Summary
- Similarities between BCom and BBA
- Differences between BCom and BBA
- What is BCom
- What is BBA
- BCom Vs BBA – which is better?
- Course curriculum in BCom and BBA
- Career opportunities after BCom and BBA
- Frequently Asked Questions
On completion of the 12th board, commerce students are often faced with the dilemma- BCom or BBA. Parents and students have similar questions in mind while trying to decide between the two courses.
Through this blog, we have tried to answer common doubts and questions that may arise while deciding between the two courses. Let’s look at the differences between BCom and BBA and try to decide which one is better for greater career prospects.
Before we dissect the differences between BCom and BBA, we will first look into the similarities between the two courses
For one, both BCom and BBA are three year courses and both are commerce oriented. While BBA students graduate with a Bachelor in business administration, BCom students graduate as Bachelor of Commerce.
Both courses are undergraduate courses. BCom and BBA are both popular amongst students as they are both career oriented courses.
Difference Between BCom and BBA
Although both BCom and BBA are commerce related courses there are basic differences in the course curriculum. BCom on one hand is more finance oriented while BBA is more administrative or managerial. Here are a few more differences between BCom and BBA
| BCom | BBA |
| Finance oriented | Administrative oriented |
| Theory based subjects with little or no practical training | Theory based with a more practical approach |
| Course has been students choice for many years | Relatively a new course in commerce |
| The course deals more with the finance and monetary value | The course deals more with management |
BCom
After completing the 12th grade in commerce, students who apply for BCom courses will pursue a three year course. The course relates to finance, accounting, taxation and other monetary related topics. Apart from a BCom course, there are many specialized BCom courses that students can pursue such as
- BCom Corporate Secretaryship
- BCom Economics
- BCom Professional
- BCom Accounting
- BCom Marketing
- BCom Finance
- BCom Accounting and Finance
- BCom Applied Economics
- BCom Banking and Finance
- BCom Banking Management
- BCom Banking and Insurance
- BCom Insurance Management
- BCom Tourism and Travel Management
- BCom Business Economics
- BCom Business Administration
- BCom Computer Applications
- BCom Corporate Secretaryship
- BCom E-Commerce
- BCom Financial Markets
- BCom Financial Accounting
- BCom Foreign Trade Management
- BCom Professional
- BCom Management Studies
- BCom Statistics
- BCom Supply Chain Management
- BCom Tax Procedure and Practice
- BCom Taxation
- BCom Capital Market
- BCom Computer Science
The three-year BCom course can be further continued with masters in commerce or MCom, Chartered accountancy or Company secretary or other similar professional courses. In fact, BCom is a semi-professional course, where many companies hire BCom graduates for fresh accounting work in an office.
BBA
The Bachelors in Business administration is also a three year course like the BCom course. The difference being the course and study material. The BBA course focuses mainly on administration in a company rather than managing the finances of a company. Like BCom, BBA also has several specialized courses
- BBA in International business
- BBA computer application
- BBA finance
- BBA entrepreneurship
- BBA human resources
- BBA Information systems
- BBA Marketing among other specialized courses
The BBA course is a popular course because it is the stepping stone to the Masters course, that is MBA. The BBA course is offered by top universities in the country.
BCom Vs BBA Which is Better?
When it comes to deciding between the two courses, there is no absolute right or wrong course. The deciding factor lies in the interests of the students pursuing the course. Students who are more inclined towards financial accounting will be better off pursuing a BCom course, while students who are good at administration will be more likely to be better at pursuing a BBA.
Why pursuing BCom is advantageous for you
If you are a student who is more into finances and accounting then BCom is the right choice for you. Students who wish to pursue post graduate degrees like MCom, CA, CS and other finance related courses will benefit from doing the undergraduate BCom course.
BCom is known as a semi professional course because students can easily procure basic level finance jobs after completing BCom. Large corporates and finance companies offer secure jobs for BCom graduates.
