When I began creating the list of top best finance courses in India, I thought of keeping the big daddy i.e., the MBA in Finance out of the list.
After all, we all know what an MBA in finance can do for us.
To start with, anybody who attempts to create a list, any list is always on a slippery wicket.
First, any list does involve a certain bit of subjectivity, and thus it will never be perfect. Despite all this, one must attempt to create a list.
After all, a list helps us in the simplest way to know why we decide to take a certain action.
But, I didn’t want to exclude an MBA for the sake of it as I know the popularity of the course.
Keeping this in mind I’m going ahead with a list of top best career courses available in India, which would help you to make good use of your passion.
Top Courses in Finance
I have broadly divided the courses into the following sections:
- MBA
- Statutory Courses
- Specialized courses
1. MBA
Probably the most obvious choice for anybody who wishes to make a career in financial services is to do an MBA in finance.
The advantage that an MBA has over any other format is that it allows you good all-round exposure to various aspects of finance, whether it’s accounting, cost accounting, building real estate financial models, statistics and so on.
Additionally, if you choose your minors well, you can have exposure to fields like marketing, behavioural science, human resources, etc.
Thus giving you the best possible chance for growth in the financial services industry.
However, your ability to jumpstart may be dependent on a combination of economic factors, the strength of your placement cell, your alumni, and also your independent ability to network.
If you wish to be on the global stage, then do remember that MBAs from Harvard, Stanford, and INSEAD have to do their bit of hunting as well. Even the hallowed IIMs do not officially guarantee you a placement.
Statutory Best Finance Management Courses
The Statutory courses in India are the ones that have been created by acts of parliament and hence create binding obligations under certain circumstances.
Under statutory courses, we can include the following:
2. Chartered Accountant
Probably the most well-known statutory course, this course was created as a result of the enactment of the Chartered Accountants Act in 1949.
The course involves a combination of theory and, more importantly, practical training that runs synchronously to provide a student with the necessary wherewithal required of a professional accountant.
A good grounding in this profession creates opportunities few courses can match.
Chartered Accountancy allows you to have rewarding careers in consultancy, audit practice, financial management, investment banking, and information technology, to name a few.
The profession allows you probably the best chance in finance to create a location independent career.
You can find successful chartered accountants in many small towns where a lot many other professions may not flourish.
The chartered accountancy course also opens the doors for an international career.
An Indian CA, after clearing specific local papers, can easily practice in countries like the United Kingdom and Australia, to name a few.
Additionally, with the increasing introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), if you become a chartered accountant, then the world is your oyster.
3. Cost Accountant
This course came into being as a result of the Cost and Works Accountants Act, 1959. The act regulates the profession of cost and management accountancy.
A Cost and Management Accountant (CMA) is a person who performs services that involve accounting for the cost of manufacturing an item, pricing the goods and services produced verification or certification of taxation, especially concerning indirect taxation.
Unlike pure accounting professionals say, chartered accountants, the demand for a cost accountant is a cross-organization phenomenon.
The marketing department needs you in preparing quotations for tender responses; the production department needs you to make better decisions on a profitable product mix, the purchasing department wouldn’t move without the cost accountants advice for taking the make or buy decisions and in top management, you play a critical role in identifying business risks and their mitigation.
To use a cricket analogy, you would be the all-rounder in the team.
4. The Company Secretary
The course was a result of the Company Secretaries Act 1980.
The Company Secretary is primarily the mediator between the management and the organization’s board of directors.
Company secretaries are involved in creating policies for the company, maintaining legal records, taking care of public issues, managing mergers and acquisitions related activities.
Additionally, they liaise as agents of the company while negotiating with several government authorities.
A Company Secretary has a definite chance of being employed by management consulting firms, banks, corporates, and regulatory bodies besides having an option to practice independently.
You as a company secretary are also a sought after professional for positions abroad with multi-national companies.
There is a burgeoning demand for Company Secretaries in the UK, the USA, and many other countries in the western world.
With the appropriate set of knowledge and skills, you, as a company secretary, can look forward to a rewarding career.
5. Actuary
If you are an actuary, then your job would be to assess the financial impact of risk management and uncertainty.
Actuaries assess the financial security systems, keeping a hawk’s eye on their complexity, the mathematics involved in the same, and their mechanisms.
