BCom vs BBA: Which Degree Should You Pursue After School?
Undergraduate program is the first stepping stone of your professional journey. If it is placed correctly, the rest of the journey will be in the right direction as well. This is the reason why this decision is so critical and important. Many of us get overwhelmed by the choices we have and pick the wrong undergrad program resulting in wastage of time and resources. If you are a commerce student, there are two prominent and popular options available for you. One is the Bachelors of Commerce or commonly known as BCOM and the second is the Bachelors of the Business Administration BBA. Now the difficult part comes, which is more suitable for you? To find the right answer, let us look closely into the topic and understand the differences between BBA and BCom. We will also try to understand which degree is better suited to you as per your career goals and ambitions. In many cases, BBA might give you that extra advantage in the ever-competitive Job market. What are the BCom and BBA Degrees ? Both BCom and BBA are undergraduate degrees that take three years to complete. They are ideal for students who want to have careers in Commerce, Management, and business. But the similarity ends just there. The curriculum and the aim of both of these programs have stark differences. What is a BCom? A BCom is a base of a strong foundation in commerce-related subjects such as Finance, Accounting, Economics, and Taxation. These courses are designed to suit career paths for students who want to specialize in Banking, Economics, and Finance. What is a BBA? BBA is a program that develops the base for a broader spectrum of business and management careers. These programs also include subjects like finance and accounting but from the view of business and management. Other subjects include marketing, Human resources, Entrepreneurship, and organizational behavior. BBA builds the base for career in leadership roles in business management. BBA vs BCom: Key Differences 1. Focus of Curriculum: BCom is more about the technicalities and skills needed for the fields of Finance, Economics, and Accounting BBA offers a vast and diverse curriculum options more focused on Business management, Strategic thinking, leadership skills. The course also focuses on how to navigate real-world business scenarios. 2. Developing Skill Set: BCom students are taught to develop sharp data analytical and mathematical skills, which are high in demand and are valuable in the accounting and Finance related careers. BBA on the other hand is more focused on teaching students the range of skills needed for managing business. These include; management skills, problem solving skills, strategic thinking and planning, and leadership. 3. Career Routes: BCom opens career ways in professions that require technical knowledge and understanding of Financial principals. These careers include Accounting, Finance, Banking, and audit & taxation. BBA graduates have a wide range to pick from when it comes to picking a career. They can go into pretty much every field related to business management and leadership. Their options include, HR, Operations, Management, Finance, and Entrepreneurship. 4. Entrepreneurship: BBA teaches students how to be a good leader. They are given entrepreneurial training, practical learning through case studies, and leadership challenges, covering all aspects of business whether you are planning on a career or want to start your business. BCom builds a very strong and solid foundation in Commerce and Finance but does not include the management or entrepreneurship the way BBA does. 5. Advanced Studies: Most of the BCom students go for higher education and advance programs like the Chartered Accountancy, MCom, and Company Secretary. BBA students usually go for an MBA to further enhance academics and learn high Management Skills. This further opens high-level management positions and earning potential for them. BBA or BCom: Which is Better? Choosing your undergrad program is a big decision as it is the milestone of your lifelong career. While making the decision, keep in mind your ambitions, interests, and the career path you want to pursue. Let us now discuss these factors one by one to understand what factors you should consider while making this life changing decision. Career Adaptability If we compare the two programs, BBA is undoubtedly the more flexible career option of the two. BCom graduates are mostly recruited in the Finance, Banking, and Accounting sectors. BBA graduates on the other hand have a lot to choose from. From marketing to finance, and from HR to operations, they can pick any career in business management. As per LinkedIn statistics, Approximately 57% of BBA grads work in managerial and leadership positions within the first five years of graduation. Industry Demand Business management opportunities have increased in the past decade. Because of new startups and growth of companies, business managers are high in demand. According to the report by the Bureau of Labour Statistics, an estimated increase of 5% from 2023 – 2032 is expected in Management jobs. This hike will create about 505,000 new jobs in business fields such as marketing, HR, and operations. This gives BBA graduates a competitive edge over others in hireability and job readiness. Skill Development for the Future Today’s business environment is very dynamic with cut throat competition and high stakes. Companies prefer to hire professionals who are trained and able to manage teams and resources and make strategies for the changing marketing conditions. BBA develops these skills in professionals to enable them to take up challenges that are needed to succeed in business management and leadership roles. Peter Drucker, a renowned management consultant, said, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Why is BBA a Better Option ? If you still can’t decide about which of the two options is for you, let us see why BBA is the right choice for you: 1. In depth Business Knowledge:
The Future of Online Education for Working Professionals
