What is a BSBA degree?

Students seeking a business-focused bachelor’s degree have an array of degree types open to them. Each degree type takes on a different focus, whether it be liberal arts, math and analytics or a business overview. A Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, abbreviated as BSBA, is a degree that emphasizes math and analytics, especially in comparison to a degree like a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).

Here, we will discuss all things BSBA. Explore the curriculum and career outlook for this degree type and determine if a BSBA is the ideal business degree for you.

Knowing if the BSBA degree is an ideal fit for you will entail understanding the focus of the curriculum and what you can do with the degree. If the curriculum speaks to your interests and your strengths, and the careers are in line with what you envision for your future, it is likely this degree type will be a good match for you.

The curriculum for a BSBA curriculum emphasizes math, science and analysis. If you are a numbers-driven person, you enjoy analytics and you want to use numbers as fuel to take action, you are in the right place. With a BSBA degree program, you can expect to gain knowledge of business, communication, ethics, marketing and more, along with the advanced analytical skills needed to help transform business intelligence into actionable strategies.

A typical BSBA program curriculum includes¹:

• Accounting
• Corporate finance and accounting
• Economics
• Human resource management
• Management information systems
• Marketing
• International business

In line with these subject areas, the curriculum for Marquette University’s online BSBA program focuses on critical thinking, ethical decision-making and the skills to make you successful as a professional at today’s top companies. The goal is to provide you the tools and knowledge to become a true business leader.

Check out these examples of BSBA courses offered through the online BSBA program to get a sense of the coursework focus:

• Business Analytics 1: Data Definition, Preparation, Descriptive Analytics—This course provides an overview of where business analytics fits into current corporate decision-making support and is an introduction to the three major aspects of business analytics: descriptive, predictive and prescriptive. This course concentrates on data issues, descriptive and visual analytics and introduces students to the leading data visualization software.
• Applied Business Economics—This course, for non-econ majors, focuses on the explanation and development of key economic principles and models that are relevant to business analysis and managerial decision-making. You will be introduced to and develop skills in the practice of using economic models for the purpose of aiding business decision-making.
• Management of Human Resources—This course covers issues concerning the effective use and equitable treatment of employees. Learn how human resource management activities are influenced by the economy, laws, unions, organizational strategies and human behavior. You will also get an analysis of management activities such as recruitment and selection, training and development, pay and benefits and much to learn how these activities affect the attraction, retention, performance and satisfaction of employees.
• Understanding Entrepreneurship—This course is consistent with Marquette’s mission of concern for the whole person. Seeking to help each student begin to create a venture that enables a fulfilling life, the course allows you to individually craft business models for new ventures (for-profit or non-for-profit) that meet underserved needs.You will also learn to communicate their venture concepts to potential resources providers.

That is just a small sample of the course offerings BSBA majors can choose from.

BSBA majors enjoy a variety of career options to pursue upon graduation. In general, popular roles for this degree type can be found in many fields, including foreign and domestic businesses in wholesale trade, retail trade, technical services, finance and insurance.¹

Some popular titles for BSBA majors include²:

• Budget Analyst
• Accountant
• Information Technology Manager
• Business Risk Consultant
• Chief Financial Officer
• Economist

In more general categories for BSBA roles, like sales managers, marketing managers, financial managers and human resources managers, growth is projected to be as fast as average by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS predicts a four percent job growth for sales managers and a six percent job growth for marketing and advertising managers through the next decade.¹

In terms of salary, sales managers earned a median annual salary of $132,290 as reported in May 2020, while marketing managers earned a median of $142,170.¹ Financial managers earned a median of $134,180 per year, or $64.51 per hour, in 2020.³ Human resources managers saw a median salary of $121,220 per year, or $58.28 per hour.⁴

Overall, the job growth and projected salaries are promising for BSBA degree-seekers.