BSBA vs. BABA vs. BBA: What Are the Differences?
If you’re thinking about pursuing a degree in business administration, you’re likely asking what BSBA, BABA, and BBA degrees are and how you determine which one is the right fit for you. Well, ask no more because this article will provide you with all the necessary information to help you understand their similarities, differences, and how you can implement the degree into the real world.
What is a BSBA Degree?
A Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree gives you the necessary skills and knowledge to understand how businesses operate in a business environment. This degree focuses more on math and analysis, providing general knowledge in business management, economics, accounting, and marketing. Moreover, this program teaches you general business principles and helps you develop communication and decision-making skills. Other areas of study may include legal studies, general business, finance, or business analytics.
Overall, this degree is more suitable for students who wish to have a specialized skill set to apply in various industries and disciplines.
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What is a BBA Degree?
A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree is more focused on liberal arts studies and provides you with general knowledge on several disciplines of the business industry; therefore, you can apply this degree to a broader range of career paths. This degree provides essential skills and knowledge in accounting, finance, marketing, and international business. Moreover, it focuses on management skills that prepare you to complete various business tasks, including writing business plans, leading staff members, or handling legal issues.
To conclude, a BBA degree helps you be ready for real-world business roles and make business decisions supported by empirical analysis, like operations planning or strategies adjustment.
What is a BABA Degree?
A Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA) gives you a broad overview of business areas with a chosen area of specialization. In this program, you’ll be taking introductory courses in economics, computing skills, finance, and marketing.
Moreover, this program offers specialization courses focused on specific areas like international studies, foreign language, or mass communication. Graduating with a BABA means that you won’t necessarily have to work in the business world, as you’ll be qualified to work as a Marketing Manager, PR, Market Research Analyst, or Contract Negotiator.
BS or BA in Business Administration: What is the Difference?
Though these degrees may look familiar, they have their differences when it comes to courses, specializations, and job prospects. Let’s take a closer look at these programs and find out which one’s the best fit for you.
Courses
BSBA prepares students to employ critical thinking, organize ideas, identify and solve business problems, and more through its program. Its coursework gives students information and theories from numerous fields like management and leadership, finance, human resources, and ethics. Students will understand how businesses operate and apply their skills in various business situations through the following courses. The program coursework in BSBA includes:
Financial accounting;
Managerial accounting;
International business;
Finance management;
Business law;
Business statistics;
Macroeconomics;
and more.
On the other hand, BABA has its emphasis on written and oral communication, humanities, and understanding business principles. Its courses include, but aren’t limited to:
Written and Verbal Communication;
Humanities;
Social Sciences;
Science and Mathematics;
Formation and Calling;
Professional Readiness;
and more.
Whereas a BBA degree consists of broader business courses such as:
Business mathematics;
Business organization;
Business communication;
Management concepts and practices;
Marketing management;
Organizational behaviors;
and more.
Specializations
Business administration is an extensive field that allows you to specialize in areas that interest you. Both BSBA, BBA, and BABA majors have a wide range of possibilities to choose from for specializations. When students take on these specializations, they gain specialized knowledge and skills that help them thrive in areas that interest them.
Financial management
If you enjoy numbers and have an eye for detail, this might be a suitable specialization for you. The BSBA specialization in financial management gives you a strong foundation on concepts, theories, and principles you need for financial decision-making.
Through this specialization, you will build technical and analytical skills that prepare you to take on financial analyst, investment researcher, banker, or broker roles.
Operations management
With a BBA degree, you can take the operational management specialization, which will prepare you to handle details of business operations and make sure that a business runs smoothly and efficiently.
The operations management specialization will teach you the knowledge and skills you need to run operations successfully. These operations include the creation of goods and services to manage supply chain personnel and networks.
Marketing management
You can graduate with a marketing specialization by completing either a BSBA or BBA degree.
A marketing specialization in BSBA takes a more analytical approach to the field, preparing you to use modern tools and technologies to reach wider audiences effectively. In such a domain, you will learn how new technologies such as social media can be an instrument of business growth.
On the other hand, a BBA marketing specialization prepares you for a basic understanding of marketing concepts. Through this specialization, you will learn to plan, implement, control, and evaluate marketing strategies to achieve your business goals. In general, you will get a broader understanding of how marketing works, how the 4P’s work, and how to implement new tools and technologies in your strategies.
Entrepreneurship
If you dream of running your own business, then a BSBA degree specializing in entrepreneurship is the right fit for you. During this specialization, you will learn about various issues, situations, and legal considerations that a business owner faces daily. Besides, you will strengthen the financial, managerial, and leadership skills you need to run your business.
Job prospects
A business administration degree provides students with solid skills and knowledge in business functions and offers career opportunities in various fields. Both BSBA, BABA, and BBA graduates face important decisions when choosing a career path.
If you’re thinking about pursuing a BSBA degree, these are the possible job prospects for you:
Sales Manager;
Loan Officer;
Human Resources Specialist;
Business Consultant;
Financial Analyst;
Market Research Analyst
You can also follow additional career paths like logistician, insurance underwriter, or real estate appraiser.
BABA graduates, on the other hand, have numerous job prospects in the following industries:
Law;
Communications;
Non-profit;
Public Service
Banking.
While a graduate of BBA can work as:
Business owner;
Marketing manager;
Project manager;
Human resource specialist;
Salesperson.
BS or BA in Business Administration: Which is Right For You?
Looking at both these degrees from an academic point of view, they are both highly valued, and there’s no wrong choice. However, you should always remember that these kinds of alternatives come from personal preferences.
If you’re a strong writer and have excellent communication skills, we believe that you’d do better if you pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. Whereas, if you’re someone who enjoys numbers, math, and science, probably a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration is the right degree for you.