This last decade has shown drastic change in the education trends world wide. The huge influx of technology growth and availability of fast internet has impacted our mode of higher education a lot. Online education is fast becoming the most preferred mode of getting MS courses and bachelor’s degrees. Many working professionals prefer this method because they can study on their terms and timeline. Today we will be discussing in detail about this changing world of online education, especially the future of online education. So what are we waiting for, let’s start. The Impact of Online Education The best thing about online education is that it is accessible. Quality education can be obtained from any part of the world irrespective of where you live and what time you are available. Imagine if your teacher is at your disposal, you can turn on the lecture whenever you have time, pause when you are busy and resume whenever you find time again. As per Statista, it is a rapidly growing industry estimated to rise to $350 billion by 2025. This growth is because of a lot of reasons. Availability of fast and steady internet connection is obviously a huge reason for it. But, another reason that triggered remote working culture is the COVID-19. A new lifestyle emerged in the world post Pandemic as people realized that they can be more productive while working from home. This trickled down to every industry including education. We saw a huge shift in how the working professional wanted to get higher education. Advantages for Working Professionals It is understandable that working professionals are attracted to online education because of the flexibility it offers. With their busy schedule and family life, adding education to it and balancing can be a daunting task. But these online courses are flexible giving you the opportunity to attend classes in your free time. There are geographical restrictions or rigid timelines to complete your MS courses or online bachelor’s degree, unlike on campus education. This freedom is the encouraging aspect behind choosing online education. Working professionals have a lot to handle, from family Online education is also a more affordable option when compared to conventional education. Tuition fees for online courses and programs are lower and you also save money on commute, study materials and accommodation. This feature increases the audience spectrum giving a chance to students who couldn’t complete education because of monetary reasons, to study and complete their education. Personalized Learning Experiences The best feature of online education is that it can be customized to your ability. Educating students individually as per their abilities is the best outcome and a dream of all educators. Catering to individual learning acumen, preference, and pace has improved online education to what it is today. Many learning algorithms are used today to deliver this personalized approach by assessing each student individually. As per McKinsey & Company, personalized learning can increase student performance by 30% Impact on Career Advancement The UAE education scene is also changing, inclining towards online more and more. It won’t be an exaggeration if we say that UAE is fast becoming the new higher education hub. Many working professionals turn towards higher education particularly MS courses and online Bachelor’s degree for better pay scale and career prospects. Another recent survey done by LinkedIn also shows that 85% of hiring managers rate candidates with online degrees to be equally and more qualified than the ones with regular degrees. Online education also provides a chance for the working professional to add new skills to their profile. This can lead to immediate recognition and promotions in the workplace. For example doing an online MBA can help a manager to polish his strategic and planning skills and grow their business. Education Trends in the UAE The UAE is the new higher education hub providing quality and flexibility with accredited programs from renowned universities. MS courses and Bachelors degrees offered by University of Dubai and Abu Dhabi University are reputed as equivalent to the high industry standard and demand. This attitude has increased global recognition of UAE education. The UAE government has a long term plan that includes encouraging professionals to learn and improve their skills continuously. They have taken up initiatives like National Strategy for Higher Education 2030 striving to develop a diversified knowledge based economy through higher education and skill development. The Role of Technology in Learning Advancement in technology has revolutionized how we live, do business, and learn. AR(augmented reality) and VR(virtual reality) is now being used to make learning more engaging and practical. Many fields, especially engineering and healthcare, have been benefiting a lot by integrating these technologies in their teaching environments. Many professionals are using AR and VR technology to polish the skills. Doctors and healthcare professionals can experience surgeries and other medical procedures through VR without performing them. Similarly, AR can be used by trainees or engineering students to practically experience and explore complex machinery. It gives a risk free environment for students to hone their skills practically. Another transformative technology that is facilitating online education is big data and analytics. Learning management system allow or LMS has the ability to collect huge amounts of data about student performances, engagement, and performance. Educational institutions can get valuable insights to find out learning gaps and alter methods accordingly. Overcoming Challenges Online education comes with a handful of challenges particularly in maintaining quality and authenticity. But for every problem, there is a solution. Institutions are now standardized assessment methods, improving faculty training, and adopting secure technologies. Future Prospects and Innovations Online education holds a very promising future. In fact, it won’t be a gross exaggeration if we say that the future of education is online. The technologies and methodologies of online education are evolving by the day. Analytics tools can help you identify students needing extra help and timely guidance. The new block chain technology validates the authentication of the whole system. Moreover, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in online
