Top Courses to Pursue After B.Com. in 2024

The dynamic finance and accounting landscape offers numerous attractive opportunities to build your dream career. But this field also abounds with fierce competition, making it challenging to fast-track your professional growth. Navigating this extensive competitive arena requires swiftly adapting to the changing trends to stand out among other job seekers. The question that will loom large for you is, "How can you stand out in this highly competitive world?" If you seek an answer, you must know it lies in proactively enhancing your knowledge, expertise, and skills with the best courses after B.Com. 

B.Com will undoubtedly arm you with a solid foundation. But is it enough? No! Experts suggest distinguishing yourself from other graduates by pursuing one or more of the most prestigious finance and accounting courses. Specialization and skill enhancement with the most prestigious courses are your keys to success. These certifications will be your key to unlocking a prosperous career. Continue reading below to learn more about these courses and their significance after completing your bachelor's degree in commerce. 

Key Takeaways

• Courses after B.COM

• Certified Public Accountant

• Certified Management Accountant

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

Why Pursue Finance and Accounting Courses After B.Com.?

Taking the path of a globally recognized finance or auditing course is the most strategic way to enhance your qualifications after B.Com. for a better future. The reasons listed below will help you understand why.

Specialised Expertise

The curriculum of B.Com. allows you to learn the general foundational concepts. However, getting a globally recognized certification related to finance or accounting will help you gain expertise in certain specialized areas. For example, the best courses after B.Com. allow you to enhance your skills and knowledge in forensic accounting, financial management, and analysis. 

Career Advancement

Finance and accounting courses add extra points to your qualifications, capabilities, knowledge, and skills. With these certifications in hand, you will stand out from other non-credit candidates for managerial and leadership roles. These courses will even allow you to shift swiftly to entrepreneurship. 

Industry Relevance

Pursuing expert courses will keep you updated about the constantly evolving finance and accounting landscape. From global economic trends to technological advancements, these certifications will keep you updated about the changing trends and allow you to learn how to use them to make your work more efficient.

Versatility

Another reason to pursue F&A courses after B.Com. is their versatility across industries? The skills and competencies learned in this course are applicable across the world. Thus, whether one is interested in finding a job at a non-profit or a fintech company, it will prepare you with the required qualifications.

Enhanced Opportunities

The top employers constantly look for finance and accounting professionals with an exemplary practical understanding of the natural world and theoretical knowledge. These courses will make you a well-rounded professional capable of effectively contributing to the workforce, increasing your employability. 

Best Finance and Accounting Courses After B.Com.

There are several options when you look for courses at B.Com. or afterward. However, three certifications stand out among these options if you aspire to enter the global finance and accounting industry. Here is a summary of each of them, including their requirements, qualifying tests, and career opportunities.

Certified Public Accountant Certification (US CPA)

The AICPA's US CPA is widely recognized as one of the most rigorous certifications globally. So, if you are pursuing one of the most demanded accounting jobs, this course will be a lighthouse for all that is coming along.

Exam 

The Uniform CPA Exam, administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, consists of four sections, as listed below:

1. Attestation and Auditing (AUD)
2. Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
3. Regulation (REG)
4. Optional paper (any one)

• Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR)
• Information System and Controls (ICS)
• Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP)

You have 4 hours to complete each exam, and you can only attempt it once during a single open window. The types of questions in the exam incorporate multiple-choice questions, written communication tasks, and task-based simulations. 

Eligibility 

The eligibility criteria for US CPA are much more specific than those for other courses after B.Com. It necessitates that you have 150 hours of education. 120 of these 150 credits are earned during your B.Com. or any other bachelor's degree. You can earn the remaining 30 hours with a master's or similar qualification. 1-2 years of finance and accounting work experience is also required. 

