“Commerce” is the exchange of goods and services among individuals or business entities. The commerce stream of education focuses on business and entrepreneurship-related subjects such as accounting, economics, finance, and marketing. It is a good choice for those interested in pursuing a career in business, finance, or management.
Someone with a commerce background can pursue career paths in accounting, banking, finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship. As per the All India Survey on Higher Education(AISHE), Commerce is the 3rd most popular stream amongst students in India after Arts and Science. The AISHE estimated the number of such students to be more than 40 lakhs.
If you are considering commerce courses after 10th standard, this blog will give you an overview of the subjects taught in class 11th and 12th, popular courses for graduation and postgraduation, and the career opportunities available.
Subjects taught in classes 11th and 12th
There are five mandatory subjects for both classes 11th and 12th in the commerce stream:
- Accountancy
The process of recording financial transactions of a business. Accountancy is a key ingredient of a business. Financial reports generated by accountants are a true indicator of the health and functioning of the business.
- Business Studies
It gives a first principle overview of the business, spanning its various functions such as marketing, operations, human resources, and finance. It gives an individual an in-depth understanding of how a business works.
- Economics
Economics is the branch of knowledge concerned with the production, consumption, and transfer of wealth. This will help students understand how individuals, companies, and organisations invest and utilise resources such as time, money, manpower, and material to achieve the desired outcome.
- Mathematics
A large part of commerce involves dealing with numbers. Mathematical techniques taught here can come in handy.
- Informatics Practices
Informatics Practices is a stream of software-related research. This subject is vital for career progression with the increasing significance of information technology.
- English
Language is a vital constituent of communication. A good command of the language, especially English, can be a massive source of advantage for students in their career progression journey.
Other subjects, optional or additionally offered, are:
- Entrepreneurship
- Physical Education
Popular courses after class 12th
Post their class 12, students can engage in the following courses to further their career in the field of commerce:
- BCom (Bachelor of Commerce)
- BBA/BMS/MBA (Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Management Studies, Master of Business Administration)
- Banking
- Finance
- Hotel Management
- BA (Bachelor of Arts) in fields such as (Mathematics, Economics, Statistics, Aviation, Marketing, Human Resources, Logistics, etc.)
Top colleges in India offering commerce courses for students after class 12 (as per India Today ranking):
- Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi
- Hindu College, University of Delhi
- Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi
- Hansraj College, University of Delhi
- Loyola College, Chennai
- Christ University, Bangalore
- Ramjas College, University of Delhi
- MCC – Madras Christian College
- Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai
- Mithibai College of Arts
As per media reports in 2022, students at Shri Ram College of Commerce received 297 offers from over 50 companies, with the highest package of INR 30.6 lakhs per annum. The average package was INR 10.7 lakhs per annum. Companies such as McKinsey & Company, Accenture Strategy, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, Zomato, Meesho, and HSBC were recruited from SRCC in 2022.
Top colleges in Bangalore offering commerce courses for students after class 12 (as per India Today ranking):
- Christ University (#6 in India)
- St. Joseph’s College of Commerce (#12 in India)
- Kristu Jayanti College (#19 in India)
- Mount Carmel College (#20 in India)
- School of Commerce, Presidency University, Bangalore (#31 in India)
At Christ University Bangalore, in 2022, the highest package offered was INR 21.46 LPA. Companies such as Sandisk, Vedanta, SAP Labs, and KPMG were the top recruiters.
Commerce graduates from such institutions typically take on careers in roles such as:
- Chartered Accountancy
- Investment Banking
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Financial Modelling
- Risk Analysis
- Cost Accounting
- Company Secretary
- Personal Financial Advisors
- Research Analysts (Equity, Finance, Economics)
- Marketing & Sales
- Entrepreneurship
- Human Resource Management
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Retail Management
- Product Management
- Customer Relationship Management
- Auditors
- Stock Brokers
- Investors
Some of the famous personalities who are commerce graduates are:
- Warren Buffett – Famous investor, one of the world’s richest, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is a BBA and studied commerce.
- Sheryl Sandberg – COO of Facebook, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she also studied commerce.
- Nirmala Sitharaman – India’s current Finance Minister, is a commerce graduate from the University of Madras.
- Indra Nooyi – Former CEO of Pepsi, holds a BCom from Madras Christian College and an MBA from IIM Calcutta.
In addition, commerce students also have the option to go for professional courses such as:
- CA (Chartered Accountant)
- CMA (Cost & Management Accountant)
- CS (Company Secretary)
- CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Professionals qualified in these courses are much in demand in the industry. CA, especially, is highly regarded as a prestigious qualification certified by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. It has 380,000 members currently. Some of the famous leaders who are CAs are:
- Kumar Mangalam Birla – Chairman, Aditya Birla Group.
- Naina Lal Kidwai – India Head, HSBC
- Piyush Goyal – cabinet minister of the Government of India having portfolios such as Minister of Textiles, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
Other creative career opportunities for commerce students
Commerce is a significantly flexible field that provides students with immense opportunities. Apart from the directly related options listed above, students pursuing a commerce career also have the option to pursue creative fields such as:
- Event Management
- Hotel Management
- Journalism
- Interior Design
- Public Relations
- Law
- Filmmaking
- Graphic Designing
- Animation
- Content Creation
- Digital Marketing
- Teaching
Apart from these, various diploma and certificate courses are also available in areas such as Banking, Insurance, Financial Management, and Investment Analysis.
The commerce stream gives students immense flexibility to shape their careers the way they want without necessarily committing to a field too early. Commerce stream students have the flexibility to change careers after graduation and even after post-graduation through courses such as MBA. Fields such as Hotel Management, Journalism, and other fine arts are always open to commerce graduates.
EuroSchool takes pride in its best-in-class treatment of the commerce curriculum for our class 11 and 12 students. The holistic learning paradigm at Euroschool ensures that our commerce students are well-positioned to take the best advantage of the plethora of opportunities that await them.
