Courses After Your B.Com
The best courses to take after graduating from your B.Com degree
What to Do After Graduation?
Congratulations, after four hard years of work you’ve finally finished your B.Com! Now what? We’ve outlined for you the most common courses after BCom to set you on the right track for your career.
Let’s take a look at the most common career paths for continued study after your B.Com (in some cases, assuming that you’ve also worked in a full-time job for a few years).
Most popular courses after BCom:
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The MBA is a highly sought after degree, with over 250,000 people sitting the GMAT exam each year (which is required for admission into most schools).
Pros: If you go to a good school (such as Harvard or Wheaton), then an MBA can carry a lot of weight. There is a lot of networking in getting an MBA, so if you do it in the right city, then it can really help you in your job search. Finally, the MBA is very broad and well rounded, so you will learn a lot about general management. It’s a great way to get into careers like investment banking and private equity.
For more on careers in I.B., see our guide on how to get a job in investment banking.
Cons: It can be very expensive, and if you don’t go to a top school, then you will be lumped in with millions of others who have a diluted degree. You can’t take an MBA right after graduation from your B.Com; you typically need 2-3 years of job experience.
Chartered Financial Analyst®
Becoming a CFA® charterholder is also a popular path for more courses after BCom. Over 180,000 people sit the CFA® exams each year around the world, however, the pass rates through all three exams are very low.
Pros: This is a great path for someone wants to become a financial analyst. The program is a highly regarded designation and carries a lot of prestige. MBA programs vary by school, but all charterholders are equal. The program is also much less expensive than the MBA.
Cons: The pass rate is very low, it often takes more than three years to complete, and it’s very specifically focused on portfolio management, which is great if you want to have a job as a PM or work in equity research.
More Info: compare the CFA® credential and the MBA degree.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
The exact designation varies by country, but in the U.S. the CPA is the gold standard of accounting designations. This is a popular path for continuing your development after a BCom with more courses.
Pros: Highly regarded internationally and opens the most career options for accounting and eventually CFO positions. Typically paid for by your employer.
Cons: Lots of studying and you have to be employed by an accounting firm to earn your designation.
More Info: compare the CPA and CFA® credentials.
Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA)®
At CFI our mission is to help you advance your career with relevant courses and certifications that don’t require you to go back to school full time or take on student debt.
The best place to start is to explore our FMVA Program page so you can find out which path in corporate finance is right for you.
From there we offer a wider range of skills-based courses that teach you exactly what you need for on the job training after your BCom.
Our most popular courses include:
- Excel Crash Course (free)
- Accounting Fundamentals (free)
- Building a Financial Model
- Advanced Financial Modeling
Compare more designations
Below is a summary table for easy comparison of multiple designations.
| CFA | CPA | FMVA | CAIA | CFP | FRM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Levels | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Costs | $2,550 to $3,450 | $1,000 to $3,000 | $497 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,500 |
| Exam Pass Rate | 30-50% | 40-50% | 70% | 70% | 67% | 40-50% |
| Content Focus | Portfolio Management, Investments | Financial Reporting, Audit | Financial Modeling, Valuation | Real Assets, Alternative Investments | Financial Planning | Financial Risk Management |
| Career Application | All Encompassing | Accounting and Finance | All Encompassing | Asset Management | Retail and Wealth Management | Risk Management |
| Study Time (hrs) | 300-350 per exam | Varies | 120-200 total | 200 per exam | Varies | 200-300 per exam |
| Completion Time | 3-5 years | 2.5 - 5 years | <1 year | 1-2 years | 4 years | <1 year |
| Work Experience | 4 years | 1 year | None | 1 year | 3 years | 2 years |
More career resources
We hope this has been a helpful guide to the most common courses after BCom. For more helpful resources to advance your career, we highly recommend:
