Best 3 Company Secretary Courses: Details, Eligibility, Fees, and Career
It has been observed that many students are looking for company secretary courses on the web seeking the details for admission, eligibility, career scope, and more. This article will guide the CS aspirants to learn the details and decide which course they shall go for.
If you consciously look around, the world operates on businesses. Anything and almost everything in this world are ultimately related to some form of business operation. Ever did you wonder how exactly do these businesses operate?
From developing a product or a service to managing all the employees and to look after the branding and marketing part and then to successfully prosper seems quite difficult, is it not? Well, you must be thinking there are people to manage each department and that’s how a combined effort of many teams and their team leaders results in a successful business.
Well, what if one of the team leaders of the managers fails to do their job properly? Who is there to monitor their work and who are they answerable to?
Well, these are some of the questions that we often do not think of. But I must let you know that there are people in responsible positions to monitor each and everything that goes on in the organization.
They are called company secretaries or CS in short. The company secretary is a very responsible position that often handles all the managerial operations of the company. The job of the company secretary is to ensure seamless working and operations.
It is one of the very dignified positions and a position of huge responsibilities. A lot of things are associated with any business and that includes the salary of the employees, the company funds, the mission and vision of the company, how the company appears to the outside world, and much more.
If for any reason, any one of these parameters is affected the rest are automatically influenced accordingly and therefore the company secretary has to ensure that all the operations are going on as they are supposed to be.
The company secretary has to look after the performance and the administration of the company. Almost all the companies that we know of have one or multiple company secretaries. In fact, every company needs to have a CS to make the company operations seamless.
Well through this article, we will learn more about what a company secretary is as a profession, what are the key responsibilities of a CS and what are the requirements to become a company secretary.
Are there are courses to master and become a company secretary? Well, there are company secretary courses and if you aspire to become a company secretary then the details of the mentioned courses will guide you through the details of the company secretary courses, eligibility criteria, career scope after the course, and the fees as well.
These details will be super important for the students aspiring to have a career at managerial posts or the administration level of a company.
WHAT IS THE COMPANY SECRETARY?
The most basic definition of a company secretary is that it is one of the senior-most positions in the company usually concerned the management of the company. A company secretary might also have expertise in a certain domain such as finances or corporate law, or general management, or even human resources.
There are a lot of management practices that we often read in theory but they are immensely important to be exercised in any organization. Well not everyone has the capacity or the ability to manage and execute all those practices efficiently.
Like it has already been mentioned that there are several departments in every organization and each department has dedicated managers who ensure their part of the work is done well. The only person who is aware of the status of all the departments and the progress status is the company secretary.
Many a time, the company secretary has to take part in the board meetings involuntarily and advise the best possible suggestions to the board as they know the company in and out and therefore are the best people to give suggestions for the betterment of the company.
The mentioned were very in-general theories of what exactly the company secretary is supposed to do. Well, the work actually involves a lot more than just managing and looking after the progress. The company secretary is usually an expert in corporate governance, corporate law,, and finance as well.
What is the job of a Company Secretary?
There are a lot of things that a company secretary is supposed to do, but in general terms, they are required to manage every operation and function in the company.
Everything starting from hosting meetings, keeping book records, keeping an eye on the ongoing projects, to even planning, discussing, and organizing the ways to find more business success in terms of sales and revenue comes under the job of a company secretary.
In fact,t the mentioned tasks are just a fraction of how many things a company secretary has to handle. This is one of the very reasons some companies have multiple secretaries to look after various sections and sub-sections.
How to Become a Company Secretary?
There are not many ways to find a way to achieve the position of a company secretary. A very definite procedure has to be followed too to acquire the knowledge and skillsets required to become a successful company secretary.
The candidate with a degree in company secretary can only apply for the job of CS in any organization. A good number of responsibilities are assigned to the company secretary and that includes essential functions of the company.
If one fails at doing their job as a company secretary then the entire business or organization can face huge losses, which is why the people with the right set of knowledge and skills are appointed as company secretary.
Like has already been mentioned, the candidates with a degree in CS are eligible for applying for the position of CS. There are company secretary courses for students from all educational backgrounds and levels.
The students who have completed the company secretary courses are the ones who will be able to apply for the job of the company secretary. So, before applying for the job of CS or the courses, the student must be aware of the details of the courses. Knowing the takeaways from the course will ultimately help you in deciding which course is best for you to learn about the job of CS.
Company Secretary Courses: Details, Eligibility, Fees, and Career
If you browse the web for the term company secretary courses, you’ll find several institutes offering company secretary courses. A lot of the institutes offering the company secretary course are private colleges although some of them are quite reputed for offering the best quality company secretary courses.
Here are some of the top colleges offering the best company secretary courses:
- Institute of company secretaries in India
- Indian School of Business
- Academy of Commerce
- HinduCollegee, New Delhi
- Presidency College, Kolkata
- Loyola College, Chennai
- Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi
- Hansraj College, New Delhi
- Madras Christian College, New Delhi
- Joseph’s college Bangalore
These are only the top colleges offering the company secretary courses in India and there are so many other institutions that are offering the same courses. The format of admission might differ slightly from college to college.
While some of the mentioned colleges accept students based on merit, while other colleges conduct entrance exams and interviews to decide if the student shall get a seat for the course or not.
Course Structure
The course is available in 3 phases and the eligibility criteria for each program are different. The students must choose the course considering the eligibility criteria and their educational qualifications.
The 3 programs of the company secretary course are:
- Foundation Program
- Executive program
- Professional Program
These are the 3 programs of the company secretary course. Each of the courses offers a different level of knowledge and the professional level course is the highest degree of the company secretary course that any student can pursue.
Let’s try and understand the requirements of each of the courses and go through the details of each program to understand who shall take the course.
