7 in-demand courses to do along with your BCom

It is an incredible time to be a commerce student. The road ahead offers more fascinating opportunities and lucrative prospects than ever before. The finance industry has evolved considerably in the past decade. Traditional qualifications have given way to more globally renowned certifications.

But did you know you can do some of these courses with Bcom? That’s right. You can get professionally certified while working towards your degree. The result is that you become a commerce graduate with additional skills and qualifications. It puts you in a strong position and leads to a rewarding and thriving career. 

Want to explore accountancy? You can choose to do an ACCA or CIMA course that allows you to work in over 100 countries, including the UK, Australia, Germany, Singapore and Canada. 

If you have a knack for multiplying wealth, a CFP or CFA program can knock your career into orbit. Short-term courses like financial modelling and IFRS are international skills that can give your resume a cutting-edge advantage. 

Sounds exciting? It is! Let’s further explore which courses along with a BCom degree are available for you. 

Why you should do one or more professional courses with your Bcom degree:

• You have an advanced certification even though you just graduated.
• Recruiters will value you more than your peers without similar credentials.
• You can focus on your career as you don’t need to do any other post-graduate courses. 
• You already have a professional mindset and training, even though you lack the experience. 
• You are eligible for a higher salary than other Bcom graduates.

Here are 7 Courses With BCom one should pursue

1. ACCA

Accountancy got a major upgrade when the Association of chartered certified accountants launched the ACCA certification. It is a universally acknowledged program with around 500,000 members in over 180 countries. The ACCA serves as the industry benchmark in excellence, and it is one of the best accountancy courses to do with a Bcom degree. 

Program details: 

• Students can apply for the course after completing their 12th year.
• They will require a minimum score of 65 per cent in Maths and English along with a 50 per cent average in other subjects. 
• The syllabus has 13 subjects and three levels: 
  • Knowledge 
  • Skills 
  • Strategic Professional 
• The exam structure is flexible so you don’t have to stress about balancing the course with your college classes.

Job profiles: 

If you choose to do an ACCA course with a Bcom degree, you can apply for the following careers after graduation:

• Management Accountant 
• Financial Accountant
• Taxation Specialist 
• Credit Controller
• Finance Manager 

Average annual income: 

• Entry level: Rs 7 lakhs
• Mid-level: Rs 12 lakhs
• Senior level: Rs 20 lakhs 

Companies hiring ACCA professionals:

• PwC
• Ernst & Young 
• PepsiCo
• Godrej 
• Microsoft
• Deloitte
• Deutsche Bank

Also Read – 6 reasons why ACCA with Bcom is the best choice for your graduation

Want to start your ACCA journey along with BCom?

2. CIMA

In 1919, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants created a highly distinguished certification that is still the global standard in management accounting to this date. With more than 250,000 members in over 180 countries, The CIMA offers a globally relevant education that propels careers to greater heights. In India, it is one of the most popular courses to do with a Bcom degree. Here’s why. 

Program details:

• The course offers flexibility and is adaptable to your schedule, so you don’t miss out on your college classes.
• The curriculum is divided into three levels: 
  • Operational 
  • Management 
  • Strategic 
• Students who apply after their 10th year must first apply for the certificate in accounting level. 
• You can also apply for the CGMA designation, a tie-up between the CIMA and CPA programs.

Job profiles:

When you complete the CIMA course with a Bcom degree, you are eligible to work in:

• Managerial Accounting
• Corporate Finance
• Risk Management
• Financial Analysis
• Treasury Management
• Financial Reporting

Average annual income:

• Entry level: Rs 5 lakhs
• Mid-level: Rs 11 lakhs
• Senior level: Rs 26 lakhs 

Companies hiring CIMA professionals:

When you do the CIMA course with a Bcom degree, you can work for:

• Accenture
• Capgemini 
• Proctor & Gamble 
• KPMG
• Deloitte
• Nestle
• HSBC 

Want to start your CIMA journey along with BCom?

3. CFA

The Chartered Financial Analyst certification is one of the most cutting-edge courses to do with a Bcom. It offers a comprehensive syllabus that helps you gain mastery over advanced finance and investment concepts and skills. It is globally revered by financial institutions and banks, with quite a few companies giving preference to CFA holders during recruitment season. While the CFA program only admits degree holders, you can apply for the course in your final year of graduation. 

Program details:

• The syllabus has three levels and 10 subjects.
• The topics covered include ethics, economics, equity investments, portfolio management and wealth planning.
• After completing each level, you will receive a certificate and are eligible to work.

Job profiles:

• Research Analyst
• Portfolio Manager 
• Investment Banker
• Risk Manager 
• Credit Analyst 

Average annual income:

Candidates who apply for the CFA course with Bcom can eventually earn the following salaries.

• Entry level: Rs 6 lakhs
• Mid-level: Rs 15 lakhs
• Senior level: Rs 40 lakhs

Companies hiring CFA professionals:

When you study the CFA course with a Bcom degree, you can apply to:

• JP Morgan
• Goldman Sachs
• HSBC
• PwC
• Deloitte
• SBI
• Aditya Sun Life 

Want to start your CFA journey along with BCom?

Also Read – 16 High Salary Jobs in Commerce Stream You Must Consider

4. CFP

A chartered certified planner is a skilled financial specialist who offers financial advice to individuals and families. The personalised services include investments, tax planning, real estate, insurance and retirement planning. The CFP certification is one of the best financial planning qualifications and has a presence in over 26 countries, including India. It is also one of the best financial courses to do along with a Bcom degree.

