Students give years of preparation and hard work to become a CA. But Chartered Accountancy is one of the coveted courses right now, leading to rising competition in the industry. Even if the opportunities have grown in manifolds for Chartered Accountants, getting an additional degree or certificate will give you an edge over others. Most students prefer to do the additional courses after CA, but you can also do them while pursuing the CA course.
From better job positions to higher salaries in top corporate companies, you will have many benefits of the dual educational certification. If you are confused about which courses you can pursue along with CA, read the top 13 options. Doing any of these courses along with CA will bring life-changing opportunities in your career ahead and you’ll surely get an increment in your CA salary.
Courses to do Along with CA: 13 Best Options for You
1. CMA (Cost and Management Accountant)
If Costing is one of your favourite subjects from the CA course and you have decided to do a job in this field further, then, the CMA course along with the CA course will do you good. You can find high-paying jobs in manufacturing companies or good high-ticket clients if you are going to do the practice.
The CMA course also offers exemptions to CA students as 70% of the CA syllabus is similar.
Check the CMA salary in India in 2022.
Compare: CA vs CMA
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2. CS (Company Secretary)
CA + CS course degrees are a very good combination if you want to do dual specialization with CA. The CS Course topics are easy and similar to the CA course, so you won’t have much difficulty managing study time. The CS fee is very nominal so that you can get dual-course degrees at minimum fees. The career boost with a CS course along with CA is excellent. You can easily handle management and administration job role opportunities along with handling client accounts and finance. This will help you get the jump in your career ladder.
3. CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
CFA is possibly one of the best options of courses to do along with CA. But it is not recommended for all CA students If you are interested in the finance field, stock market, corporate finance, equity research, investment banking and portfolio management. CFA is an internationally recognized degree course, just like CA.
The exams for this program are conducted often, so you have good chances to fit it in your schedule with CA exams. CA students also get leverage in the first CFA level as the course is very easy and similar to some of the CA course subjects. However, some students doing a CFA course along with CA course find it inconvenient as both the courses demand attention and time. If you think your performance will be affected if you do the courses together, you can do CFA after the CA course.
A CA+ CFA degree combination is a golden ticket for students who want to work in top multinational companies at top positions. You can earn anywhere between 8-15 lakhs as your initial salary package.
4. MBA (Masters of Business Administration)
MBA is one of the top preference courses to do along with CA and for the right reasons. It complements your educational qualification preparing you to enter the corporate world. You can also do specialization in MBA Finance for a better career-oriented focus.
However, the value of an MBA degree with CA will only benefit when you pursue MBA from a reputed university, even better if you are doing it as a regular course. Why? Because you will be learning top-level management skills instead of just getting a degree. These skills will help you make your way to top-level positions in big companies.
5. Law
If you find the law subjects in the CA course very interesting and worth taking as a major in your career, then doing an LLB course will help you immensely. With the knowledge of CA course and law, you can expertly take cases on Corporate law, civil law, international law, labour law, family law, patent law, etc.
If you are also doing practice as a CA, the knowledge of the law with a degree course will help you gain more clients, and you can provide an extended array of services to them.
6. FRM (Financial Risk Management)
FRM is a very in-demand certification course, and those who are doing CA can upscale their career growth opportunities in the financial vertical. The FRM course will help you get exposure to the practical work of the field.
The top firms in India require knowledge of finance and related skills and look for risk management skills in candidates. So this course will give that added value to your resume and knowledge. A candidate with CA and FRM course degrees can earn up to 7-8 lakh p.a. on average.
7. CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)
CIMA is another best course to do along with CA. It is also a globally recognized program, presenting better career opportunities for you. The course extends your knowledge from accounting to the managerial aspects. You will learn skills like leadership, people management and more.
For CA students, CIMA has a quick and easy process, as you can get many exemptions.
8. CIA (Certified Internal Auditor)
For all the CA students who plan to take their career in the auditing vertical, the CIA course along with CA is apt for them. Through this course, you will gain professional-level skills in internal auditing.
It is a globally renowned course and is awarded by IIA USA. The exams are conducted online, and you can give the exam at any time during the year. This is very convenient for all CA students as they have a packed schedule.
9. ACCA (Association of Certified Chartered Accountants)
If you have cleared CA Intermediate or CA Final few or all papers, you don’t need to give all the ACCA exams. Many subjects are common in ACCA and CA, so you will only need to give only a few additional papers. You will get exemption in other papers.
Degrees of CA+ACCA will help you get a preference as a candidate when applying to Big 4 CA firms in India and get better opportunities to work abroad.
Read More: ACCA vs CA
10. CPA (Certified Public Accountants)
After completing CA, students who want to go abroad must do the CPA course to get knowledge of the U.S. GAAP. This is a mandatory course for you if you want to practice as a Public Accountant in the U.S. There are some global companies in India as well that require you to do a CPA course along with CA. But you won’t get the full potential and career opportunities you can grab with this dual course educational background in India.
11. Financial Modelling
The financial modelling course helps you to explore research, analysis, project finance and more such areas. Because this course does not limit you to accounting, taxing and auditing. You will get more proficient in making financial models and use spreadsheets efficiently. Even those who want to get a high-paying job, this course will help you become more efficient and give an edge to your skills. It is an exceptionally good course for those who want to venture into practice. The financial modelling skills you learn in this course along with CA skills will enable you to make convincing and accurate project finance reports for your clients.
12. CFP (Certified Financial Planner)
With CFP additional certification, you will become an expert who can guide investors and individuals towards the correct options in finance investment. The career scope in India is growing for CFP, and many banks have made it mandatory for their relationship managers.
The CFP course has five levels, and most of the levels are exempted for CA candidates. CFP is an ideal course to do along with CA for students who want to make a career in the taxation/finance field.
13. NCFM (NSE Academy Certification in Financial Markets)
The NCFM is a short-term course by National Stock Exchange, India. It is an online course that tests the student on his ability to operate in the financial markets. As one of the most sought-after courses, the NCFM certificate will add a lot of value to your job applications and profile. This one course suits well with your CA course and provides the added skill sets in the stocks and security market.
So these were the different types of courses to do along with CA. However, you should make your selection carefully. Some of these are expensive degree courses, so you need to decide if you want to pursue them along with CA.
Do check out the best courses after CA that you can do for better career and pay packages.
Don’t take any decision impulsively by following the advice of people to pursue a course with CA. You should choose the additional course to do along with CA after judging your interests and capabilities. You should decide what’s best for you!