Education is not as blinkered as it used to be. Today most universities offer undergraduate and post graduate degrees with varied specializations and permutations. These include: 

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING
  • Accounting and Finance 
  • Banking and Insurance
  • Business and Management Studies / Business Administration
  • Commerce 
  • Economics 
  • Finance and Economics
  • Financial Markets 
  • Hotel and Hospitality Management 
  • Mass Media Management
  • Sports Management 

The traditional choices for commerce students have been Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, International Trade and Law. New course options have emerged with growing job opportunities in business analytics, e-commerce, marketing of luxury goods as well as  supply chain sports and entertainment management. It is important to remember the key to career growth is excellent performance and not the degree alone. Hence, as a broad guideline, a person with a good head for numbers and a liking for math should opt for the more numeric-based degree programs such as Accounts and Finance. Someone with good communication skills would excel in management and marketing-related programs like BMS or BBA.

Accounting and Finance is the most popular major. The course often goes by different names such as BCom or Bcom with Accounting and Finance or B.Com with CA. The content includes Management Accounting, Business Finance, International Finance, Financial Analysis, Accounting and Accountability, Financial Accounting & Reporting, Auditing, Preparation of Balance sheets, Corporate Governance, Regulation & Compliance. This course is recommended for those who enjoy accounting and have a meticulous eye for detail. Accuracy in work with an ability to diligently review numerical data are key skills. 

Finance and Investment is a focused program in investment banking, asset and wealth management, mergers and acquisitions, foreign exchange management and risk management. A strong affinity for numbers and quantitative analysis is the key to applying the mathematical and statistical techniques used in financial decision-making. The course content includes Valuation of Investments, Market Microstructures, Quantitative Methods, Financial Econometrics, Financial Theory and Management, Business Finance, Risk Analysis, practical training in market trading and simulated on-line trading with a dealer’s room experience. Bachelor’s Degrees in Financial Markets, Banking and Insurance, Economics with Maths, Economics with Finance or a pure quantitative program in Statistics and Maths, are good routes to careers involving managing  the financial aspects of a business. 

Actuarial Science involves managing financial risk. Students study complex statistical formulae and apply their knowledge of mathematics, business and economics to assess situations and provide strategic financial advice. An aptitude and passion for quantitative subjects like maths and statistics is essential to succeed in this field. Students could join the Indian Institute of Actuarial Science and   combine their pursuit of actuarial science with another degree like B.Com or Economics. 

 Business and Management is a course with different nomenclatures in each university such as BBA at NMIMS, BMS or Management Studies at Mumbai University, BMB in Bangalore. The curriculum is common and offers broad-based theory and practical assignments contributing to a strong grounding in all the functional areas of business. Subject areas are comprehensive and covering human resources, management ethics, business law, markets, marketing, quality control , research methodology, strategy, corporate finance, quantitative applications in business, communications and media planning. This course has applications in practically any sector of work,  but is considered a good foundation for careers in marketing and human resource management. The degree program may be combined with short courses in  Event Management, Digital Marketing and Retail Management, and Marketing. International Business applies the same learning to international trade. The entrepreneurship component encourages students to think of a new business idea and develop plans around it. Variations of the standard program are available in Hotel and Hospitality Management .

Mass Media accepts students from any discipline including commerce. The multi-disciplinary  course is for those who enjoy the challenge of being innovative and creative within the framework of market demands. It leads to careers in marketing, advertising, media management, public relations, client servicing and journalism.

Sports Management covers specialized knowledge of sports law, sport marketing and sponsorship, sports broadcasting; managing sport organisations; event planning, managing sport operations in large scale facilities. This is for those who wish to be part of the business aspects of the sporting arena. It is important to know that sports managers may not get a chance to play or even to meet sporting heroes because they are largely behind-the-scenes workers. 

Logistics and Supply-Chain Management deals with developing varied algorithms and permutations of logistics relevant to managing transport, warehousing, air freight, couriers and shipping. It is a  module in most management courses. This is mainly offered as a post-graduate degree program. It offers high employability due to the application of skills in a variety of business sectors from construction sites and  large retail chains to restaurants and e-commerce last mile delivery . 

Event Management essentially deals with planning and managing events such as conferences, meetings, conventions, marriages, etc. It requires the skills of detailing the logistics for events, minute planning, price negotiation, client liaison and communication. The National Institute of Event Management facilitates work on actual events giving students vital hands-on experience.

Entrepreneurship courses expose students to the skills needed to convert innovative business ideas into practical ventures. Different modules encourage students to plan and discuss a new idea within the framework of aspects like law, finance, marketing, building and managing teams and so on. Students from any stream are eligible for this course. National Entrepreneurship Management (NEM) conducts business planning programs in various colleges.

Hospitality with Travel & Tourism is an evergreen domain which offers increasing employment opportunities for those with a flair to work with people .

Institutes offering short certificate courses for Commerce students include:University of Mumbai’s Garware Institute of Career Education and Development; Indian Merchant Chambers; World trade center; Bombay Stock Exchange offers courses in financial markets; NMIMS has distance learning programs as well as on-campus certificate courses; KC College; Welingkar Institute of Management; IMS Learning Resources centers; Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) at Delhi, Kolkata Ahemdabad; The Indian Institute of Management & Studies (IIBMS) in Hyderabad; Indian Institute of Materials Management and Retail Management in Bangalore ; NIIT; Indian School of Business Management (ISBM); Loyola Institute of Vocational Education in Chennai.