I’ve been exactly where you are right now– fervently Googling “courses after 12th in commerce” and other buzzwords right before I took my 12th board exams. With absolutely zero idea of what I wanted to do in life. It seems right now that there’s nothing you can do about your future, and that it’s all panning out without any control from your end– or perhaps the opposite, that you’ll never move forward and will forever be frozen where you are right now. In school, under teachers’ control, and exam anxiety being your biggest worry.
But whether you want it or not, the world will move forward. Trust me, I made it through that period, and am typing this from the other side. Consider this a list from the future you to the you that exists in this moment: You’re being offered choices right now, and it is up to you to read up, do your research, and select courses after 12th in commerce that you’re actually interested in and not something you feel pressured into pursuing.
With that being said, let’s dive right in, shall we?
1. Digital Marketing
This is one is so ubiquitous– it truly is everywhere, which is precisely why it has so much growth potential. A modern offshoot of marketing, with the ushering in of the digital era, this one is surely here to stay.
Wondering what digital marketing is exactly? Well, have you ever looked up a moisturiser on your favourite online shopping site and then found an ad for it as soon as you started Googling something else? Or have you ever noticed how the same video on YouTube can serve up totally different ads for you and your friend? All of these are but small functions of digital marketing– catering to the users online.
The best time to pick up this skill is through courses after 12th (in Commerce, preferably, as it is a business-related field). You can pick up a diploma or degree course alongside college studies and be totally job-/internship-ready within a matter of mere months.
Top Institutes: Indian Institute of Digital Education (Mumbai), LIPSINDIA (Pune), Udemy (online)
2. Chartered Accountancy
Pursuing professional courses after 12th means leading double lives– especially something as tough as CA certification. But it all pays off in the end when you receive that degree and realise you’re probably miles ahead of your competition.
There are 3 levels to becoming a CA: First, you take the CPT. You have to register for this through the ICAI website. This will probably take you a year of preparation.
Then, you register for the next level, the IPCC, preparing for which should take about 9 months. However, it depends entirely on your studies. Some people have to take it several years in a row, while others clear it in their first attempt. This should ideally take place in your third year of college, so by the time you graduate, you are ready to begin the next level: a 3-year Articleship.
An Articleship is a 3-year period in which you are taught on-field methods and gain experience through work, in a practical way. After this period is over, you can take the final exam, after which, when you pass, you will finally be declared a Chartered Accountant.
Now, the journey to prepare for these exams is not easy, which is why preparatory courses after 12th must be taken to help supplement your already-established commercial knowledge and ace these exams.
Top Institutes: Vidya Sagar Career Institutes Ltd., JK Shah Classes, Success Point
3. Cost Accountancy
Budgeting is a big part of business. As a 12th grade commerce student, you know this. What cost accountants to is prepare the budgets and financing for all sorts of organisations. They’re yet another one of the many professional courses after 12th in commerce that are available to you.
In order to become a Cost Accountant, you must take an 8-month long course after 12th from ICWA, post which you will need to take a qualifying exam. After this (and after your formal college degree gets over), you must complete the next level in this process, during which you have to take 8 exams. If you pass all of these– congratulations, you’re a Cost Accountant!
Top Institutes: ICWA is the only institute through which you can pursue this course after 12th in Commerce.
4. Company Secretary
If legalities always excited you but you don’t think you can handle a courtroom, or if you always thought about a career in public relations but aren’t too hot on the whole media angle, then don’t worry, there are still perfect courses after 12th in commerce just for you!
A company secretary is someone who takes care of the legal end of a business. Basically, they are the only links between a company’s Board of Directors and their shareholders. It’s a pretty important position, and it pays well too!
If this is something you are considering, you will have to complete 3 stages on the way to getting your qualification: Foundation, Executive and Professional. Only upon completing the professional level do you qualify as a Company Secretary.
Top Institutes: ICSI (Delhi), Navkar Institute (Ahmedabad), Academy of Commerce (Gurugram)
5. Bachelor’s in Commerce
This is one of the classic courses after 12th in commerce– it has to be, right? It’s in the name! But jokes apart, this is a great foundational and introductory course for any type of commercial and financial studies you wish to pursue in the future. The most attractive part of this course is that it is known for its light course load, making it possible for students to keep up with their extra collegiate studies, for example, preparation for one of the CA or CS exams.
Top Institutes: Christ University (Bengaluru), Loyola College (Chennai), Lady Shri Ram College for Women (Delhi), Shri Ram College for Commerce (Delhi), Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics (Mumbai), RA Podar College of Commerce and Economics (Mumbai)
6. Law
While law is not a conventionally commercial field, financial law is a good option for those who wish to go in this direction. However, law is a good idea for students who are looking for courses after 12th in commerce, and are looking to switch their lines. It is also a well-paying field, if that’s a high-priority point for your future studies.
Law courses after 12th are possible, contrary to popular belief that it has to be pursued only after graduation. After 12th, you must take the CLAT in order to qualify for an undergraduate integrated law 5-year course that is increasingly being offered by many colleges all over the country.
Top Institutes: Government Law College (Mumbai), Christ University (Bengaluru), Jamia Millia Islamia (Delhi), Symbiosis Law School (Pune), Gujarat National Law University (Gandhinagar), National Law University (many branches)
7. Bachelor’s in Business Administration
Mainly known as the MBA of the undergraduate courses, this is a 3-year degree that teaches you pretty much what a Master’s in Business Administration is supposed to teach you, along with introductory commercial foundations, of course. It is supposed to equip you to face the entrepreneurial world as soon as you graduate college, and begins prepping you as early as possible for this experience.
It is a course offered only by private colleges all over the country. It is also more immersive than a B.Com. degree, making the course load slightly heavier. It would not be the best idea to opt for this course as compared to a plain bachelor’s in commerce if you’re planning to study for professional exams.
Top Institutes: Christ University (Bengaluru), Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (Mumbai), Symbiosis International (Pune), Loyola College (Chennai), Amity Global Business School (Noida), FLAME University (Pune), Jai Hind College (Mumbai)