Business Analytics: BBA Business Analytics vs. B.Com Business Analytics

Business Analytics is a techno-functional field which includes technical and functional work related to managing business projects. A business analyst works with data analysis and interpretation. A business analyst can work in any industry where their work involves collecting data, interpreting it and improving the overall business operations and decision-making process. A degree course in business analytics will teach students essential skills about business operations, analytics, communication, project management, business statistics, data management and more.

Two popular courses in India for Business Analyst career aspirants are BBA Business Analytics and B. Com Business Analytics.

Course Duration and Eligibility: BBA Business Analytics vs. B.Com Business Analytics

BBA Business Analytics is a 3 years undergraduate programme that candidates can apply for after a 10+2 grade from any recognised board. They can complete their 12th grade from the Science, Commerce or Arts stream, with a minimum of 50% marks. Further, students have to appear for the entrance exam (Common Entrance Test) whose scores will determine which college they will get admission in.

B.Com Business Analytics is a three-year graduate course, and there is an option to choose a 4-year honours course. The candidate must have completed 10+2 exams from a recognised board with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks. The 12th-grade course must include Mathematics as a compulsory subject. Some colleges may conduct an entrance exam too.

Curriculum and Syllabus: BBA Business Analytics vs. B.Com Business Analytics

Under the Bachelor of Business Administration’s (BBA’s) Business Analytics specialisation, students will study Big Data, Data Mining, and Data Visualisation. The course focuses on developing student’s technical and management skills by focusing on analytical and communication skills. The syllabus covers the following topics –

• Big data analysis
• Marketing management
• HR management
• Finance management
• Business modelling
• Business communication
• Business law
• Predictive analytics
• Programming of analytics
• Business Analytics
• Operations management
• Business intelligence

Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) specialisation in Business Analytics programme from a reputed university is mostly offered in association with the Institute of Analytics (IoA). The IoA is a UK-based professional organisation of Analytics and Data Science professionals. The programme introduces students to big data and teaches the core concepts of business analytics. At the end of the course, the graduate student will be able to do predictive analysis and submit data reports to enable the company to make strategic decisions. The course syllabus covers –

• Business economics
• Marketing management
• Financial Accounting
• Business mathematics
• English communication
• Business Statistics
• Introduction to Business Analytics and Contract Management
• Human resource management
• Corporate accounting
• Taxation
• Research Methodology
• Business law

Placement opportunities: BBA Business Analytics vs. B.Com Business Analytics

After BBA Business Analytics, the career opportunities are as -

• Data Scientist - Conduct data analysis, develop data strategies, and collaborate with data engineers to obtain the data.
• Quantitative Analyst - analyse quantitative data using quantitative tools and structures.
• Data Business Analyst/Business Analyst Manager/ Consultant - analyse business data and develop business strategies, conduct risk analysis
• Marketing Analyst - Analyse market trends, design marketing campaigns, and assess marketing success rate
• Project manager - manage projects
• Data mining - find, analyse and arrange data in a cohesive manner
• Business Intelligence - Study data to spot trends, risk analysis, and give helpful insights
• Retail Sales Analyst - study sales trends and forecast
• Big Data Analyst - analyse big data
• Machine Learning Engineer - develop software solutions for data management

After B.Com Business Analytics, the career opportunities are as -

• Financial Market - analyse financial market conditions and forecast trends
• Solutions Architect - design and build software solutions for data analysis
• Business Consultant/ Advisor - Study business data and provide business solutions
• Systems Analyst - analyse business process and systems based on the data
• Stock market analyst - study and analyse stock market trends
• Derivatives trader - study and deal in derivatives market

Scope for Business Analysts

After completing a graduate programme in Business Analytics, a person can work for technology companies, consulting firms, research agencies, or companies in different industries. With a graduate degree, a professional can work in executive or mid-level management. To grow in the field, and take up leadership and team managerial roles, you will have to complete an MBA or postgraduate course in Data Science. You can also supplement your degree with some professional certification courses or platform certification in data analytics tools. There are many Database Management System (DBMS) tools and doing a certification programme in one of these can greatly enhance one’s career prospects. You can become an independent consultant and start your consultancy firm supporting businesses. Data is the new currency and has a high value in business. Thus, business analytics is an exciting field with no dearth of opportunities for talented individuals.