Undergraduate Business Degree: An Overview

If you're looking to get into the corporate sector or a business firm in a managerial position, the least you should need is an undergraduate business degree. It is true that experience is the greatest asset in any line of work, and this is perhaps especially true of business administration. But it is also undeniable that a good grounding in theory will give you a head start over those who have to learn everything through experience. A Master's degree in from a well known business school is a major career asset these days, and an undergraduate business degree to precede that is always a welcome addition.

There are many types of undergraduate business degree that you can target. Which one you should go for depends on your career priorities and where you are located. The three major degrees that we need to consider are the BBA, BBus and B.Com.

The BBA Degree

The BBA is the commonest undergraduate business degree that you shall find in the USA. The name stands for Bachelor of Business Administration. In most American universities, a BBA degree is given to the student after he or she successfully completes four years or 120 credit hours of intensive study. The course material normally includes general background and principles of business, and may also offer optional areas of specialized or concentrated study. Many students who take a BBA then go on to study for an MBA. However, a previous BBA degree is not mandatory for enrolling in an MBA course – it just adds value.

B.Com and BBus

The next commonest undergraduate business degree is the B.Com, which is conferred by business schools in the Commonwealth countries or former British colonies, like India, Canada, South Africa, West Indies and so forth. It is relatively uncommon in the USA. The focus of the B.Com is somewhat different from that of the BBA, because it concentrates more on general business processes and principles like accountancy, income tax, corporate law etc. The BBus is a similar undergraduate business degree offered mainly in Australia and New Zealand.