BA vs BBA: What to choose?

The transition from class 12 to the undergraduate level is a big step for students. It is also the time to make crucial decisions about your future and the career path you intend to follow. For undergraduate students completing class 12, BA and BBA courses are two of the most popular choices among various others. Both these courses are offered on the Online Manipal platform as Bachelor’s programs. However, each of the courses covers different scopes of career prospects and varied specializations. This blog compares BA and BBA degrees by detailing their fundamental differences. It also aims to help you choose the right course that best meets your career goals. 

Before getting into the prime differences between BA and BBA courses, let us look at each of these programs individually.

What is BA?

BA is the popularly used acronym for Bachelor of Arts, one of the most widely preferred undergraduate courses among students after class 12. The course is offered for 3 years and covers a wide scope of Humanities or Arts subjects. While the program’s content is more generic, it allows students to choose an area of specialization in tune with their academic interests or career objectives. Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) offers BA courses on the Online Manipal platform. 

What is BBA?

BBA, or Bachelor of Business Administration, is a more professional course ideal for students who wish to pursue a career in management. The degree is offered at the Bachelor’s level and lays the foundation for a career in management for these students. Like the online BA course offered by Sikkim Manipal University, BBA is also a three-year course with specializations in varied professional subjects that help you prepare for real industry experience. BBA degrees are imparted by Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) on the Online Manipal platform to students.

Eligibility criteria: BA vs BBA

One of the key decision factors for BA vs BBA courses is determining the eligibility criteria for admission to each of these programs. If you meet the entry requirements of any of these courses, you can consider proceeding with the application process. 

BA is offered on the Online Manipal platform by Sikkim Manipal University and requires successful completion of 10+2 qualification by students. Only after you have completed a 10+2 from a recognized school at the national or state board can you be considered for admission to BA courses on Online Manipal. Alternatively, students completing a 10+3 diploma from a recognized national or state-level study institution are also eligible to apply for a BA program by SMU on the Online Manipal platform.

For online BBA courses on the platform, offered by Manipal University Jaipur, the eligibility criteria slightly vary for domestic and international students. The entry requirements for both types of applicants are shared in the table below:

Domestic applicants	International applicants
10+2 from a recognized national/state board school or completion of a 10+3 diploma from a recognized national/state board institution	Completion of 10+2/intermediate/senior secondary education from a recognized board Equivalent qualification in any discipline. Certificate of Equivalence for 10+2/graduate-level studies completed outside India, recognized by the Association of Indian Universities
Minimum 45% (40% for reserved student categories) aggregate marks in 10+2/diploma	Minimum 45% aggregate score in 10+2/intermediate/senior secondary

To sum up the eligibility criteria for BA vs BBA courses, the latter may require specific grades to be considered for admission to the program, while a BA course simply requires successful completion of 10+2.

BA course curriculum

When choosing the right undergraduate program, BA vs BBA, another factor to consider is the course curriculum designed for both courses. Here, we discuss the BA course curriculum in detail to understand whether it is ideal for you.

The online BA course offered by Sikkim Manipal University is available in a combination of 3 subjects – Sociology, English, and Political Science. The table below highlights the curriculum of the online BA program with the 3 combinations offered on the Online Manipal platform. The course is divided into 6 semesters, as defined in the table below:

Semesters	Curriculum
Sem 1	Communicative English, Introduction to Sociology, Foundations of Political Science, Indian English Literature, Natural Science
Sem 2	Functional English, Political Theory, Sociology in India, World Literature, Environmental Science
Sem 3	Academic Writing, Comparative Political Analysis, Rural Sociology, Essays and Poetry, Digital Fluency
Sem 4	Literary Terms, Forms, and Movements, Family, Kinship, and Marriage, Theories of International Relations, Women Writing in English, Urban Sociology, Classical Indian Political Thought, New Literature in English, Principle of Sociology, Introduction to Political Theory
Sem 5	Poetry: Evolution, Elements and Genres, Social Problems in India, India’s Foreign Policy in a Globalized World, Victorian and Modern Literature, Classical Sociological Thinkers, Political Processes in India, Children’s Literature, Social Demography, Human Rights
Sem 6	Comparative Literature, Sociology of Education, Public Policy and Administration in India, American Literature, Sociology of Change and Development, United Nations and Global Conflicts, Novels and Short Stories, Social Movement in India, Gender and Politics

