Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program (BSBA), formerly known as BS in Commerce (BSC), is designed to produce graduates that possess a familiarity of business operations and equip them with critical decision making skills for strategic and executive work necessary for competing in the ever-changing world of global business. The program empowers students with a basic and clear understanding of the functions of every division in a company, be it in marketing, finance, operations, human resources, and office management. Training in this program emphasizes leadership skills, and thus prepares them you managerial and supervisory positions.

Subjects and Curriculum
All major fields of the BSBA program have the same General Education Core, Basic Business Core and Business Education Core. The subjects are divided into five categories:

• General Education core: Language and Humanities Cluster, Mathematics, Computer and Natural Science Cluster, Social Sciences Cluster, Mandated Subjects
• Basic Business Core: Principles of Management, Human Behavior in Organization (HBO), Principles of Marketing, Accounting 1, Business Communication, Basic Finance, Computer
• Business Education Core: Basic Microeconomics, Accounting II, Business Law (Obligation and Contract), Taxation (Income Taxation), Total Quality Management, Human Resource Management, Social Responsibility and Good Governance
• Professional Courses (according to the selected major)
• Electives

Is Business Administration a profession?
Business Administration is not considered a profession. It is a general course, which gives a wide but rather shallow knowledge in business related subjects.

What are the admission requirements for BS in Business Administration in the Philippines?
There are no specific requirements for this course. As long as you are a high school graduate, able to submit the necessary credentials/documents, and pass the college entrance examination and interview, you will be eligible for admission and enrolment in the BSBA program. 

Students who were not able to complete secondary level of education have the chance to be admitted if they pass the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT). 

What skills are required to succeed in this course?
These are the skills that you need to possess or develop to be able to succeed in this course: 

• Analytical skills – The ability to see all the different aspect of a complex problem, and to tackle them one by one.
• Interpersonal skills – Students must be able to relate to all kinds of people while leading and inspiring teams and setting them to tasks.
• Decision making skills – the capacity to take all the evidence and make good judgment calls in high pressure situations is a necessary skill for doing business.
• Communication skills – the ability to write and converse in English is necessary for global business in the present day, and it is also a vital skill in leading teams.
• Mathematical skills – a basic grasp of arithmetic and a predisposition for numbers are necessary as accounting and auditing are vital components to this course, and require a fair amount of mathematical knowledge.

Specializations
There are numerous specializations for the BSBA program; here are the main ones:

• Management Accounting:
  A higher-level branch of accounting which deals with company audits on a macro scale.
• Entrepreneurship:
  A methodology of seeking startup business opportunities through initiative and wit, especially in industries with emerging new technologies.
• Marketing:
  A set of subjects that identifies and delineates demographics in order to effectively introduce, promote, and sell a given company’s products or services to consumers.
• Financial Management:
  The practice of sustaining monetary stability and assessing accurate financial information on the organization and the operations of domestic banking and non-banking institutions.
• Business management:
  Focuses on the different aspects of business operations and various leadership theories while equipping students to start their own business.
• Economics:
  The practice of allocating scarce resources to the needs of the many. Students will also engage in inter-disciplinary analyses of issues through various theories postulated by economic gurus.
• Human Resource Development Management:
  Defines the human aspect of an organization with their social, financial, intellectual, physical needs and capacities. Theories and methodologies regarding leadership skills enable students to manage and utilize human resources to meet the needs of organizations in public, private and nonprofit sectors.

How difficult is this course?
BSBA is not too difficult as a course, yet it requires a lot of hard work, business savvy, interpersonal skills, and more practice than theory. It is very rewarding, as it will equip you to find business opportunities where most people see none.

How long does it take to complete BS in Business Administration in the Philippines?
The BSBA program takes 4 years to complete. Universities which go by the Trimester school calendar, require less time to finish the course.

The typical Philippine university's BSBA program requires 120 credit hours, which are divided into to 8 semesters. 

On The Job Training / Internship
As mandated by CHED (the official governing body of higher education institutions in the Philippines), on the job training is a requirement for the BSBA program. The total number of hours set for internships according to CHED is 300 hours. 

During the On-The-Job training program, you will be assigned to work at a company where you will experience an actual working environment in order to give concrete meanings to the theories and learning posited in the classroom. 

Is there a board examination for BSBA?
There is no board examination for BSBA. However, there is an existing competency examination that is taken by most graduates who belong to this course. This test is called the Civil Service Examination (CSE) which is conducted by the Philippine Civil Service Commission (PCSC). To be qualified to work in government offices, BSBA graduates have to take and pass the exam. 

Career opportunities for BSBA graduates

• Entry Level jobsJobs requiring no prior to minimal level of experience:
  • Marketing – Marketing Assistant, Marketing Associate, Junior Marketing Executive, Investment Consultant.
  • Sales – Sales & Marketing Coordinator, Sales Support, Sales Representative, Account Manager, Leads Management.
  • Human Resources – HR Assistant, Junior Recruiter.
  • Administration – Assistant store manager, General administrative jobs.
  • Finance – Junior Financial Advisor, Junior Finance Analyst.
  • Accounting – Payroll Assistant, Accounting Staff, Accounting Assistant.
• Advanced PositionsRequire trainings and prior job experience of a few years:
  • Marketing – Senior Marketing Executive, Marketing Officer, Marketing Manager, VP of Marketing.
  • Sales – Senior Account Manager, Area Sales Manager, Sales Manager, VP of Sales.
  • Management – Retail Operations Manager, Branch Manager, Assistant Branch Manager, Area Manager.
  • Business Development – Business Development Executive, Business Development Manager, Analytics Officer.
  • Human Resources – HR Consultant, HR Officer, Senior Recruiter, HR Director, HR Analyst.
  • Finance – Senior Financial Advisor, Senior Finance Analyst, Budget Analyst.
  • Accounting – Payroll Officer, Payroll Specialist, Bookkeeper, Cost Controller.
• Jobs not related to BSBA that graduates can apply to
  • Customer Service representative – provides technical support for outsourced client queries regarding various products.
  • Freelancer working online – outsourcing work from home through various skills, such as data entry, article writing, SEO, customer support, administrative support etc.
  • Receptionist – represent a business or individual by communicating with customers while taking charge of multiple office tasks and equipment.
  • Secretary/Office Administration
• Career Opportunities AbroadBSBA graduates from the Philippines are sought after in Asian countries with strong economies like Malaysia and Singapore, and also in countries in the Middle East like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Job opportunities are more or less the same with the above mentioned positions.
• Salary LevelsDue to the general nature of the BSBA course, it is impossible to give a reliable estimate of the salary levels. Your salary will depend on the school you graduated from, the industry you will work in, your position and your experience.Salaries in developed countries are generally much higher, and can range from twice to 10 times higher than in the Philippines for similar positions.