Program details:

• The course has four levels 
  • Investment Planning
  • Retirement and Tax Planning
  • Risk and Estate Planning
  • Integrated Financial Planning

Job profiles:

A CFP course with a BCom degree can land you the following careers:

• Financial planner
• Financial analyst 
• Mutual funds agent
• Financial manager 

Average annual income:

• Entry level: Rs 4 lakhs
• Mid-level: Rs 8 lakhs
• Senior level: Rs 20 lakhs

Companies hiring CFP professionals:

A CFP course with a Bcom degree can help you work in firms like:

• Ernst & Young
• KPMG
• Standard Chartered Bank
• ICICI Bank
• RBL FinServe

Want to start your CFP journey along with BCom?

5. Business Analytics 

One of the hottest courses to do along with your Bcom is business analytics. It is heavily trending in the corporate world and offers multiple growth opportunities. The profession merges technology with business acumen to create unique solutions to a variety of business problems. Through data analysis, business intelligence, machine learning and other techniques, experts can generate insights that help improve the company’s performance. 

Program details:

• The syllabus covers core industry concepts such as statistics, predictive modelling, visualisation and business intelligence. 
• The course teaches relevant software and programming systems such as Python, SQL, Tableau, etc.

Job profiles:

When you choose one of the business analytics courses with BCom, you can become a:

• Data Analyst 
• Data Scientist 
• Business Analyst 
• Data Architect 
• Data Administrator 

Average annual income:

• Entry level: Rs 6 lakhs
• Mid-level: Rs 12 lakhs
• Senior level: Rs 18 lakhs

Companies hiring business analytics professionals:

A business analytics course along with a Bcom degree will help you get a job with:

• Accenture
• Tech Mahindra
• Infosys
• IBM
• Tata Consultancy 
• Flipkart 
• Google 

Want to start your Business Analytics journey along with BCom?

Also Read – Top 5 skills that employers will look for in the future

6. Digital Marketing

If you have plans of gaining a digital marketing certification, good news. It is one of the courses to do along with a Bcom degree, making you job-ready when you graduate. 

The course teaches you how to create marketing strategies and campaigns online through videos, social media, display ads and search engine marketing. There is a huge demand for digital marketers today, and you don’t have to wait till you get your degree to qualify as one. 

Program details:

• The syllabus includes industry-centric topics such as Internet marketing foundation, SEO, paid search marketing, social media and display advertising.
• You can apply for various Google and Facebook certifications after completing the course.

Job profiles:

Digital marketing courses with BCom lead to exciting careers such as:

• Social media Manager
• Content Creator 
• Market Researcher 
• SEO Specialist 
• Content Strategist 

Average annual income:

• Entry level: Rs 3 lakhs
• Mid-level: Rs 12 lakhs
• Senior level: Rs 25 lakhs

Companies hiring digital marketing professionals:

A business analytics course along with a Bcom degree will help you get a job with:

• Google
• Accenture
• Amazon
• Wipro 
• Infosys 
• Tata Consultancy Services 

Want to start your Digital Marketing journey along with BCom?

Also Read – 15 High Paying Digital Marketing Skills in 2023

7. Financial modelling 

Are you over 18 years, interested in a financial career and still studying in college? One of the best and most relevant courses with a Bcom degree is financial modelling. Financial modelling teaches you how to create numerical spreadsheets that offer valuable financial data about a company’s performance. It is a prerequisite for many professions in the industry and offers an added advantage as well.

Program details:

• The syllabus includes core knowledge and industry concepts. 
• You learn how to build several types of financial models.
• Can serve as a pathway to an investment banking or equity research certification.

Job profiles:

Financial marketing courses with a BCom degree are relevant to careers such as:

• M&A analyst
• Equity research 
• Investment banking 
• Credit analyst 
• Insurance 

Average annual income:

• Entry level: Rs 5 lakhs
• Mid-level: Rs 15 lakhs
• Senior level: Rs 28 lakhs

(Salaries vary depending on the field of expertise: eg: investment banking)

Companies hiring financial modelling professionals:

When you do a financial modelling course along with a Bcom degree, you can work with:

• Goldman Sachs
• Crisil
• Cians Analytics
• Barclays 
• PwC
• KPMG

Want to start your Financial Modelling journey along with BCom?

Also Read – 7 Sexiest entry-level jobs in Finance and how to get one!

IMS Proschool’s financial and accounting courses to do with Bcom 

When you are still in college but are working towards a second qualification simultaneously, you need to plan your schedule efficiently. IMS Proschool is one of India’s top coaching institutions that ensures all students can study for courses without disrupting their college schedules. The teachers are expert industry experts who understand the value of time. The teaching methods are innovatively designed to ensure maximum retention. And students get the added benefits of additional resources along with hands-on training. It may sound difficult to juggle professional courses with Bcom classes, but Proschool helps you achieve it without breaking a sweat. Here’s why:

• You can attend live classes during the weekends or online sessions. 
• Complex topics are simplified and converted into straightforward concepts that are easy to understand. 
• There is a strong emphasis on real-world examples and practical applications.
• Extra learning resources include online videos, prep books, mock tests and practice papers.
• A special placement program is available to help you apply and prepare for jobs.

In conclusion 

The corporate world is highly competitive. There is a long list of applicants for every coveted job. To make your resume stand out, it helps to list any of the above professional courses with your Bcom degree. It makes you look efficient, ambitious and organised. Recruiters are impressed when young graduates showcase their ability to multitask by working on different tasks simultaneously. It boosts your chances of getting hired and establishing yourself as a powerhouse performer in the company.