CA, CS now equivalent to post-graduate degrees These students can also join the teaching profession after clearing the UGC NET exam Tuesday March 16, 2021 11:30 PM, IANS New Delhi: Students who qualify for Chartered Accountant (CA) and Company Secretary (CS) will now be considered equivalent to those who have completed their post-graduation degrees. As a result, those who have completed CA and CS can appear for the University Grants Commission's (UGC) NET examination and will also be eligible for a PhD. In a statement, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India said on Tuesday: "Acting upon the Institute's proposal, the UGC has accorded the status of a post-graduate degree to Company Secretary. The decision will benefit the company secretary profession everywhere in the world. We are grateful to the UGC for this."