Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar
Have you passed 12th standard? Are you interested in pursuing a good Foreign Trade course? If yes, this article will be of help to you. Here, we will have an in-depth analysis of Bachelor of Foreign Trade course.
This course is also well known by the short name BFT. If you want to become a Foreign Trade professional, this academic program will be of help to you. How’s this article of help to me, you may ask. Here, you will find everything you need to know about BFT course – duration, eligibility, colleges, syllabus, admission process, careers and salary specs. BFT is an undergraduate level Bachelor’s Degree program. Students who have passed 10+2 are eligible to pursue this course. The academic program is 3 years long. There’s no stream-based eligibility criteria associated with this course. It means that students from any stream – Arts, Commerce or Science – are eligible to pursue this course. Here’s an overview of the course –
- Name of the course: BFT (Bachelor of Foreign Trade)
- Type of course: Bachelor’s Degree course
- Duration: 3 years
- Eligibility: 10+2 passed
Do you want to know more details about Foreign Trade? If yes, the next section will be of help to you! What’s Foreign Trade all about? Why is it so important to international economy? Which are the important sub-disciplines within this field? You will find answers to all these questions in the next section –
Table of Contents
Foreign Trade: Basic Details
Foreign trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. It is also known by terms such as – International Trade, International Business and Global Trade. Is the above definition too hard for you? Let me give a simple definition – Foreign Trade is the trade taking place between two countries! It is a very vast field and consists of aspects such as –
- Imports
- Exports
- Foreign Trade Regulations
- Trade Policies
- International Business Laws
Each year, India imports crude oil from other countries. It is a perfect example of foreign trade! Foreign Trade has been around for quite some time now. Since ancient times, trade relations existed between different countries. Globalization has opened up markets that were previously closed! This has given a huge boost to international trade. Technology has played a huge role in the evolution of global trade. It has simplified global trade. When it comes to resources and services, no country is self-sufficient. Resources or services that are lacking must be imported from other countries! This shows how important foreign trade is! Without it, economies around the world will simply collapse! Come, let us take a closer look at the course details. Here they are –
Course Details
Type of course
BFT is an undergraduate level Bachelor’s Degree course.
Duration
The academic program is 3 years long.
Eligibility Criteria
10+2 passed from a recognized board (Arts, Commerce or Science).
Colleges
There exists many Government and Private colleges across India offering this course. Government colleges charge relatively lower fees than their private counterparts.
Admission Process
Reputed institutes rely on merit based admission process. Such institutes make use of relevant entrance test to select deserving candidates. Some institutes are also known to conduct their own qualifying test in order to select deserving candidates. Some other institutes are also known to conduct direct as well as donation based admission process.
Syllabus
Here are some of the important subjects in BFT curriculum –
- Import Management
- Export Management
- Foreign Trade Regulations
- Trade Policies
- International Business Laws
- Logistics Management
- International Trade
- Finance Management
PG courses and higher studies
BFT graduates have a handful of PG courses to choose from. They have access to Master’s as well as PG Diploma programs. Here are some notable PG courses –
- MBA in International Trade
- MBA in Foreign Trade
- MA Foreign Trade
- M.Com. Foreign Trade
- MFT (Master of Foreign Trade)
- PG Diploma in International Trade
- PGDM (Foreign Trade)
- Advanced Diploma in International Business
- PG Diploma in Foreign Trade Management
Master’s Degree courses are usually 2 years long. PG Diploma programs are usually 1-2 years long.
Career Prospects
BFT graduates have diverse job opportunities available in front of them. They have access to both Government and Private sector jobs. As I mentioned before, global trade is a very vast field. It consists of aspects like import, export, laws, policies etc. As a result, this sector also generates a variety of job profiles!
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Who you’ll get hired by and the job profile that you’ll get depends upon your qualification and specialization. For example, an MBA grad is more likely to get managerial posts. Some of the prime recruiters are –
- MNCs (Multinational Corporations)
- Import & Export Agencies
- Logistics Firms
- Supply Chain Management Firms
- International Trading Firms
- Government Departments (Customs, IMPEX etc)
- Ports
- Consultancies
In the above mentioned firms, one may don the following roles –
- Foreign Trade Analyst
- Import Manager
- Export Manager
- Facility Manager
- Facility Supervisor
- Consultant
- Logistics Manager
- Supply Chain Manager
- Trade Specialist
- Legal Officer
- Government Officer
If you are an entrepreneur at heart, you may start your own consultancy or trading firm. Entrepreneurship is an excellent opportunity available in front of foreign trade professionals.
Salary
Starting salary of a Foreign Trade professional depends upon a number of factors. Some of the prominent factors are –
- Institute from which the candidate completed the course
- Level of education (UG, PG etc)
- His/her specialization
- The domain he/she has chosen
- Job location
On an average, starting salary could be anywhere between 20-30K INR per month (for UG freshers). In case of a Government job, the salary will be as per the pay scale and grade. Abroad, the salary is much higher than what it is in India.
I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.
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