After class 12: BCom + add-on courses = exciting career

Most PUC (Commerce) students think they could take up BCom and that's all. Some consider doing CA. But the fact is that Commerce students have a plenty of options. All you need to do is look around for add-on programmes, integrated courses and special subjects offered. There are a few colleges that offer these high-demand courses.

(1) BCom (Banking & Insurance)/
BA (Bank Management)
This is a 3-year course with emphasis on subjects related to the insurance and banking sector. After successful completion of this course one can seek employment in banks for business development, underwriting, reinsurance, agency business, actuarial for the insurance sector. Many colleges offer Banking and Insurance both as options in BCom while the BA (Bank Management) Course is a complete course on Bank Management.

(2) BCom (Travel & Tourism)/
BTS (Bachelor of Tourism Studies)/ BTM (Bachelor of Tourism and
Management)
The 3-year BCom in Travel and Tourism and BTS/BTM course are designed to prepare the student to adapt to the demands and face the challenges of today’s tourism and travel industry. The course has a good balance of theory and practical subjects. The course is aimed at developing the students to become professionals to meet the requirements of travel, tourism and hospitality industry.

The BCom (Travel and Tourism) is offered by Christ University, Bangalore and BTS is offered by IGNOU (www.ignou.ac.in). One can also do a 6 months - 1 year training of ‘International Tourist Guide’ offered by Thomas Cook or Kuoni Academy and become a well paid tour manager, tour planner, guide as well as set up a travel agency.

A few reputed colleges
  Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
  Indian Institute of Tourism
and Travel Management,
New Delhi - 110021 
  Bangalore University, Central College Campus, Bangalore - 560001 
  IGNOU, School of Social Sciences, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi - 110068
(3) BCom + Company Secretaryship
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India offers the Foundation Course (8 months) for those who have passed 10+2. If a student has enrolled for BCom and has the aim to become a Company Secretary then, s/he can simultaneously enroll for the 8-month foundation course from ICSI and later after completion of BCom take up the intermediate course and complete the complete course to become a Company Secretary.

(4) BCom + Chartered Accountancy
Becoming a Chartered Accountant takes a minimum 3-4 years. The entry is after completion of PUC and successfully passing the Common Proficiency Test (CPT) and then enrollment with ICAI for Integrated Professional Competency Course - IPCC to become ‘CA’ or Enroll for Accounting Technician Course - ATC to become ‘Accounting Technician’. After this, one must successfully complete a one-week orientation course and also do compulsory 100 hours of Information Technology Training. In the meanwhile, the student must register for ‘Articleship’ and then complete the Final CA exam to become a CA. In recent times, colleges like Christ College, Bangalore, have started the BCom (CA) which is a 3-year evening course. Since the classes are held in the evening, the students spend their day doing their articleship with a practising Chartered Accountant. If a student feels that the evening college is improbable, he /she can take up BCom through correspondence and do the articleship in the day time.

(5) BCom + ICWA
The Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India offers a Foundation Course in Cost and Works Accounts for those who have passed 10+2. This can be taken up along with BCom and later after completion of BCom, the students can take up the Intermediate Course and then the Final Course to become a Cost and Works Accountant. IGNOU offers BCom with Major in Financial & Cost Accounting for students who have registered for Foundation Course of ICWA. Cost and Management Accountants are hold key positions in central and state governments. Realising the need and importance of these professionals, the government has set up the Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICAS) at par with other Class-I services such as IAS and IFS.

Evening classes for ICWA
courses are conducted at the following centres: 
  Vijaya Junior College, 11th Main 30th cross, Jayanagar 4th block, Bangalore - 560012.
  St Joseph’s College of Arts & Science, Richmond Circle,
Bangalore - 560025
   Malleswaram Ladies Association, 15th cross, Malleswaram,
Bangalore - 560003
  Bharathiya Samskrithi Vidyapitha Arts and Commerce College for Women, Vijayanagar,
Bangalore - 560040. 

Indicative list of colleges
offering BCom with specialisations mentioned above:
  Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
  Christ College, Bangalore
  St Agnes College, Mangalore
  St Joseph's College of Commerce, Bangalore
  Jain College, Bangalore
  Al Ameen Arts, Science & Commerce College, Bangalore
n  MES Arts, Science & Commerce College, Bangalore

(6) BCom + SAP
Systems Applications Products in Data Processing (SAP), is a software company head quartered in Walldorf, Germany, which has developed an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software designed to reduce cost and increase efficiency for IT companies. SAP consists of three types of modules viz, functional, technical and techno-functional. Persons interested in a career in the functional area of SAP should have experience in the relevant areas such as Sales & Distribution (SD), Marketing Management (MM), Human Relations (HR), Controlling Operations (CO), Financial (FI), etc. 

  Seimens Information Systems Limited, No  206, Logos, Ground Floor, Bible Society Building, MG Road, Bangalore - 560001 (Ph:25095577/79) is the only officially authorised institute by SAP  to conduct the SAP Certification programme which includes 25 working day training sessions followed by the certification examination.

  SAP has set up Community of Education Partners across India, which provides well-developed and accessible training on SAP technologies. After completion of SAP certification one can work as analyst, consultant and administrator in multinational companies. Careers are unlimted in SAP.

Industry certification programmes can be pursued by students simultaneously along with BCom or even after doing BCom.

There are several all-India organisations in the field of finance and insurance which are basically set up by the industry experts. BCom students can take up these certification programmes based on his / her area of interest and aptitude. All the institutes listed below offer certification programmes both for those who have passed Class 12 as well as graduates. Please check their websites to get the updated information.

  Insurance Institute of India www.insuranceinstituteofindia.com
a. Certificate Course in Insurance Salesmanship
b. Licentiate
  Institute of Actuaries of India  www.actuariesindia.org
a. Risk Analysis & Insurance Planning
b. Retirement Planning &
Employee Benefits
c. Investment Planning
d. Tax Planning & Estate Planning
  Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB), India.  www.fpsb.co.in
  National Stock Exchange (NSE) Certifications (www.nseindia.com)
a. NSE’s Certification in Financial Markets (NCFM) in 8 key financial areas. Fin Varsity (Virtual Financial University) is an e-learning portal dedicated to learning in the area of Financial Markets. It was developed and is owned by NSE and offers a wide range of web-based e-learning courses for professionals, students and retail investors. For more details, visit: www.finvarsity.com
  Institute of Insurance and Risk management (IIRM)
www.iirm-world.org.in
a.  International Post Graduate Diploma in General Insurance
b. International Post Graduate Diploma in Life Insurance.
c. International Post Graduate Diploma in Risk Management.
  Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) www.bseindia.com
a. Certificate programme on capital market (CPCM),a three-month part-time course for those interested in capital markets. It is offered in collaboration with the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai. The certificates are awarded by the Mumbai university. The programme will make you study and learn the nuances of stock market with stock brokers, investment consultants, mutual fund managers, etc. BSE also offers short-term programmes of one to four days on various subjects and areas of capital markets, derivatives, portfolio structure and stock analysis, IPO procedures, etc. For more details, contact: BSE Training Institute, 18th and 19th Floor, PJ Towers, Mumbai-400 001. Ph:022-22721126/27. Email:training@bseindia.com

Ameen-e-Mudassar is a writer, career counsellor and director of CIGMA India (A career guidance
and counselling company offering services in India, Qatar & UAE). Send in your feebacks to ameen@cigma.in