One of the relatively new hype in the courses on the block, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) has gained rapid popularity in recent years. It is the ideal course if you don’t want to wait to step into the world of business.
Although some may consider BBA to be simply a precursor to an MBA, it is much more. Whether you want to work with a business or launch your own, a BBA will give you a solid foundation of how a business works.
While a BBA will give you an edge if you decide to pursue an MBA, completing a postgraduate degree in management is not a necessity. There are career options available after BBA, and you can also pursue further studies in other fields.
Let’s have a deeper look.
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What is BBA All About?
The Bachelor of Business Administration course is a 4-year (in some place 3- year) undergraduate degree that focuses on the fundamentals of business and imparts management skills. The BBA course provides knowledge on the various functional areas of a company, their importance and interconnection.
More than just academics, a BBA will hone your personality for the business field by grooming your leadership skills, communication skills and decision-making abilities.
Considered to be a professional course, i.e. a course that makes you ‘job-ready’, a BBA course also exposes you to practical training, by incorporating internships, projects, case studies, industry visits and work stints. A BBA degree will help you adapt to a business environment, whether you are interested in joining a company, starting your own business or joining your family business.
Apart from a general BBA degree which covers all the aspects of a business, a variety of specializations are also available if you want to specialize in a specific field directly from the undergraduate level.
Popular BBA specializations include:
- Banking and Insurance
- Finance
- Marketing
- Accounting
- Information Technology
- Human Resource
- Business Analytics
Recommended Read: 6 Upcoming MBA Specialisations and Where They Can Take You
What Will You Study in a BBA Course?
During your BBA degree, you will learn about basic management concepts and the different aspects of a business. Topics you will study include human resources, finance, marketing, business economics, accounting principles, business laws, computer fundamentals and more. If you pursue a general BBA degree, your course will focus on grooming your personality and introducing you to the overall field of business and management.
If you opt for a specialised BBA degree, the last year of your course will be focussed on your chosen specialisation, giving you detailed knowledge of the field. You will also hone your strategic thinking, leadership skills, and decision-making ability, preparing you for a career in management, businesses or as an entrepreneur.
A few specific topics you will study include:
- Effective Communication
- Principles Of Management
- Managerial Economics
- Business Law
- Management Accounting
- Financial Management
- Operations Management
- International Marketing
- Business Strategy for Entrepreneurship
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Difference Between BBA, BMS and BBM
The BBA degree is almost identically similar to BMS (Bachelor of Management Science), BBM (Bachelor of Business Management) and BBS (Bachelor of Business Studies courses).
All 3 courses are undergraduate degree courses with a focus on business and management, with a minor difference in methodology. Overall, BBA is the most popular undergraduate management degree, followed by BMS.
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Top Colleges for BBA and BMS in India
Here are some of the top colleges in India offering BBA or BMS:
- Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, Delhi University (BMS)
- Christ University, Bangalore (BBA)
- Anil Surendra Modi School of Commerce, NMIMS University, Mumbai (BBA)
- Jai Hind College, Mumbai University (BBA)
- Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies, Symbiosis International University, Pune (BBA)
- VIT-AP School of Business, Amaravathi (BBA)
- ICFAI Business School (IBS), Hyderabad (BBA)
- Presidency College, Bangalore (BBA)
- Xavier’s College, Mumbai (BMS)
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), New Delhi (BBA)
Each institute has a different basis of admission, while some conduct entrance tests; others consider marks scored in Class 12 and hold a personal interview.
There are also integrated BBA-MBA courses available for a total 5-year duration that will save you from completing the admission procedure twice. An integrated BBA-MBA course also ensures less repetition of subjects you study at BBA and MBA levels.
Institutes offering integrated BBA-MBA courses include:
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore
- Narsee Monjee School of Business Management (NMSBM), Mumbai
- Amity School of Business (ASB), Noida
- Jindal Global Business School (JGBS), Sonepat
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Career Options after BBA/BMS
Considering that a BBA course will expand your understanding of the functioning of businesses, you have the possibility of working with nearly any industry that matches your interest, based on a function of your choice. Regardless of the industry, all businesses require people to manage human resources, conduct marketing, bring in sales, oversee operations, and supervise finances.
The personality grooming that comes along with a BBA degree will help to further cement your capabilities in management roles. However, even if you choose not to work in the private sector, a BBA degree will also equip you to launch your own start-up or join a government job.
Financial Analyst
Financial analysts serve a crucial role in examining marketplace trends and the company’s financial trends so as to suggest means of maximising the company’s investments. Using critical analysis skills, financial analysts advise companies on how to best manage assets for top profits. To become a financial analyst, you can opt for a general BBA degree or a BBA degree with a specialisation in finance.
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Sales & Marketing Executive
Sales and marketing is an essential part of any business. A marketing executive typically plans, leads and supervises the development and circulation of promotional merchandise. To become a marketing executive, you can search for jobs after a general BBA degree, a specialised BBA degree, or pursue further studies in the form of certification courses in marketing or an MBA degree.
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Human Resources
The role of human resources involves managing the procedures, policies and compliance related to employees working with an organisation. As you would be dealing with employees from all functioning areas of a company, a BBA degree is ideal. After a BBA degree, you can pursue a specialised course in the human resources field to get an additional edge and field-related skills.
Operations Management
Operations management is a critical part of any business and is responsible for overseeing the entire production chain of goods and services, from procurement, processing to delivery. Thorough knowledge of the various business processes is essential for this role, and it is one of the highest paying fields in management.
Recommended Read: What is Operations Management And How Can You Build Your Career in It?
Startup
A BBA degree uniquely qualifies you for both working with a startup and starting your own. The startup atmosphere in India is better than ever. With the thorough theoretical and effective practical knowledge garnered in your BBA course, you will have a deeper understanding of how the business functions and how it can be improved.
Recommended Read: Should Your First Job After Graduation Be With A Startup?
Government Jobs
Pursuing a government job after a BBA degree is a popular option as it fulfils the basic graduation requirement for Civil Services and also trains you on management skills. After completing BBA, you can attempt the recruitment examinations for UPSC civil services, state civil services, railway jobs or other government PSUs for a fulfilling and secure career.
Recommended Read: How to Prepare for UPSC Civil Services: A Beginner’s Guide
Does a BBA Degree Give You an Advantage For a MBA?
A BBA degree gives you a definite advantage for an MBA, as it serves as an introductory course in the same field. Many topics studied at the MBA level are introduced during the BBA course itself. Although real-life experience holds great value while seeking admission to MBA courses, the BBA helps set a foundation as well.
As MBA admissions are generally conducted on the basis of entrance test results such as GMAT, CAT or MAT, pursuing a BBA would be a benefit.
BBA Vs. Academic Degree Courses for Higher Education
If you pursue a BBA professional course rather than a purely academic course such as BA Economics or B.Sc Physics you may face difficulty in gaining admission to a Masters course in a purely academic field, such as MA Economics or M.Sc Physics. However, you are equally eligible to pursue non-academic based courses, for example, studies in media, journalism, hotel management, animation, graphics, etc.
Summing Up
The popular BBA degree has versatile applications and prepares you for working with a business. Whether you are interested in pursuing an MBA or working directly after graduation, a BBA degree will help set a sound foundation and groom your personality and skills for the workplace.
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