Foundation Program
The foundation program provides the most basic set of knowledge to the students aspiring to become company secretaries. It allows students to get slightly deeper insights into the job of a company secretary, the skills that are required to become a company secretary.
However, the education provided will be at a very basic level. Any students who have completed their 12th (higher secondary education) from a recognized board and are interested in learning more about the profession of the company secretary can definitely apply for this program.
Eligibility Criteria
The student is required to have completed at least their 10+2 or 12th standard from a recognized board to be able to pursue the foundation-level company secretary program.
Also Read: Courses after 10th: The Ultimate Guide to Career After 10th
Syllabus
As it has already been mentioned that the foundation program provides a very basic insight into the profession of a company secretary, the syllabus also consists of some very basic and foundational subjects such as:
- Business Economics
- Business Environment and Law
- Fundamentals of Accounting and Editing
- Business Management, Ethics, and Entrepreneurship
These subjects contain information just enough to give a proper idea about what kind of skills and knowledge is required to become a company secretary. As the company secretary is required to know law and finance to some extent, the subjects also include a bit of those.
Fees
The foundation program will cost INR 4500 in ICSI however the course fees may vary for different colleges.
Executive Program
The executive program offers a deeper insight into the subject. In this company secretary course, the students get to learn about the practical and professional aspects of the job of a company secretary. The course also involves some subjects that are related to the core job responsibilities of the company secretary.
The course is mainly for the students who have completed their graduation, and the duration of the course is 1 year. In this one year, the students will go through complete guidance about the company secretary job roles and responsibilities while learning all the necessary knowledge and skills required.
Eligibility Criteria
The student will be required to have completed their graduation in order to be able to pursue this course.
Syllabus
As mentioned, the executive program has a vast course unlike the foundation program, and thus has two modules. The subjects are very much around the practical and professional aspects of the company secretary. Here are some of the modules:
Module 1
- Company Law
- Economic and Commercial Laws
- Cost and Management Accounting
- Tax Laws and Practice
Module 2
- Company Accounts and Auditing Practices
- Industrial Labour and General Laws
- Capital Markets and Securities Laws
Clearly, the syllabus has been designed in a way that the students get very in-depth knowledge about the skills and knowledge required for the job as a company secretary. Anyone in that position will need this knowledge of law and finance to put in use while working for any organization. In the period of 1 year, the student will learn all the practices that a company secretary has to follow.
The job of a company secretary also requires them to get involved in the management level operations which is why the knowledge of company law and general law is very much essential. Along with the law, there is a good chunk of work related to the financial part such as filing taxes, maintaining the books, keeping track of the accounts, and things of that nature. This is the reason the subjects include capital markets and securities law.
Fees
The fees may vary for commerce and non-commerce students and for those who have passed CPT. The course fees of the executive program will range anywhere between INR 8,000 to INR 13,000.
Professional Program
This is the highest degree of any company secretary course that one can pursue. This involves a very practical syllabus that allows the students to learn about the operations of the company and the role of the company secretary in making the company efficiently operating.
Completing the course successfully definitely improves the likeliness of the students getting the job as a company secretary. Some companies only allow students who have completed the professional program of the company secretary course.
The course involves some of the most important subjects that will guide them through the law and finance-related essential knowledge that they’ll need while working in such a position of responsibility.
Eligibility Criteria
The students are required to have completed the executive program of the course then only they’ll be able to apply for this program. No matter if you’ve completed your graduation or Ph.D., you’ll have to complete the executive program to be able to apply for the professional program of company secretary course.
Syllabus
It is the most professional of all the courses for company secretary. Here are some of the modules involved in the course:
Module 1
- Advanced Company Law and Practice
- Secretarial Audit, Compliance Management, and Due Diligence
- Corporate Restructuring, Valuation, and Insolvency
Module 2
- Information Technology and Systems Audit
- Financial, Treasury, and Forex Management
- Ethics, Governance, and Sustainability
Module 3
- Advanced Tax Laws and Practice
- Drafting, Appearances, and Pleadings
These subjects give you insights into the very professional aspects of the job of a company secretary. The subjects very clearly show the kind of work a company secretary will have to do. It includes drafting, appearances and pleadings, filing taxes, conducting system audits, managing the treasury. In addition to these, the students are taught about the ethics, governance, and sustainability of the organization.
Any legal notice that the company receives will have to be acknowledged by the company secretary. In fact, any legal notice to be sent on behalf of the company is also drafted by the company secretary.
Fees
The professional program for the company secretary will cost INR 12,500.
So, these were some very important details about the company secretary courses, different programs, the syllabus, eligibility criteria, and the fees as well. These details will certainly be helpful for the students who are willing to have a career as a company secretary. They’ll clearly understand which course they’re eligible for and what are the perks of the course.
Other than the mentioned syllabus there are a bunch of subjects that are given on an optional basis and the students will have to choose one or two among them. The choices are:
- Banking Law and Practice
- Insurance Law and Practice
- Capital, Commodity and Money Market
- International Business-Laws and Practices
- Intellectual Property Rights – Law and Practice
The students may choose any of these subjects and appear for the exams as well. The admission procedure for each of the programs is published on the website of ICSI and the students may browse through the web or their website to know the commencement of the admission process.
Conclusion
This was little from a lot that aspiring company secretaries need to know about the best company secretary courses. The least this article conveys is that the company secretary is a very responsible position and the work of a company secretary mainly deals with the subject of law and finance.
The company secretary is required to practically apply and exercise the law and financial practices. The job of the company secretary is to keep the organization operates efficiently. The students who aspire to become company secretaries shall aim to complete the professional program. Some companies may allow students with the executive program certification, however, the professional program opens the door of opportunities for the students to apply for every possible company in the need of a company secretary.
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