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MBA in Finance is one of the most opted specializations in this postgraduate degree. The students here are exposed to knowledge and skills like managerial decision-making, analytical thinking, coordination process and estimating profits and losses of a company or Industry.
This program exposes students to various opportunities in the financial world. This allows an aspirant to embark on their journey in the finance sector through theoretical as well as practical experience. However, just having a degree of MBA is not enough to get a good job. You have to possess some extra skills and specialization.
So the simplest way is to enroll in short-term courses after MBA Finance to boost employability.
Benefits of Doing Courses after MBA Finance
Jobs after MBA finance are pretty competitive. However, doing courses after an MBA in finance can help you get a better start in your career and give you an edge over other candidates. There are several other benefits of doing some professional courses after MBA finance, such as:
- Understand Latest Trends: The market trends and development in every field keep happening. By completing short-term courses, you can learn about current finance trends and financial markets.
- Strong Resume: Certifications and degrees are always the spotlight of the resume. Extra certifications after MBA program can help you outshine other candidates.
- Career Growth: These short-term finance courses provide you diverse skills which help you in career growth by increasing the career options available to you.
- Multi-domain knowledge: Doing some different courses provides you with an edge over other students, making you unique in the eyes of future employers.
Short-term Courses after MBA Finance
Now that you know why doing courses after MBA finance is crucial for pursuing a career in finance. Let’s understand about some of the in-demand and well-known courses:
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- NCFM Certifications
- Company Secretary (CS)
- FLIP Certifications
- Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
- Actuary
- Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst
- Executive Programme in Algorithmic Trading
- Certificate in Quantitative Finance
1. Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
This course is linked to financial planning, including insurance planning, investment planning, tax planning, and retirement planning—a good option for jobs after MBA finance. There are two options to do this course. They are:
- Regular pathway/status- The candidates need to clear the five exams to get a certification, and the examination is conducted three times a year. They must pass class 12th too.
- Challenge pathway/status-After MBA, this job-oriented course is a bit tougher than the regular pathway as candidates have to clear all five examinations through UPSC to be eligible for challenge status.
Eligibility
The basic eligibility criteria for admission in the CFP courses is a 10+2 or Bachelor’s Degree. And if you choose the Challenge pathway, you need to clear CA Intermediate level, CFA, CAIIB, CS etc.
Scope
There is a great demand for Certified Financial Planners in both the private and government sectors. As their skills and services are needed for tasks like risk management, portfolio management, office administration etc. As a CFP one can earn an average salary of 4 lakhs per annum in India.
2. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA is a course offered by CFA Institute. This short-term course after MBA finance can be done parallel to the MBA Program.
This course is spread across three levels, which test the candidates’ knowledge of the fundamentals of investment tools, portfolio management, wealth management etc. The first level of this course has nothing to do with experience, and it is one of the courses after MBA finance.
Eligibility
CFA is a post-graduation course, so candidates with a Bachelor’s degree or in the final year of their Bachelor’s program are accepted.
The candidate must have 4 years of relevant working experience and a great understanding of contemporary investment business.
Scope
There is a great deal of scope for candidates after completing CFA. They can work as Portfolio Managers, Research Analysts, Risk Managers, Corporate Financial Analysts, and Investment Banking Analysts, which are great pay career fields to choose from after doing an MBA Program.
3. NCFM Certifications
NCFM Certification course is one of the great choices for courses after an MBA in finance. This certification course in Finance offers an inexpensive and valuable certification after completion. The course has three levels which include foundation, intermediate, and advanced. The way to achieve this certificate is very straightforward. You would have to download a pdf, read and understand the given contents, give an exam, and then pass it, and you will get the certificate.
Eligibility
The candidate must have passed 12th from a recognized board. Having Bachelor’s degree is also recommended (not compulsory) as graduates are preferred by big companies during job selection.
Keep all your original documents with you and self-attested photocopies of them.
Scope
One of the in-demand courses after MBA finance, the NCFM certification course provides diverse career scope. You can work as a Wealth Relationship Manager in the investment management field, Retail banking, Stock Analysing, etc.
4. Company Secretary (CS)
This professional course’s job description and responsibilities after MBA finance would be of a company’s secretary. It involves managing legal records, keeping track of public issues, and maintaining acquisitions and merger activities.
If you choose this course from many of the courses after MBA in finance, you will be working for a very reputable job profile, and the best part is that the job can also be done part-time. Not only this course adds great value to your CV, but this course itself is entirely job oriented.
Eligibility
The basic eligibility criteria for CS is 10+2. After that, you need to clear all three levels of exams. Namely, Foundation Program (pass 10+2), 2. Executive Program (pass Foundation program/ CSEET or Graduation), 3 Professional Program (pass Executive Program)
Scope
Company Secretary is a very lucrative career, a CS earns 6 lakhs per annum on an average.
5. FLIP Certifications
It is the certification program by the leading professional employability enhancement firms that offer a FLIP certification which requires dealing with banking and also financial services. It can be said as one best course after MBA finance.
An organized venture of senior IIM-Lucknow alumni and the institute provides candidates training via e-learning to achieve certification that is relevant and practical to the work that you are supposed to carry out in a bank or financial institution. You can consider it as one of the options for doing courses after MBA finance.
Eligibility
To get the FLIP certification one has to give an examination at any of the 64 centres present in India. After passing the exam the candidate will get the certificate which will be endorsed by leading finance houses like HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak bank etc.
Scope
With FLIP certified individuals can get jobs in any financial field, after they complete their MBA Program. This certification is mainly done to gain practical knowledge of the finance industry and candidates gain hands-on experience during the program.
6. Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
If you are wondering what to do after MBA finance, then this is one of the perfect courses in MBA finance that can certify you as a risk manager globally. Even though the course is expensive, you should go for it if you are sure that risk management is the ideal choice.
Eligibility
There is no strict eligibility criteria to appear in PRM Part 1 Exam, as a graduation first year student can take it. However, there are certain criteria to pass the exam, like:
- One must clear Level 1 and 2 of FRM program, within 4 years of applying for Part 1 exam.
- One must have relevant work experience of minimum 2 years in the Risk profile, within 5 years of clearing Part 2 Exam.
Scope
The FRM course is considered one of the best courses after MBA finance because the job of Financial Risk Manager is gaining demand in India, companies are searching for good Risk Managers.
The pay of a Financial Risk Manager is competitive with an average salary of 3 lakh per annum in India. The certification will make you eligible for several job roles like Risk Management, Risk Assessment, Asset Liability Management, and Financial Risk Consultant.
7. Actuary
The job profile of an actuary is a bit similar to that of risk management. The responsibilities of these professionals are keeping track of the impacts of various uncertainties and risks on the business. Your job would be to understand the outcomes and prevent them from becoming negative.
Actuaries gather data to analyse it for estimating the probability and the likely cost of events that might take places, such as death, injury, illness, disability, and loss of property. Then their job is to create policies that help reduce the cost of these coming risks.
Eligibility
For the course of Actuary, there are certain eligibility criteria that one must meet.
- The candidate must be 18 years old.
- The candidate should have completed their 10+2 level examination from a recognized board with Mathematics as the main subject.
- The candidates who qualify for their graduation/post-graduation with Mathematical subjects are eligible to apply for the PG level of the course.
- The candidates must be qualified members of these professional bodies: Fellow of Insurance Institute of India (III), Certified institute of Financial Analysts of India (IFAI), The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and The Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) with the subjects: Mathematical Basis of Insurance and Statistics.
After graduation or postgraduation, candidates can join any of the given professional bodies of India as student members and become fellows in IAI.
Scope
If you choose this course from many other courses after MBA in finance, then it can give you a lucrative career. After doing this course, one can work in the public and private sectors in the fields of risk management, BPOs, pension fund, academics etc.
8. Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst
The alternative investment industry is your career destination when you go for this course after MBA Program in Finance. The course provides you with demonstrated skills, extensive knowledge, and global certification.
The fee is quite high, and you must work hard to clear the examination. The course afterwards offers a high-standard job. It is one of the best courses after MBA Finance.
Eligibility
To appear in the CAIA exam, a candidate should have a bachelor’s degree and one year of relevant work experience.
- To become CAIA, one has to clear its 2 -level examinations. These both levels focus on different subjects and topics.
Scope
CAIA is also a great option for many courses after MBA finance, as after doing this one of the professional courses after MBA finance you can work as an Investment Consultant, Investment analyst, portfolio manager, credit structurer etc.
9. Executive Programme in Algorithmic Trading
As tools and software are changing every business from the inside, the finance industry isn’t an exception. The trading sector and its tools are emerging as the new trend.
Knowledge about algorithm trading will make you stand apart compared to many MBA finance applicants. After this professional course in finance after MBA, there are several job opportunities with a very interesting job profile offering quite a handsome package.
Eligibility
You can apply to any recognized institute to do this course. There are no fixed admission criteria but of course, graduation is compulsory.
Generally, this course is preferred after the completion of MBA Program.
Scope
If you choose one course from many other courses after MBA finance, you will make lots of money in this career. The average annual income of an Algorithm Trading Analyst in India is a whopping 27 lakhs per annum.
10. Certificate in Quantitative Finance
This professional course in Finance after MBA offers a certification that can help you secure a job in quant trading, quant IT, derivatives, risk management, and insurance. It doesn’t matter that it’s been only a few years since you completed your MBA.
The path to becoming a quant professional is open for you at any age. This is considered a practical certification course to get a good job after an MBA finance.
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria to take admission in the course of Quantitative Finance is the 55% in the Graduation from relevant discipline.
Scope
After doing this course one can choose any job as career in the fields like bank insurance, portfolio management service, brokerage houses, private equity etc.
Choosing the Best Finance Course
MBA in itself is a great course for students, and if you do some additional courses after your MBA program, it will add more value to your degree. This article introduced you to some of the best courses to do after MBA in finance.
However, if still want to explore some more courses or, want to do different courses from the mentioned. You can check out some other short term courses after MBA as well. Doing such additional courses gives great career scope and an edge over other candidates. So, don’t’ miss out on the chance to do these courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which course is best after MBA in finance?
There are various courses after MBA finance, it depends on your choice, career goals and ability which one you choose to pursue. Some of the best courses to do after an MBA in finance are FRM, CISA, Certified Financial Planner, CFA, Charted Accountant and CS list goes on.
What can I do after MBA finance?
What to do after MBA finance is a popular query. You can do some short-term professional courses like CFA, CFP, CS, and FRM for great career growth. Alongside this, you can also do internships at financial companies, which will provide you with practical exposure to build your career in finance.
Is it good to do CFA after MBA?
Yes, CFA after MBA Finance is a great option for finance students. As when you do CFA after MBA you can better understand the topics taught in CFA. And the internship experience you gained during MBA Course helps you get a better placement after CFA.
Can I do PhD after my MBA in finance?
Yes, you can do PhD after MBA in finance. In reality, many students do choose a PhD after completing their MBA Program. This not only helps in gaining knowledge but also opens gates to a great career ahead. People who do PhD after completing MBA can apply and get hired for better senior position in a company quite easily. As organizations value the experience and knowledge you gain during your MBA course and while writing thesis for PhD.
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