Actuaries try to use mathematics to evaluate the probability of events and minimize the impacts of financial losses associated with an event that is not only uncertain but is undesirable.
Many events like death cannot be avoided; however, as an Actuary, your job is to do the needful to minimize their financial impact if as and when they occur.
These risks have the possibility of impacting both sides of the balance sheet. Thus, you would be required to have the requisite skills in asset management, liability management, and valuation skills.
An actuary is expected to have the analytical skills, business knowledge, and understanding of human behaviour that is required for risk management.
If you are an actuary, then you would be most likely employed in the Insurance industry but also in corporate houses like Reliance, which issues 100 year or perpetual bonds.
The profession is governed by the Actuaries Act of 2006.
Specialized Best Finance Careers in India
Specialized finance courses are the ones where a specific skill set is developed for an industry
6. Chartered Financial Analyst
The Chartered Financial Analyst degree is one of the toughest to crack but probably one of the most rewarding certifications to have.
In fact, in the financial services world, the CFA charter holder is one of the few courses that give an MBA-Finance a serious run for the money.
If you are a CFA charter holder, then you are one of the most valued people in any organization. You are looked up to for your insights backed by analytical inputs.
This certification is highly useful if you want to make a career in equity research, financial management, investment banking, or fund management.
However, if you choose to pursue this course there is one piece of advice: Start early
7. The Certified Financial Planner
If you wish to make a career out of wealth management, then being a CFP is almost a must-have.
This course gives you in-depth training in various aspects of personal finance, like tax planning, insurance planning, estate planning, etc.
You can consider the certified financial planner to be like the general practitioner MBBS in India.
You, as a CFP, are the best bet that people have in managing their growing wealth.
You as a CFP would be sought after in banks, wealth management companies, insurance companies, mutual funds, and other financial intermediaries.
In India, there is a shortage of good financial planners. As per some market estimates, India needs close to 50,000 financial planners, and not even 10% has been met.
The CFP certification is valid in 23 countries in the world, including Australia, UK, etc. Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) India is the authorized regulatory body for this course in India.
8. Economics
Yes, that economics degree is also a good bet for making a career in financial services.
After all, it’s the economists who create all the policies that determine whether the country grows or flounders.
Economists are valued in the financial services industry for predicting an impact of policies that may affect business performance and make informed decisions about how policies would move and how the business should react to the changing policies.
If you chose to become an economist, then the financial services world would look to you just like many people look to astrologers, i.e., to understand complex inputs and give guidance on how to use the available resources for creating valuable outputs.
Thus give serious thought to that offer from LSE or near home the Delhi School of Economics.
9. Statistics
A statistician handles the collection, assessment, explanation, and presentation of quantitative data.
You need to provide insights, commendations, and advice on policy and strategy to clients within and outside your organization.
You need to handle monitoring data collection and using modelling techniques, both mathematical and statistical.
You need to present your findings along with providing strategic advice on how best to use the results.
Thus do give an honest shot at clearing the M Stats exam at the Indian Statistical Institute.
10. Chartered Alternate Investment Analyst
The CAIA Charter is the globally recognized credential for professionals managing, analyzing, distributing, or regulating alternative investments.
The CAIA Charter designation is the highest standard of achievement in alternative investment education and provides broad knowledge, demonstrated expertise, and global credibility in alternatives.
11. Financial Risk Manager
Since 2008, the element of risk management has come to the fore like anything.
If you were to choose to become a Financial Risk Manager, then you would be expected to manage the risk that accompanies any investments and would like to broaden their knowledge of the same.
This course is suitable for people seeking employment in risk management in banks, investment risk management in corporates, non-banking financial firms, and corporate houses.
This course helps people in their early stages by exposing them to the breadth of the curriculum covering significant strategic aspects of risk management; on the other hand, the course helps established professionals keep up with the latest trends.
12. Financial Modeling and Investment Banking Programs
Financial Modeling skills are a must for equity research and investment banking careers.
If you want to make a career in financial research, financial management, equity research, investment banking, and other core finance areas, then having an MBA or CFA degrees alone won’t help.
You need to learn skills that are required to do the actual work on the job.
You can learn the skills by online or classroom programs.
As per my experience and interaction with students, Indian students prefer the following classroom programs.
Have I Missed Anything?…
I have covered almost all the courses in finance available in India.
Please let me know if I missed any course, or you want to know something specific.