BBA course curriculum

The Manipal University Jaipur offers the BBA course on the Online Manipal platform for a total duration of 36 months or 3 years. The course is divided into a total of 6 semesters, and the curriculum for each semester is listed below:

Semesters	Curriculum
Sem 1	Business Environment, Communication Skills and Personality Development, Computer Fundamentals, Organizational Behavior, Marketing Management
Sem 2	Human Resource Management, Business Communication, Term Paper, Financial Accounting, Retail Management, Quality Management
Sem 3	Research Methodology, Legal and Regulatory Framework, Project Quantitative Techniques for Management, Advertising and Sales, Financial Management
Sem 4	Management Accounting, Business Strategy, Rural Marketing, Management Information System, International Marketing, Environmental Science
Sem 5	Business Analytics, Elective – Retail Management, Consumer Behavior, Elective – General Management
Sem 6	Digital Marketing, Elective – Retail Management, Customer Relationship Management, Elective – General Management

Career opportunities after BA

This is yet another key factor differentiating BA and BBA programs, which helps students make a more informed decision. The prospective employment outcomes after course completion can help them determine which course is better to opt for in terms of future career stability and growth. To help you gain a clearer picture, listed below are the top 5 careers that online BA graduates from Sikkim Manipal University are likely to pursue, along with their approximate annual salary figures:

Expected job role after BA	Average annual salary (approx)
Campaign Manager	INR 5 lakh – INR 11 lakh per annum
Public Relations Specialist	INR 591,795 per annum
Public Administrator	INR 5 lakh – 7 lakh per annum
Content Manager	INR 5 lakh – INR 11 lakh per annum
Policy Analyst	INR 9,11,345 per annum

Career opportunities after BBA

Now, let us take a quick look at the career prospects that will likely open up for graduates of online BBA programs from Manipal University Jaipur. This would help you better understand and also do a comparative analysis of the career opportunities that online BA courses offer (as tabulated in the section above).

Expected job role after BA	Average annual salary (approx)
Business Analyst	INR 7 lakh – INR 20 lakh per annum
Technical Product Manager	INR 10,83,523 per annum
Brand Manager	INR 9 lakh – 22 lakh per annum
Operations Analyst	INR 4,71,646 per annum
HR Manager	INR 10 lakh – INR 12 lakh per annum

Choosing between BA and BBA

This blog covered in detail the various considerations when deciding between BA and BBA courses after completing class 12. The eligibility criteria for admissions, the course curriculum, and prospective career opportunities after both play an important role in deciding which course would be the better among the two to opt for.

The choice, however, becomes simpler if you have absolute clarity on your career goals, moving forward, and also your specific academic interests. BA courses offered by Sikkim Manipal University on the Online Manipal platform are more generalized, primarily focusing on Arts and Humanities courses. They are, therefore, more academically inclined when compared to professional-oriented BBA courses.

The online BBA program offered by Manipal University Jaipur is a professional degree aimed at students with a specific interest in the area of management. Students pursuing BBA are therefore encouraged to choose their specific area of specialization suited to their academic interest and career objective. 

Conclusion

The choice between BA and BBA courses, both undergraduate programs, is all about the students’ career preferences considering these two programs. BA courses generally result in a wide array of professional choices for graduates, while BBA programs open doors to lucrative and professional management positions in the relevant industry. You can apply for online BA courses by Sikkim Manipal University as well as online BBA program by Manipal University Jaipur, both on the Online Manipal platform.