility criteria for BBA + LLB are 12th passed in any stream. There are multiple entrance exams conducted at National Level and by some universities for admission, few of the exams are CLAT, AILET, LSAT, BHU UET.
Bachelor of Social Work- BSW is a 3-year Undergraduate degree program with minimum eligibility criteria of a 12th pass in any stream.
This course teaches students about social issues and welfare, Human growth and better livelihood. Career opportunities are in NGOs, corporates and government firms.
Don’t get confused with BA in social work, they both are quite similar in terms of jobs and opportunities except for a few subjects.
Just like B.Com. + LLB and BBA + LLB students can also opt for BA + LLB and BSW + LLB as per their point of interest.
Bachelor of Computer Application– BCA is a 3-year undergraduate degree course with minimum eligibility of 12th pass and has opted for mathematics as one of the subjects.
This course provides exposure to the fundamentals of computer science, security and networking, software development, and database management.
It has a vast scope and opportunities in the Information Technology industries.
Hotel Management- Hotel Management is another popular undergraduate degree program. Some universities provide a Bachelor of Hotel Management for 4 years and BSc in Hotel Management for 3 years.
The minimum eligibility criteria is a 12th pass in any stream. For admissions universities conduct entrance exams such as NCHMCT JEE, CUCET, UGAT, IPU CET at the national level.
There is a good scope in India after graduation, you can work in Guest/Customer relations, Hotel and Restaurant Management. Also, interested candidates can move further for higher studies.
Travel and Tourism Management– Just like Hotel Management, some universities provide a Bachelor of Tourism and Travel Management for 4 years and BA in Tourism Management for 3 years.
The minimum eligibility criteria is a 12th pass in any stream. Talking about the work front one can get opportunities as a Travel counselor, Tourism operations, Corporate travel executive, etc.
Bachelor of Design– BDes is a 4-year undergraduate degree program with a minimum eligibility of a 12th pass in any stream.
There are entrance exams conducted on the National level for admissions in reputed institutes such as UCEED, NID DAT, AIEED, and SEED. You can select specializations as per your interest, like fashion design, leather design, textile design, Interior design, Jewellery design, etc.
Every specialization opens the door for candidates in some of the good private and government organisations.
Bachelor of Elementary Education- B.EL.ED is a 4 years undergraduate degree with a minimum eligibility of a 12th pass in any stream. We recommend this course for the individual who wants to pursue their career in teaching.
B.EL.ED. gives the opportunity for PRT (Primary Teacher) and TGT (Trained Graduate Teacher)
Diploma in Elementary Education– D.El.ED is a 2-year diploma course with a minimum eligibility of a 12th pass in any stream.
D.El.ED. gives the opportunity for PRT (Primary Teacher).
Journalism and Mass Communication- Courses are most commonly known as BA (Journalism and Mass Communication) or Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication or Bachelor of Mass Media. All are the same courses with slight differences in curriculum.
Different universities use the names of the courses with different names. It is a 3-year undergraduate course where the minimum eligibility criteria is a 12th pass in any stream.
Few Universities conduct entrance examinations for admission, such as CUCET, NIMCJ MACJET.
This degree gives an opportunity in Public Relations, Advertisement, Broadcasting, News, Print Media etc. and if you have an interest in such fields, then you should pursue Journalism and Mass Communication.
Bachelor of Arts- If one is interested in any of the fields related to Arts or Fine arts such as Animation, Multimedia or Music, then the person can pursue a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts. A bachelor of arts is a common career choice among students passing 12th in the arts stream.
The minimum eligibility criteria is a 12th pass with any stream. Commerce students have the opportunity to explore careers and pursue courses in arts streams as well.
Jobs and Pay
Before concluding about the best career option in commerce after the 12th we thought of giving an overview of various high-salary jobs in the commerce stream.
The salary structure described is for freshers. Because experienced people mainly have different career growth hence salary structure also differs.
Let’s begin with:
| Degree/Certification | Average Salary (per annum) | Remarks |
| CA | 7-10 Lacs | Structure of Big 4 companies |
| CS | 3 – 6 Lacs | |
| CMA | 4 – 7 Lacs | |
| B.Com. | 1.5- 3 Lacs | Salary structure of established industries |
| Actuarial Science | 4 – 6 Lacs | Growth is fast and salary raise is good. After 3-4 years you can cross 10 lacs per annum package easily. |
| MBA Finance | 6-10 Lacs | The mentioned average salary structure is from reputed colleges. It may increase or decrease with the rank of institutes. Off-campus salary ranges from 2 to 4 lacs. |
| CFA / FRM | 6 – 9 Lacs | People pursuing CFA/FRM are already graduates, CA or even MBA with at least 2 years of experience. So the structure varies as per the industry, experience and qualification. Most companies consider CFA/FRM as an added advantage. |
| CFP / CWM / NISM XA & X-B | 3 – 6 Lacs | Most companies prefer CFP/CWM/NISM certification as an added advantage. |
| Investment Banker | 7 – 9 Lacs | Popular and high-growth career. MNCs and Big 4 salaries could be above 10 lacs. |
| Stockbroker | 2 – 5 Lacs | |
| Tax analyst | 3 – 5 Lacs |
We have mentioned fields with high salaries and some most sought-after designations. It’s sufficient to give you knowledge about various streams and their salary structures. We refer to the salary details from ambitionbox.
Admission
Admission to most of the degree courses after 12th commerce is offered on a merit basis, but there is a possibility that some universities may take entrance tests.
Courses like BBA, B.Com LLB and Bachelor of Design require an entrance exam which we have already mentioned above.
Different Universities have different eligibility criteria for the enrollment of candidates, therefore we recommend checking a University website for detailed information on the admission procedure.
Conclusion
There are ample career options for commerce students after the 12th, and we suggest selecting wisely as per your interest. Whether it’s a professional course or a degree, both have good scope and opportunities in India and overseas.
Please contact us if you have any doubt and do share the post if you think it is valuable and it might help someone.
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