This academic year, commerce aspirants at the University of Mumbai have a plethora of specialised job-oriented courses to choose from. Prachi Rege tracks the scope.
Are you a class XII commerce student contemplating which specialisation should you go for? If you haven`t made a decision yet, then here are a few more options that you may want to consider. Five new courses have been added to the host of certificate, diploma and degree courses offered by Department of Commerce at the University. “These new courses are smart options for students who have scored in the bracket of 70 to 80 per cent and yet have not secured a seat due to high cut off percentage,” says Tukaram Shivare, chairman, Association of Non-Government Colleges.
These courses labeled as `innovative courses` promise to develop skilled candidates that are employment ready. “All over India the higher education system has undergone a change of thought. The focus is now on offering courses that are job-oriented, which not only ensures employment, but also employability of the graduating candidate,” says TP Madhu Nair, dean, Department of Commerce, University of Mumbai.
In order to maintain the sanctity of the programmes, currently, only six colleges are permitted to offer these courses. Of the five courses offered, four are undergraduate programmes and one is a post graduate level MMS course. Collectively, 780 seats will be available this year.
Course modules have been designed with industry personnel working in tandem with academicians. Experts from Air India and Bombay Port Trust have played a key role in designing the Bcom in Transportation Management course. Nair suggests that those who want to hone their skills in the transportation sector or run a travel business can be the ideal candidates for this course. Inputs from ICICI Bank and Bombay Stock Exchange were taken to design the BCom in Investment Management. Stock exchange enthusiasts have to no longer depend on short-term certificate courses, but can now get an exhaustive hands-on coaching on the subject for three years.
Shivare informs that 60 per cent of the subject titles in all the courses have been borrowed from Harvard and Cambridge University. Subject titles like transportation economics, shipping and water transport, quantitative techniques, basic investment and introduction to financial system to name a few.
Although the course title has been borrowed from the foreign universities, the content is relevant to the Indian system of functioning. With companies and industries turning their focus towards environment, there is humongous scope for those who will sign up for a BCom in Environment Management and Economics. Lastly, there is also a specialisation in financial management, for students who want to make a living working in reputed financial institutions.
“Today, students are the major decision makers and parents are emotional and financial supporters. Hence, students must make a well-informed and wise choice. It should be in sync with their career goal,” advises Nair. However, Shivare suggests, “It takes time for new courses to attract the right crowd. Since these courses focus on skill development and employability, proving their reliability won`t be a problem.”
