Bachelor of Business Administration · Full-time · On Campus
University of St. Gallen (HSG)
Switzerland
Types of Business Degrees: BBA, BS vs BA, MBA vs MSc and DBA Compared
November 01, 2026
Business degrees come at four levels: associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral. At each level you choose between a general degree (business administration or management) and a specialised one (accounting, finance, marketing and so on). The main titles are the BBA, BS/BSc, BA and BCom for undergraduates, the MBA and specialist MSc degrees for postgraduates, and the PhD or DBA for doctoral study.
The letters on the certificate matter less than two questions: how quantitative is the programme, and does it expect work experience before you start? This guide answers both from official sources: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the UK's Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), and the published rules of Arizona State University, the University of Rochester, the University of St.Gallen and Bocconi University. All were checked in November 2026.
Types of business degrees at a glance
- Associate degree (US): a short undergraduate qualification, usually taken at a community college. It often transfers into a bachelor's degree.
- Bachelor's degree: BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration), BS or BSc in Business, BA in Business, and BCom (Bachelor of Commerce, common in India, Australia and Canada).
- Master's degree: the MBA (Master of Business Administration) for people who already have work experience, and specialist master's degrees such as an MSc in Finance, Management, Marketing or Accounting, usually taken straight after a bachelor's.
- Doctoral degree: the research PhD in business or management, and the DBA (Doctor of Business Administration), a professional doctorate for experienced managers.
Associate degrees in business
An associate degree is a US qualification and the shortest degree-level route into business study there. Many students take it, then transfer to a university to finish a bachelor's degree. Outside the US there is usually no direct equivalent: the nearest options are foundation years and diplomas. Our guide to associate's degrees explains how they work and how credits transfer.
Bachelor's degrees: BBA, BS, BA and BCom
The bachelor's level is where most of the confusing abbreviations appear. In practice:
- BBA: a business administration degree in which nearly all courses are business courses: accounting, finance, marketing, operations and management.
- BS/BSc in Business: usually the more quantitative version, with more mathematics, statistics and analytics.
- BA in Business: usually leaves more room for other subjects, such as a second major or a foreign language.
- BCom: the standard business and commerce degree in India and several Commonwealth countries. In India, the newer four-year honours versions follow the UGC's credit framework, which we explain in our guide to honours degrees.
Is a BA or BS better in business?
Neither is better in general. The difference depends on the university, so read the catalogue of each school you apply to. Two US examples show the range:
- Arizona State University (W. P. Carey School of Business): the school states that its "calculus-based BS degree programs have higher direct admissions standards than BA degree programs". Most of its BA business degrees with concentrations also require calculus. Two BA degrees do not: the BA in Applied Business and Technology Solutions and the BA in Entrepreneurial Leadership (W. P. Carey).
- University of Rochester: the BA in Business is 12 courses (nine core courses plus three electives) with calculus and statistics as pre-major requirements. Students must also complete a second major. The curriculum changes from fall 2026 (University of Rochester).
If you want a career in finance, analytics or accounting, choose the more quantitative degree. If you want to combine business with a language, politics or a science, a BA with room for a second major may suit you better.
Business bachelor's degrees outside the US
In Europe the title often says "Bachelor of Arts" or "Bachelor of Science", even when the content is a full business administration degree. At the University of St.Gallen (HSG) in Switzerland, the Business Administration major leads to a Bachelor of Arts HSG. It takes three years full time and is worth 180 ECTS credits, including a first "Assessment Year". It is taught in German and English (HSG key facts). So a European BA in business is not necessarily less quantitative than a US BS: check the course list, not the letters.
Photo: University of St. Gallen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Master's degrees: MBA or a specialist MSc?
Master's level has two main paths, and work experience separates them.
The MBA: for people with work experience
The QAA's Master's Degree Characteristics Statement (3rd edition, 2020) puts the MBA among "professional or practice" master's degrees. These programmes often admit students on the strength of their work experience, and they usually include practical elements. Business schools set their own entry rules. For example, the St.Gallen MBA asks for a bachelor's degree, at least two years of work experience, a GMAT, GRE or Executive Assessment score, and fluency in English. It runs over 12, 15 or 24 months. Tuition for the September 2027 intake is CHF 75,000 (St.Gallen MBA admissions, fees). An Executive MBA, such as HSG's International Executive MBA, is a part-time format for working managers.
Specialist master's degrees: straight after a bachelor's
Specialist MSc degrees go deep into one field and usually suit graduates without long work experience. Bocconi University in Milan is a typical example. Its MSc in Finance takes two years, is worth 120 credits and is taught in English. Bocconi also lists separate MSc programmes in Accounting and Financial Management, Marketing Management, International Management, and Data Science and Business Analytics (Bocconi MSc Finance).
In short: if you are finishing your bachelor's now, look at specialist master's degrees or a Master in Management. If you have several years of work behind you, the MBA is built for you.
Interesting programmes for you
Bachelor of Science · Full-time · On Campus
University of Rome Tor Vergata
Rome, Italy
Master of Arts · Full-time · On Campus
University of Zurich
Switzerland
Master of Arts · Full-time · On Campus
University of Zurich
Switzerland
Doctoral business degrees: PhD or DBA
A PhD in business, management or finance trains researchers and future professors. A DBA is a professional doctorate: it applies research to management practice and is usually taken part time by experienced managers. Our guide to doctoral degrees and the PhD compares the two and explains how long each takes.
The main business specialisations
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook breaks down US business degree holders by field (2024 data, from the US Census Bureau):
- Business management and administration: 28%
- General business: 19%
- Accounting: 17%
- Finance: 12%
- Marketing and marketing research: 12%
- Other business fields: 13%
So general management degrees are the most common, and accounting is the most common specialised field. Most other business majors (international business, supply chain, human resources, entrepreneurship, business analytics) are concentrations within these broad groups (BLS, Field of degree: Business).
What is the best business degree to have?
There is no single best business degree, but the BLS figures give a useful benchmark. People whose degree is in business had a median annual wage of $80,000 in 2024, compared with $73,000 across all fields of degree. The most common jobs among business graduates were accountants and auditors (8%), other managers (6%), financial managers (4%) and chief executives (3%) (BLS).
Two practical points follow from this:
- Accounting has the clearest single career path. It is the largest single occupation for business graduates. If you aim for a chartered or certified accountant title, ask each university which professional exams its degree gives exemptions from.
- General degrees keep options open. Business administration and management lead to the widest spread of jobs, which suits students who have not yet chosen a specialisation.
To compare schools, see the EduRank ranking of the best universities for business, and the Business discipline hub for programmes by country.
Before you pick a business degree: decide the level (bachelor's, specialist master's or MBA); check the maths load in the course list, not the BA/BS letters; for an MBA, count your years of full-time work (St.Gallen asks for at least two); note which tests each school wants (GMAT, GRE or Executive Assessment, plus English); compare total credits and length (HSG bachelor's 180 ECTS over 3 years; Bocconi MSc 120 credits over 2 years).
Next step
Once you know which level and type fits you, shortlist three to five programmes and check their entry requirements. For most business master's degrees, these are your bachelor's grades, an English test and sometimes a GMAT or GRE. Our how to apply guide walks you through the application from start to finish.
Plan your education with confidence and shape your future.
Solutions
Discover
Solutions
Discover