If I choose CA, is B.Com necessary?

Many questions linger in the minds of Commerce students who have just completed 12th grade. If I choose CA, is B.Com necessary? If at all i finally believe that i need to do B.Com, is it mandatory that i have to study the same in a college as a full time student.

If i opt for studying B.Com by correspondence, does it have value?

If i opt for studying B.Com by correspondence, will it affect my options later if i would like to do a Masters in the subject or an MBA or IAS or CPA or any other International Chartered Accountancy course?

Time & again these questions have come in from the commerce students or their parents! Should we take a bachelors degree along with CA r CS or CMA? Yes! You must do your bachelors along with your professional course.

Why should you do that? Because if you are only a CA not B.Com and later in life if you want to do higher studies abroad, then you will not be able to make the eligibility criteria for any International Universities or Colleges, whether its US, UK, Canada or Australia. The universities abroad recognize the education pattern as 10 +2 +3. Its imperative that you have a Bachelors degree with your Chartered Accountancy or Company Secretary or Cost & Management Accountancy.

Should we do the degree course through a day college or can we opt for correspondence? When a student is taking up the highest degree of certification with either the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Company Secretaryship or Institute of Cos Accountants, which are considered to be the No.1 in certification of Chartered Accountants or Cost Accountants or Company Secretaryship the other courses done along with it is considered secondary.

Since the bachelors degree is considered secondary, it means that whether you do it in a day college or correspondence doesn't matter. Please note the bachelors degree is considered secondary only if you are doing CA, CS or CMA.

However please remember if you, do not complete CA, CS or CMA and drop out in between, the correspondence course will not hold much value! If you intend to do only a B.Com, then you must do it only in college.

Will my correspondence degree with certification in CA or CS or CMA have value in the employable market? Yes! it will be valued, because your certification has more value. If you see the convocation certificate from the University of Madras or IGNOU or whether you do it in Stella Maris, Ethiraj or MOP Vaishnav or through correspondence, the final certificate will only be issued by the University not by the college. The mark sheet will carry the name of the college but not the degree certificate or certificate of completion.

So whether you do your degree in college or correspondence, both will be of equal value, provided you will complete your professional certification.

Some others have a doubt whether they can do IAS after a B.Com in correspondence & CA. Yes! you can. You can also work in Banking or Government jobs. You can also get a visa to various countries. And if you are looking at relocating and settling down abroad, you can do that too. You can also pursue your CPA in the US or an ACCA in UK.

Please remember, distance education has value, but if its being done with no supplementary professional courses or certification, then the value of the degree will not be as much, neither will it be given much weight in the job market.

To put it in a nutshell, B.Com is a must for CA, CS or CMA student, but it can be done either in college or correspondence, either ways it will have value.