B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce) or BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)? It’s one of the most common tertiary education questions we field. The more traditional B.Com is giving way to BBA as the economy changes.
As BBA emerges as an important course option to pursue after completing your 10+2, an unfortunate lack of proper information has left a lot of students confused and making misguided decisions. Though the final choice rests with you, here’s some information tohelp clarify your doubts.
As BBA emerges as an important course option to pursue after completing your 10+2, an unfortunate lack of proper information has left a lot of students confused and making misguided decisions. Though the final choice rests with you, here’s some information tohelp clarify your doubts.
Defining BBA
The BBA course, a three-year degree, focuses highly on developing business skills. Theoretical education is backed up with practical experience which may include summer internships, industry visits, presentations and case studies. With an aim to foster future leadership and entrepreneurial ability, the syllabus of the BBA course combines the theory of Management Information Systems,FINANCE
,MARKETING and human resources. Eligibility for BBA is less strict than for B.Com. Institutes in general will accept anybody who’s passed 10+2 in any stream with at least a 50% aggregate.
Post-BBA: There are two broad courses of action – an entrepreneurial venture or a management job. These are the best reasons to prefer BBA to B.Com. However, an MBA might be an equally viable choice.
A BBA degree will secure you an entry-level job just about anywhere, but growth opportunities are going to be limited unless you plan on pursuing an MBA degree from a reputable institute as well.
While cracking the CAT might seem like a monumental task, once you’re in a highly ranked B-School, a BBA degree will go a long way in making the final leg of your formal education smooth.
This is because the advanced MBA course material will be much easier to handle with the firm fundamentals you’ve gained from your BBA.
Not all is bleak on the job front though; a trainee or a junior executive job in marketing, HR and finance fields can easily be had. This healthy dose of industry exposure can be greatly empower you, especiallyin those top Indian B-Schools where such experience is mandatory.BBA graduates can look forward to jobs in the following industries.
- Banking
- Consultancy
- FINANCE
- FMCG and Consumer Durable companies
- IT companies
- Advertising agencies
What is Defining B.Com
A three-year degree course, the Bachelor of Commerce or B.Com is a traditional post-class 12 option in India, similar to Bachelor or Science (BSc) or Bachelor of Arts (BA). Available at most universities, the highly theoretical B.Com syllabusprovides an intense loon into the fundamentals of commerce like Accounts,Administration,FINANCE
, Economics, and Industrial Policy. Eligibility: A pass in Mathematics is a must for students pursuing B.Com, though the course is open to both science and commerce graduates.
After B.Com – What Next?: B.Com has proved itself and more. It’s solid theoretical grounding is brilliant for careers inFINANCE
, or really, just about any numbers related field like taxation or accountancy. It’s practically mandatory for those looking to pursueCA / ICWA / CS. A two-year M.Com (Master of Commerce)from a reputable university after a B.Com furtherenables you by qualifying you for leadership and state level examinations. Placements out of a B.Com also cater to multiple industries, so getting a job isn’t a problem.An MBA inFINANCE
is another good way to cement your career while maintaining your roots in commerce. Industries you can work in after a B.Com:
- Banks
- Consultancy firms
- Tax Practitioner
- Junior Accountant
The Divide between BBA and B.Com
If you’re good at crunching numbers or want anything to do in the fields of formalFINANCE
like CA, then a B.Com degree should be your clear first choice. Though you can pursue an MBA after B.Com, a managerial MBA is better backed up by a BBA background, especially if further supplemented by solid post-undergraduate work experience.On the other hand, BBA launches you headfirst into a professional career after class 12; it’s much more skill specific than a B. Com.Colleges that offer B.Com include:
Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) Delhi, Loyola College (Chennai), St Xavier's College (Kolkata), Presidency College (Chennai), Symbiosis Society's College of Arts & Commerce (Pune), and St Xaviers Mumbai.
These are only a few of the highly reputed colleges that offer B.Com. You’ll findCOMPARATIVELY
much fewer universities offering of BBA; it’s a new player in town. Some of the forerunners in offering this course include: University of Mumbai, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University or IP University, Delhi, Bharti Vidya Peeth, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Deemed Univ , Jamia Hamdard, Symbiosis Pune, Barkatullah University , Bhopal, Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Banasthali Vidyapeeth, University of Rajasthan. 