Research Tips and Techniques for Online Students
“Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world,” said the late Nelson Mandela. Education is powerful, and it continues to change the world. It brought ease to doing everything, including getting educated. Today, there are more ways to get an education than before. With education came technology, and with technology, the world became accessible. Now you can sit in your lounge in a remote location and get an education from the world’s top universities. Online education has made it simpler to achieve academic goals that were otherwise difficult to imagine. Like all good things, online education has its thorns. Research work is very tough for remote students. But not to worry, we have got you covered. This article will provide online research tips for you. Tips and Techniques for Online Students: 1. Plan your Research Before Starting Planning is very important; make sure that you have an airtight plan before you begin. Instead of jumping in head first, blindfolded, it is better to know what your research is all about. Understand Your Research Question To find an answer, you first need a question. The more accurate the question is, the easier it will be to find the correct answer. Make an Outline of Your Research Objectives As mentioned before, an objective is the key to your project. You should know why you are doing the research; what is your aim? What are you getting out of it? It will guide you in the right direction. Create a Timeline Every project has a start and an end. Organize your work plan from the time you collect the data to the time when you compile it as your final paper. 2. Online Libraries and Databases There are many online resources easily available. They are very important for online education, as you can find many books, articles, and other useful materials on these platforms. Access Your Institution’s Online Library Nowadays, universities usually give their students permission to use their digital libraries. Ask your institution and find out if they provide such a facility. You can also ask them to share peer-reviewed articles and papers. Use Academic Databases Google Scholar, PubMed, and JStor, are the most popular and used platforms. They are pure treasures filled with academic wealth and publications. Take Advantage of Open-Access Journals Don’t forget to look for free-access journals and research papers. Websites like the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) are a good place to start and look for high-quality research work. 3. Master the Art of Online Searching Many of us confuse research with a simple Google search. To search the internet more effectively, you should develop your search skills so you can get the right answers faster. To get specific information from the ocean of data, you need to know how to search and where to search. Use Advanced Search Operators Google and other search engines include sophisticated search operators to help you narrow down your search results. For instance, putting quotation marks around a term (like “online education”) will make that particular phrase searchable. A negative sign (for example, “online education, K–12”) can cause some phrases to be removed from your search results. Evaluate the Credibility of Sources Not everything found online can be trusted. It is important to make sure that the resources you are using are reliable and trustworthy. Look for the work of popular writers and publications that have been peer-reviewed. Instead of the typical ’.com’ websites for your search, try domains like.edu,.gov, or.org, which are considered reliable sources for research. Use Subject-Specific Search Engines There are many search options specific to certain fields; examples of these are PubMed for medical research and ERIC for education research. You will get more to-the-point results using this targeted approach. 4. Use Technology and Online Tools You can find an overwhelming number of tools that can help to study online. Some are more popular than others. These include organizing tools, Note-taking, and citation tools, etc. You can improve and accelerate your research. Citation Managers Tools like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote can help you manage your references and create citations easily. You can organize and save resources, write bibliographies, and ensure your work follows the citation standards. Note-Taking Apps Note-taking and note-organizing apps like Google Keep, OneNote, and Evernote are great. They let you organize your notes into notebooks, tag them for quick access, and sync them across many devices. Plagiarism Checkers Plagiarism is a big no-no in academia, but it is becoming more common unintentionally. To make sure that your work follows quality standards, evaluating it for plagiarism is very important. Luckily, now there are many detectors available online, and some of them are free. Turnitin, Grammarly, and Copyscape are some popular tools that are used to find out if your content is plagiarism-free or not. 5. Be Organized and Manage your Time Without a strict classroom schedule, it is very easy to go haywire and lose track of time. To avoid this, learn to manage your time and stay organized. Create a Research Log Maintain a research log to document the milestones you achieve. This will include the information, its sources, the data you have collected, and what you have done so far. Staying organized with your study journal will help you reach your goal in time. Set Aside Dedicated Research Time Consistency is the key to success, especially while researching. Allocate time regularly for research and follow that timetable religiously, otherwise, work will be piled on and you won’t get any productive results. Break Down Your Research Into Manageable Tasks It is wise to always break down big tasks into smaller units to make them more manageable and attainable. If you try to do everything at once, chances are things will get messed up. 6. Join Online Communities and Forums To learn new things, you need to meet more people, grow your network, and participate in healthy discussions. You can share your work and get feedback to improve.
