What Is a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Degree?

What Is a BBA Degree?

BBA is short for "Bachelor of Business Administration." A BBA degree is a credential that is conferred on a student by a college or university after completing roughly four years of full-time study (earning a bachelor's degree may take more or less time, depending on various factors). Holding a BBA degree means that someone has met all the requirements of their bachelor's degree program in the field of business administration.

In a Bachelor of Business Administration degree program, students study business concepts, principles, skills and knowledge from a number of different business disciplines, such as accounting, finance, marketing, operations and human resources. The courses in a BBA degree program are typically selected so that students may develop foundational business knowledge and management and leadership skills. Contrast this with a more specialized business degree field, such as accounting, where the main focus of the curriculum is on accounting-specific topics.

As a result of their focus on general business knowledge, BBA degrees are commonly described as versatile business degrees—i.e., applicable to a number of different roles and industries. BBA degree program graduates are generally assumed to have received a well-rounded business education.

BBA vs. BSBA: How Are They Different?

When it comes to undergraduate business degree programs, a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is just one of several options out there. Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree programs are another option, as are Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA) degree programs (although they seem to be less prevalent than BBA and BSBA degree programs). Because they sound so similar, you may be wondering whether a BBA and a BA or BS in Business Administration are simply different names for the same degree—but they are not.

BSBA degree programs cover the same general business fundamentals as BBA degree programs, but their curricula tend to place greater focus on analytical, quantitative and technology skills (according to the institutions that offer them). In other words, typically, more of the required courses in a BSBA degree program will be dedicated to topics such as business analytics, operations management, information systems and technology, financial analysis, etc.

With that said, BBA degree program requirements may include courses covering these same technical topics. The difference comes down to just how much of the curriculum is dedicated to analytical, quantitative and technological topics. Moreover, if a BBA degree program offers students the option to pursue a specialization, there may be additional opportunities to hone such skills. American InterContinental University offers a number of different BBA specializations, among them accounting, finance and operations management.

BABA degree programs are also focused on general business skills and knowledge but may have a more significant liberal arts component compared to BBA and BSBA degree programs.

BBA Degree Requirements

While different BBA degree programs tend to cover the same general business topics, specific BBA degree requirements will vary from institution to institution. Courses, credit requirements, attendance format (online vs. in-person) and the ability to choose a specialization are just some of the ways that programs may differ from one another.

The AIU Bachelor of Business Administration online degree program is a 120 credit hour program designed to allow students to work to develop a solid foundation in general business skills and knowledge that can be applied in a number of professional business settings and roles.

In addition to a general education component comprising 58.5 total credit hours, students in the BBA degree program must successfully complete a program core comprising 54 total credit hours. Core BBA courses may include:

• Principles of Accounting I
• Managerial Accounting
• Introduction to Business
• Legal and Ethical Environment of Business
• Quantitative Methods and Analysis
• Financial Management
• Management Information Systems
• Management and Leadership of Organizations
• Survey of Human Resource Management
• Global Operations Management
• Program Capstone
• Principles of Marketing

BBA degree program students must also choose 10 general elective courses. Students have the option to choose a general business administration track, which involves selecting 5 business-related elective courses. Alternatively, students may choose to pursue a BBA specialization, which entails taking five pre-selected elective courses related to a particular area of business.

AIU BBA Specializations

The AIU BBA online degree program offers various specialization options for students who wish to take a group of elective courses targeted to a particular business area.

BBA—Specialization in Accounting: Students may study the links between accounting and financial principles to the central activities of a business; the concepts and techniques used by management accountants to assist organizational decision-makers; auditing standards and practices; and accounting information systems.

BBA—Specialization in Entrepreneurship: Students may explore risk assessment and risk management strategies; how to develop a comprehensive business plan; how to develop a risk management plan; team leadership, including motivating and coordinating teams, performance assessment and delegation; and an overview of managing modern supply chain organizations, including a review of contract law concepts and government and civil procurement practices.

BBA—Specialization in Finance: Students may study securities markets, securities terminology and the characteristics of the major investors; the basic concepts of structured finance; risk assessment and risk management strategies; financial budgets; and financial statement analysis.

BBA—Specialization in Healthcare Management: Students may explore topics such as the care environment, performance improvement and risk assessment, as well as the types of information and information system capabilities that healthcare organizations need; ethics and law in the healthcare industry; an overview of the healthcare finance environment from the perspectives of the consumer, provider and healthcare institution; healthcare information systems; and healthcare policy impacts on resource allocation, with a particular focus on critical issues in American healthcare policy.

BBA—Specialization in Human Resources Management: Students may explore recruitment, selection and HR recordkeeping; the fundamentals of policy writing for personnel selection, performance management, disciplinary process, employee motivation and career management; diversity topics, including stereotypes, discrimination and harassment, career choices, etc.; an overview of the legal environment surrounding the modern workplace; and the fundamentals of performance planning, measurement and control.

BBA—Specialization in Management: Students may study the basics of policy writing for personnel selection, performance management, disciplinary process, employee motivation and career management; team-building and conflict-resolution principles; diversity in the workplace; a history and overview of the industrial relations system in the United States; and international dimensions of leadership and management, as well as a framework for formulating effective strategies in an increasingly complex world economy.

BBA—Specialization in Marketing: Students may study management principles as they apply to marketing; public relations; consumer behavior in the marketplace; marketing's role in planning and managing advertising of products and services; and marketing planning development with a focus on customer relationship management.

BBA—Specialization in Operations Management: Students may study the history and overview of the U.S. industrial relations system; management of business costs; production planning and quality control management; the fundamental principles of supply chain management in modern organizations; and the processes and technologies relevant to manufacturing strategy and supply chain functions.

BBA—Specialization in Project Management: Students may explore the principles of project management; ways to effectively manage project timelines and to estimate, control, report and analyze project costs; a conceptual risk-management framework for identifying risks that threaten projects and how to develop a risk-management plan; leadership, including coordinating and motivating teams and managing performance; and the legal environment and challenges of managing modern supply chain organizations.

We also offer a BBA—Specialization in Fashion Marketing at our Atlanta campus.

Learn More About BBA Degree Programs at AIU

Pursuing a BBA degree program is a way to work toward developing skills that are transferable to virtually any business environment. By studying business principles and theories, and exploring potential ways to apply them in the real world, you can better prepare yourself for pursuing opportunities in the business world. Earning a BBA degree could also set the foundation for pursuing a more advanced degree, such as an MBA, down the line.

Explore AIU's complete listing of accredited online business degree programs today, or apply now.

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¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, "Business and Financial Occupations," https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/ (last visited Dec. 29, 2025).

AIU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. REQ2188884 1/2026