Career Scope

The CPA certification is one of the most respected finance and accounting courses. This certification will open doors to top MNCs where one can avail of high-paying jobs or Big 4s where one can get their way to higher positions. Below is the list of the most prevalent CPA positions:

• Public Accountant
• Finance Analyst
• Tax Analyst
• Finance Manager
• Internal Auditor
• Chief Financial Officer

Certified Management Accountant Certification (CMA USA)

The USA CM
A course provides knowledge in 12 essential finance and accounting areas. The USA's Institute of Management Accountants grants the credentials. The significant aspects to which the CMA course presents knowledge are capital budgeting, corporate finance, investment selections, financial planning, and analysis.

Exam

The US CMA exam consists of two parts, each of which has six sections, as explained below:

CMA Part I: Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics

1. External Financial Reporting Decisions
2. Planning, budgeting, and forecasting
3. Performance Management
4. Cost Management
5. Internal Controls
6. Technology and analytics

CMA Part II: Strategic Financial Management

1. Financial statement analysis
2. Corporate Finance
3. Decision Analysis
4. Risk Management
5. Investment Decision
6. Professional Ethics

Each part of the CMA exam has 100 multiple-choice questions in addition to two essay questions. Three hours are granted to complete the MCQs and 30 minutes for each essay question, totaling 4 hours for each part. 

Eligibility 

To pursue this program, it is mandatory to have a bachelor's degree from any domain and at least 2 years of work experience in the finance and accounting sector. On top of all these, one needs to have an active IMA membership to sit for the CMA USA exam.

Career Scope

CMA USA is one of the most desired certifications among finance graduates, as it offers some of the most prestigious accounting jobs worldwide. It is a globally recognized accreditation, resulting in attractive career opportunities in the leading MNCs and the Big 4s. Some of the famous roles for US CMAs include: 

• Finance Analyst
• Business Analyst
• Cost Controller
• Finance Manager
• Budget Analyst
• Internal Auditor
• Senior Accountant
• Staff Accountant
• Treasurer
  
  

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Next on this list of courses after B.Com. comes the globally proclaimed certification, ACCA. This certification gives one a globally recognized qualification of ACCA, thereby offering some wonderful opportunities in the worldwide finance and accounting scenario. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants grants this certification once one passes its all-inclusive examination; it guarantees that the person is thus eligible to undertake challenging tasks within the financial management sphere.

Exam

The ACCA examination is divided into three levels, including the following 13 separate tests:. 

Applied Knowledge Level

• Business and Technology (BT)
• Management Accounting (MA)
• Financial Accounting (FA)

Applied Skills Level

• Corporate and Business Law (LW)
• Performance Management (PM) 
• Taxation (TX)
• Financial Reporting 
• Financial Management 
• Assurance and Audit (AA)

Strategic Professional Level

Compulsory Subjects

• Strategic Business Leader
• Strategic business reporting 

Optional Subjects (any two)

• Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
• Advanced Performance Management (APM)
• Advanced Taxation (ATX)
• Advanced auditing and assurance 

Attempting all 13 tests is not necessary for you if you pursue this course after B.Com., as the ACCA can provide up to 5 exemptions to you. Exemptions are also applicable for CAs and CMAs (up to 9) and CA Inter students (up to 6).

Eligibility

There are no stringent eligibility conditions to take the ACCA examination. One with high school or 10+2 qualifications with at least 65% can take the test. Also, work experience is not mandatory for this examination.

Career Scope

ACCA certification is widely recognized globally across 180 countries, opening up job prospects on a global level for individuals interested in finance and accounting careers. Many prominent companies, including the Big 4, prefer hiring holders who typically earn more salaries compared to those without accreditation. Some of the top roles for ACCAs include: 

• Public Accountant
• Tax Analyst
• Finance Manager
• Forensic Reporter
• Finance Analyst
• Auditor
• Chief Financial Officer

Conclusion

Pursuing globally recognized courses after B.Com. can help you swiftly escalate your career in the finance and accounting field. So, choose your path and start preparing with NorthStar Academy for these courses to build your dream career. Our highly experienced mentor, M. Irfat Sir, along with other qualified teachers, will provide you with end-to-end guidance for a successful future.