What Is a BBA Degree?
Written by: North Carolina Central University • Mar 11, 2024
What Is a BBA Degree? ¶
Business was the most popular field of study for students earning bachelor’s degrees as of 2020-21, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, with 19% of graduating students earning a business degree. This represented an increase of 7% over the prior 10 years. The popularity of business degrees is likely due to their versatility and the number of career opportunities they can open up for graduates.
Pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree can be a great way for individuals to learn the fundamentals of business strategy while developing skills in communication and administration. It can also help graduates increase their employability: A study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that nearly 74% of business administration bachelor’s degree graduates in 2021 were employed by the following year, compared to 60% of all bachelor’s degree graduates.
But prospective students may be wondering what a BBA degree is. Broadly, a BBA is a bachelor’s level degree designed to prepare students to pursue a career in business in any of a number of industries and fields. For those considering a career switch or those who find a traditional academic schedule difficult to maintain, enrolling in an online BBA degree program could be the right next move to shape their future career.
What Does a BBA Curriculum Cover? ¶
A Bachelor of Business Administration program’s curriculum provides students with the strong foundation needed to run and maintain a business. It focuses on developing the skills necessary to succeed in a dynamic business landscape regardless of the industry, in areas such as communication, leadership, business ethics, and globalization.
Individual courses typically covered in a BBA degree program include a combination of core general education and business courses along with both standard and management-focused electives. Example courses in a BBA program curriculum include:
- English Composition
- Principles of Microeconomics
- Global Societies and Human Behavior
- Human Resource Management
- Entrepreneurship and Venture Management
Unlike master’s degree program courses, which often focus on student-led discussions, courses in bachelor’s degree programs such as BBA programs more frequently feature lectures. While both formats provide educational benefits, the lecture format allows students to learn critical fundamentals from industry-experienced professors. This style of learning can be especially beneficial for those without a strong business administration background or those looking to make a career switch into the business aspect of their industry.
Individuals looking to develop skills geared toward a specific field of business administration can consider enrolling in a program that offers concentration options. Examples of field-specific concentrations typically offered by these programs include the following:
- Entrepreneurship: This concentration focuses on how to start a new for-profit or nonprofit business while acting as an intrapreneur from within an organization.
- Human Resources Management: This concentration focuses on communication, retention techniques, legal compliance, and reward systems in both theory and practice in managing human resources.
- Financial Analytics: This concentration focuses on the analysis of financial reports to predict performance in the future.
- Marketing: This concentration focuses on the skills and tactics utilized in sales alongside key aspects of the process that moves a product or service from production to its delivery to the customer.
- Management: In addition to business administration, this concentration covers aspects of business management and operations.
A BBA degree typically takes four years to complete, but that time may vary depending on a student’s transfer credits.
Benefits of a BBA Degree ¶
In addition to increasing graduates’ employability in comparison to many other degree options, earning a BBA degree can provide students with a range of benefits. For example, BBA programs help students develop critical business skills that can be utilized across many fields and industries. As a BBA program’s curriculum is holistic, with a mixture of general and specialized courses, students can gain a combination of hard skills, in areas such as accounting and human resources, alongside soft skills, like leadership and critical thinking skills.
One of the key benefits of earning a BBA degree is the increased earning potential. The experience and knowledge of business administration garnered by earning a BBA degree can help qualify candidates for advanced roles in many industries, and the higher earning potential that comes with them.
Additionally, the number of positions that business administration skills can be applied to means that graduates with a BBA can be more flexible in the industries and positions they choose from than graduates with other degrees. Potential roles for a BBA degree graduate include the following:
- Supply chain manager
- Management analyst
- Production manager
- Marketing manager
- Human resource manager
Some BBA degree programs are offered online, which allows those who may not have the opportunity or ability to attend a traditional four-year program to pursue a high-quality educational experience that works with their schedule and at locations that fit their needs.
Expand Your Horizons With a BBA Degree ¶
The first step for students or career-changers with an interest in business is to understand what a BBA degree is. Once they know how a BBA program can help them build essential business administration skills, in areas from mathematics to communication, while also enhancing their approach to business through an introduction to strategy, leadership, and critical thinking, the next step is to consider BBA programs.
Whether you’re interested in earning an undergraduate degree or are looking to make a career switch, enrolling in North Carolina Central University’s online Bachelor of Business Administration program can help you achieve your career goals. This program focuses on the core aspects of becoming a leader in business, like communication, ethics, and problem-solving, to arm you with the competencies you need to succeed. Additionally, this online program lets you learn at the time and in the place that works best for your educational development.
Discover your potential as a business leader with North Carolina Central University.
Sources:
Houston Chronicle, “Differences Between an MBA and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration”
Indeed, “Accounting vs. Business Administration: Which Degree Is Best for You?”
Indeed, “BBA vs. MBA: Which Business Degree Is Right for Me?”
Indeed, “What Can You Do With a BBA Degree? (With Skills and Jobs)”
Inter Press Service, “The Benefits of a BBA Degree”
National Center for Education Statistics, Undergraduate Degree Fields
