Every single field of study has its defectors. Maybe you were forced into the science-or-nothing rut by overzealous relatives, or maybe you tried to ape your parents and go into the field they are a part of. Any which way, you find yourself now at a crossroad, having graduated college, but unsure of what to do next, because you clearly do not have an affinity towards what you originally picked.
Well, why not course a fresh start by pursuing one of these courses after graduation?
I’ve been a college graduate with no idea what to do next, just like you. I know how you feel, and I want to help you with this list of courses after graduation that you can choose to do based on where you feel your aptitude really lies– this time, away from the advice of prying relatives and judgemental peers.
Most of the courses I’m going to be listing below are pretty short-term and don’t require much dedication in terms of time. I’m sure that will be a relief to you, so take advantage of it! These days, with access to online resources, there’s so much more you can learn in the space of, say, 6 month courses after graduation, than you could in a 3-year college degree.
Table of Contents
1. Digital Marketing Courses After Graduation
While choosing amongst the many courses after graduation, it is imperative that you look not only at how attractive they are, but also at the sustainability and longevity the career they will help you build will provide.
Why? Because, well, our world is now online. Especially since the coronavirus pandemic and the global lockdowns that ensued forcing most people to work from home– and do everything else from home too, including attend classes, study, shop, and whatnot.
A digital marketing degree will make you invaluable to firms in terms of positioning their brand online. Not only will you play a crucial role in setting up their online presence in terms of web development and design as well as social media management, you will also monitor and place advertisements online so that they reach the business’s target audience optimally. In this way, digital marketing courses after graduation are some of the most pragmatic you will find.
There are many other roles a digital marketer can play beyond this, and it’s one of the most ‘worth it’ courses after graduation even if you plan to set up your own venture, as you will eventually need to establish an online presence for it.
Eligibility: private entrance tests
Duration: 2-6 months
Top Institutes: IIDE (Mumbai), Upgrad (Mumbai), MICA (Ahmedabad)
2. Graphic Design Courses After Graduation
An offshoot from digital marketing, digital and graphic designing is for those souls who want to make art, but also have a steady source of income.
Graphic design courses after graduation teach you how to create a brand’s communication elements. For example, logo design, web ux design to some extent, and much more. It will also give you knowledge of various digital softwares used today to design professionally, equipping you with the know-how to start freelancing or start your own business whenever you like!
Eligibility: private entrance tests
Duration: 6 months – 1 year
Top Institutes: IIDE (Mumbai), Himanshu Art School (Delhi), Institute of Apparel Management (Gurgaon)
3. Coding Courses After Graduation
Another consequence– or should I say cause?– of the digital revolution is coding.
It takes code to build a website, right from the layout to the user interface. In order to learn how to build a website, one must learn several languages like JavaScript and C++, to name a couple. Along with this, one must also be able to envision and design a good website. The code part just involves executing this vision!
Both these essential skills are developed in coding courses after graduation. If coding and web design has always intrigued you, it’s time to test if this is the true career for you! After all, it’s just 6 months of your time. Give it a go!
Eligibility: private entrance tests
Duration: 2 months – 1 year
Top Institutes: IIDE (Mumbai), Coding Ninjas (Delhi), Codevidhya (Jaipur)
4. Event Management Diploma Courses After Graduation
Everybody loves going to parties, weddings, and concerts but no one wants to recognise the amount of work it takes to have them pan out just as planned– and the creativity it takes to plan them in the first place!
If you’re one of the rare few with an ardent passion for hosting big get-togethers, you should really consider event management courses after graduation. Putting together a mind that is attentive to detail and events that require careful planning and meticulous perfectionism has to be a no-brainer!
Eligibility: 10th
Duration: 9 months – 1 year
Top Institutes: International Institute of Fashion Technology (Delhi), Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (Delhi), National Institute of Event Management (Mumbai)
5. Machine Learning Courses After Graduation
Voice assistants, artificial intelligence, and yes, even your Instagram Explore feed are examples of machine learning. Machine learning is basically programming AI in such way that it continuously evolves after each interaction with a human in order to better adjust with the human’s habits and integrate new behaviours. For example, how you might speak to Bixby, Alexa or Siri find it easier to recognise your voice and particular speech patterns the more you speak to them.
This is a fascinating and evolving field of study that has nothing but future growth in its path.
Eligibility: 12th
Duration: 1 year
Top Institutes: TalentSprint (Hyderabad, Bengaluru), Great Learning (Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi), Applied AI Course (Hyderabad)
6. Drama Courses After Graduation
If you’ve been an ardent Bollywood fan since childhood, there’s a good chance being on the big screen was a dream of yours.
Well, drama courses after graduation won’t guarantee fulfillment of that dream, but they can get you somewhere close. Most drama graduates that work in the same field end up booking commercials, small screen roles, voiceover work, and quite a bit of theatre. If that sounds like something you’re down for, go for drama courses after graduation!
Or, if you fancy yourself really lucky, you could try winging it at the auditions!
Eligibility: 14 years+ of age
Duration: 3 months
Top Institutes: Zee Institute of Media Arts (Mumbai), Balaji ICE Institute (Mumbai), Livewires – The Media Institute (Mumbai)
7. Writing Courses After Graduation
Another childhood dream cherished by many, becoming a writer is not just a job but a milestone in life. If you plan to be a fiction writer, creative writing courses after graduation might be in order.
You may believe your talent is enough to get you published– or even skyrocket to the top of the bestseller list!– but it’s never a bad thing to gather some extra knowledge from the experts and ensure you have that competitive edge.
Eligibility: 14 years+ of age
Duration: 1 – 3 months
Top Institutes: Xavier Institute of Communications (Mumbai), Sir Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication (Delhi), British Council (Kolkata, Delhi)
8. Filmmaking Courses After Graduation
When speaking of filmmaking courses after graduation, glamorous cities like New York or Paris spring to mind. But India is also home to some of the best amongst the lot. After all, Bollywood is the biggest producer of films worldwide, so what did you expect? We have to have some great filmmaking universities!
Eligibility: 12th
Duration: 6 – 9 months
Top Institutes: Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (Kolkata), Film and Television Institute of India (Pune), Whistling Woods International (Mumbai)
9. Culinary Arts Courses After Graduation
Cooking is not just a hobby, and pursuants of these culinary arts courses seem to know that.
You can open your own cafe or restaurant, work for a great eatery or hotel, or even teach this discipline further. Another option is to open a catering venture! Out of all the courses after graduation, this could be one of the most satisfying!
Eligibility: 10th
Duration: 9 months – 2 years
Top Institutes: Institute of Hotel Management (Pusa), Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development (Delhi), Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (Goa)
10. Language Courses After Graduation
Expertise in a language is not something you can master within 2 months. But it’s a start! The deeper you explore a language, the more benefit you can derive from it. For example, language courses may lead to translation work, writing, diplomacy and international relations, and even teaching!
The reason I haven’t mentioned any top institutes for these courses after graduation is that institutes differ as per the language you’re trying to learn. If you’re really feeling adventurous, you could even try just doing Duolingo!
Eligibility: age no bar
Duration: 2 months+
You can check out some more options if you’re a commerce student– head on over here.