BCom graduates also get decent pay packages and can live a secure and stable life with this course. The average pay scale of BCom graduates is around Rs 471000 per annum.
Why pursuing BBA is advantageous for you
As BBA is more administration oriented, students who prefer managerial jobs or administrative jobs will benefit greatly from pursuing BBA. Pursuing a BBA course paves the way for individual thinking. BBA graduates are also absorbed by big corporations and are given handsome salary packages.
BBA allows students to build entrepreneurship skills and thereby allows students to build on ideas. Also, since students learn in detail about administration and management, BBA students can easily grab high posts in HR and management companies across the country. The average salary of a BBA graduate in India is around Rs 483000 per annum.
Course curriculum BCom Vs BBA
The course curriculum of the two undergraduate courses may vary slightly according to the specialization and may also vary depending on the university. However, both courses more or less have the following curriculum or syllabus
| BCom | BBA |
| Statistics, Management Accounting, Business Research, Management & Organizational Behaviour, Legal Aspects of Business, Quantitative Techniques for Management, Business Policy, and Strategy, Human Resource Management, Financial Institutions and Markets, Financial Management, Business Communication among other subjects | Human Resource Management, Financial Accounting, Corporate Accounting, Business Mathematics, Auditing & Corporate Governance, Financial Management Income Tax Law and Practice, E-commerce, Management Principles and Application, Cost Accounting, Corporate Law, Business Laws, among other subjects |
As mentioned earlier, when it comes to BCom Vs BBA, there is no specific right or wrong. Both courses are commerce related and have equally good opportunities on completion of the course.
If students wish to pursue studying further, both courses are a stepping stone for post graduate degrees. Also, students who wish to start their careers after BCom and BBA can also do so.
Courses to Pursue After BCom and BBA
Students who wish to augment their learning capabilities can study further. BCom and BBA are stepping stones to various other courses.
Courses after BCom
On completion of the three-year undergraduate BCom course students can pursue any of the following courses
MCom: On the same lines of BCom, MCom is the master’s program of the bachelor course. The course is for a duration of 2 years.
Chartered Accountancy: CA is another popular course students can pursue after completing BCom. Chartered Accountancy is a finance related course. The CA course can be pursued by students who pass the entrance examination which is CPT or common proficiency test.
Company Secretary: The company secretary course can be pursued by students after the 12th. Students who have completed BCom can also pursue the course. On completion of the BCom course, students who appear for CA or CS may find the course easier.
Cost Accounting: Students can pursue a course in Cost accounting which is also a career-oriented job.
MBA: Students can pursue an MBA on completion of the BCom Course
Career Opportunities After BCom Vs BBA
While both courses have ample career opportunities, students can pursue a number of job profiles on completing either of the two courses. BCom graduates can study further to become chartered accountants, cost accountants or data entry analysts, or financial managers.
BBA graduates can easily be absorbed as HR managers, finance managers, project managers and team leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I want to pursue an MBA, which course should I pursue BCom or BBA?
While both courses have ample scope when it comes to MBA, the more evident choice would be to pursue BBA because it is a stepping stone for the MBA course.
While BCom is more finance related, BBA is more administrative and is more related to the course curriculum in MBA. However, students who have completed BCom also pursue MBA
I am joining my family business, BCom Vs BBA. Which is better?
Since family businesses require in-depth knowledge in administration and management, pursuing BBA is a better choice. If your family business is more into accounting BCom would be the preferred choice. However, BBA offers training in entrepreneurship skills which may be advantageous while running a family business.
I am good at accounts which course should I pursue
If you are good at accounting, a BCom course followed by a CA or cost accounting course will be the best option for you.
Conclusion
Deciding between BCom Vs BBA which is better?-depends on students interests and choices. As discussed earlier in the blog, both courses have great prospects. The Indian economy is gearing up to international standards. The future will see the extended need for BCom and BBA graduates.
Also check: BSc Vs BTech
