What does a city got to do with the choices its students make? Plenty. If you take Chennai, there is a beeline for BCom courses while economics and literature are considered last resorts. The same subjects are sought-after in Delhi, which of late has seen a boom in management courses as well — the NCR region encompasses the largest number of B-schools in the country. Mumbai has become the go-to-place for PR/advertising/mass communication courses. Edex explores the reason behind this trend.
Giving us the lowdown on the scene in Chennai is Nirmala Prasad, principal, MOP Vaishnav College for Women, “Here, people consider BCom to be an equivalent to a BTech or a BE degree. The general perception is that courses like sociology, history or whatever doesn’t warrant the same status. Also, in our campus placements, we have seen BCom students securing better placements than their peers from other departments.” She also adds that BCom’s value as a ‘professional’ course lures students and has contributed to the course’s numero uno status in the city.
While MOP runs five BCom courses — honours, information systems and management, accounting and finance, marketing management and corporate secretaryship, Prasad parts with an advice to choose a course that aligns with your interests and aptitude rather than pick something just because its popular.
Prof Abhay Kumar, Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi, says, “It all eventually boils down to employment prospects. A lot of MNCs have set shop in Delhi and are happy to recruit graduates from economics, sopciology, literature and such streams. Also, you will find a lot of UPSC aspirants here and for a majority of them, history, economics, sociology, etc, forms a good base for their preparation.” Although, Delhi provides enough opportunities for graduates, the professor eggs students to complete postgraduation in the field of their choice for better prospects. Dismissing Delhi’s plethora of B-schools and management aspirants, the professor says that MBA schools are just as sought-after throughout the country.
Wide presence of media houses in Mumbai could be the reason for explosion of PR, advertising and mass media courses in the commercial capital, argues Frazer Mascarenhas, principal, St Xavier’s College, Mumbai. “A job in a newspaper or related fields, boosts your profile and brings in a sense of recognition. Besides, pay packets has also considerably picked up over the years.”
— shilpa.vasudevan@newindianexpress.com