Business Administration Programs In America

Credential

Bachelor of Commerce (BCom/ BComm)

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

Bachelor of Accounting (BAcc)

Bachelor of Science (BS/ SB)

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA)

Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA)

Bachelor of Science in Business (BSB)

Bachelor of Science in Economics (BSE)

Bachelor of Arts in Economics (BAE)

Bachelor of Science in Business and Engineering (BSB&E)

Associate of Science (AS)

Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

Diplomas/ Certificates

Program Length

Bachelor's degree: 3-4 years

Associate's degree: 2 years

Certificate: 12-52 weeks

Entry

Bachelor's degree - direct entry; entry after 1 or 2 years of general foundation studies; entry into third year with associate's degree

Associate's degree - direct entry

Certificate - direct entry

Areas of Study

General business administration and management studies

Specializations are available in areas such as accounting, actuarial science, finance, marketing, economics, information systems, organization behavior, human resource management, risk management and insurance, entrepreneurship, international management, industrial management, supply chain management, operations management, political economy, business law, etc. or specific industries such as tourism and hospitality, insurance, banking, etc.

Special Features

co-op work experience or industry practicum

combined programs

University- and 4-year college-level business schools across the United States offer undergraduate business programs to international students under different names: Bachelor of Commerce (BCom/ BComm), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Accounting (BAcc), Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA), Bachelor of Science in Business (BSB), Bachelor of Science in Economics (BSE), and Bachelor of Arts in Economics (BAE). You can also take a general Bachelor of Science (BS/SB) or Arts (BA/AB) with a choice of majors such as management, economics, accounting, industrial management, marketing, political economy, business law, and more. Some of these degrees and degree majors prepare you to sit for specific professional certification exams, such as those for Certified Public Accountant (CAP), Certified Management Accounting (CMA) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).

Some bachelor's programs in business administration are direct entry 4-year programs (i.e., students begin their business studies in the first year), while other programs may require students to take 1 or 2 years of study in another department first (i.e., 1+3 or 2+2 programs). Joint degree programs are also possible in areas such as international studies and business, management and technology, business administration and engineering, international business and language, business administration and liberal arts or fine arts, and more. Some may even have their own credential, such as the Bachelor of Science in Business and Engineering (BSB&E). Students usually apply for dual-degree status at the end of their second, third, and/or fourth semesters of full-time study. Students wanting to accelerate their studies can take a joint bachelor's and master's in five years. University business schools may also offer related 2-year associate's degrees and shorter certificates in similar topics as those mentioned above, as well as business for non-business students.

While some business programs believe that one method of teaching business is superior to others - case method, lectures, field studies - often business schools will use a variety of deliveries, with increasing use of the case method in senior classes. In most business programs teamwork is emphasized and classes tend to be interactive with interactions between instructors and students and amongst the students themselves. As well, co-op work terms and international exchanges are incorporated into many business schools.

Most community colleges in the US will also offer courses in business administration or management leading to a 2-year associate's degree that can ladder into a bachelor's degree program. Be sure to check the school's articulation agreements to find out where these credits will be accepted for transfer. There are also several community colleges focused primarily on the study of business. Examples of possible two-year degrees in business administration include Associate of Science (AS) or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in business administration, executive accounting, information management systems, real estate and more. Community colleges also, like universities, offer certificate programs in many of the areas mentioned above: these are generally fast-track career-oriented programs designed to have you job-ready in less than a year.