Explore by goal · Qualifications

Professional Courses in India

9 min read ·Grouped by field ·Governing body, duration and eligibility

Professional courses lead to a recognised qualification or licence — Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, lawyer, doctor, pharmacist, nurse or teacher. This hub groups every professional course on Margdarshan by field and shows who regulates it, how long it takes, who can join and what freshers earn.

Browse by field Compare all courses
Courses covered19 + CA vs CMA vs CS
FieldsFinance, Law, Health, Teaching, Management
Typical duration2–5.5 years
Entry pointClass 12 or graduation
Read this first

What makes a course "professional"

A governing body sets the standard

Institutes such as ICAI (CA), ICSI (CS), ICMAI (CMA), the Bar Council of India (law) and NCTE (teaching) set syllabus, exams or licensing rules.

Exams or licences, not just a degree

Many professional routes involve the body's own exam levels (CA, CS, CMA, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)) or a licensing/entrance step (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medicine, CTET/TET for teaching).

Longer, but structured

Most take 3–5.5 years and include articleship, internship or practical training before you are fully qualified.

Browse by category

Professional courses, by field

Within each field, courses are ordered from the highest typical fresher salary to the lowest.

Guides listed20Fields5EntryClass 12 or graduation

Finance & Accounting

Law

Medicine & Healthcare

Teaching

Management

Side by side

All professional courses compared

Grouped by field; within each field, highest typical fresher salary first.

All professional courses compared
CourseFieldGoverning / regulating bodyWho can joinDurationTypical fresher salary
CPA (US)FinanceAICPA / NASBAGraduates (US credit rules apply)~1–2 years₹8–12 lakh per annum (LPA)
CAFinanceICAIAfter Class 12 (any stream) or graduation~4.5–5 years₹6–12 LPA
FRMFinanceGlobal Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)No formal prerequisite to register~1–2 years₹6–12 LPA
ACCAFinanceACCA (UK)After Class 12 (marks criteria) or graduation~2.5–4 years₹4–8 LPA
CMAFinanceICMAIAfter Class 12 (any stream) or graduation~3–4 years₹4–7 LPA
CFAFinanceCFA InstituteGraduates or final-year students~2.5–4 years₹4–6 LPA
Actuarial ScienceFinanceInstitute of Actuaries of India (IAI)Via Actuarial Common Entrance Test (ACET)~5–8 years₹4–6 LPA
CSFinanceICSIAfter Class 12 (any stream) or graduation~3–4 years₹3–8 LPA
LLBLawBar Council of IndiaAfter Class 12 (5-year) or graduation (3-year)5 or 3 years₹3–15+ LPA
Judicial ServicesLawState PSCs / High CourtsBachelor of Laws (LLB) (bar enrolment usually required)Exam after LLB₹77,000–90,000/month
MBBSMedicineNMCClass 12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology (PCB) + National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG)5.5 years₹6–12 LPA
BHMSMedicineNCHClass 12 PCB + NEET-UG5.5 years₹2.5–6.5 LPA
BDSMedicineDCIClass 12 PCB + NEET-UG5 years₹2.5–6 LPA
BAMSMedicineNCISMClass 12 PCB + NEET-UG5.5 years₹3–5 LPA
BPTHealthcareState councils / NCAHPClass 12 PCB4.5 years₹2.5–4.5 LPA
B.PharmHealthcarePharmacy Council of India (PCI)Class 12 PC + Biology or Maths4 years₹2.5–4.5 LPA
B.Sc NursingHealthcareINCClass 12 PCB + English4 years₹2.5–4 LPA
B.EdTeachingNCTEGraduates (or 4-year integrated)2 or 4 years₹2.5–5 LPA
Integrated MBAManagementIIMs / universitiesClass 12, any stream5 years₹4–10 LPA (private)

Abbreviations: NMC — National Medical Commission; DCI — Dental Council of India; NCISM — National Commission for Indian System of Medicine; NCH — National Commission for Homoeopathy; NCAHP — National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions; PCI — PCI; INC — Indian Nursing Council; NCTE — National Council for Teacher Education.

Choose wisely

How to choose a professional course

Check stream requirements early

Medicine and allied health need PCB in Class 12; CA, CS, CMA, law and integrated Master of Business Administration (MBA) are open to any stream.

Plan for the full length

Count articleship, internship and exam attempts — professional routes often take longer than the minimum.

Compare costs

Fees range from under ₹1 lakh (CS) to ₹1.5 crore+ (private Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)). Look at the cost section of each guide.

Pair with a degree where useful

Many CA, CS and CMA students also complete a B.Com or similar degree alongside — useful for jobs and further study.

Confused between CA, CMA and CS?

Read our side-by-side comparison (ca-vs-cma-vs-cs.html) before you register.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

CA, CS and CMA are the most common choices, along with ACCA, Actuarial Science (with Maths), LLB and Integrated MBA. Compare them by duration, cost and the kind of work you enjoy.
Yes. CA, CS and CMA are open to students from any stream after Class 12. Commerce subjects make the start smoother but are not mandatory.
MBBS, Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) and Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) need a qualifying NEET-UG score. Nursing needs NEET for All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and most government colleges. Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) and B.Pharm generally do not.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM) can be completed in about 1–2 years, but CPA needs a graduation first. Among courses after Class 12, LLB (3-year after a degree) and B.Ed (2-year after a degree) are short follow-ons.
Not to become qualified, but many students complete a B.Com or similar degree in parallel because some jobs and higher studies ask for one.

*Durations, eligibility and salary ranges are copied from each guide on Margdarshan (as of 2026). Governing bodies revise rules — always check their official websites.