BBA or Bachelor: what is the difference and which one should you choose?

In brief
BBA stands for Bachelor of Business Administration. BBA and Bachelor are two names used by business schools, but on their own they do not guarantee a particular level of qualification or recognition.
To compare programmes, it is better to check their State accreditation, their grade and their listing on the RNCP, rather than relying solely on their title.
At Excelia Business School, the Bachelor in Business lasts three years, while the BBA International lasts four years and gives an important place to international experience.

What do BBA and Bachelor mean?

Before choosing between a BBA and a Bachelor, let us start by understanding what these two names cover.

BBA is the abbreviation of Bachelor of Business Administration. Inspired by the Anglo-Saxon model, this qualification is generally organised over four years and emphasises management and international outlook.

The Bachelor, for its part, most often corresponds to a three-year undergraduate programme, with an approach geared towards professionalisation and the acquisition of skills in commerce, administration or management.

These differences are general trends, not absolute rules. Each school builds its programmes according to its own educational objectives.

Excelia Business School thus offers two pathways that illustrate these formats well: the Bachelor in Business, over three years, and the BBA International, over four years.

But be careful: the length and the name of a programme are not enough to determine its value. To compare two qualifications properly, other criteria deserve your attention.

The name of a qualification does not tell you its level. The benchmarks that do are public, the two Excelia Business School programmes combine them, and the next section sets them out in detail.

Which criteria really compare two programmes?

Three public benchmarks make it possible to compare two programmes on facts: State accreditation, the grade and the RNCP listing, each record of which can be consulted in the France compétences register.

• State accreditation: granted by the Ministry of Higher Education, it checks the academic quality of the programme
• The grade: awarded by that same ministry, it places the qualification in the licence, master, doctorate sequence and gives access to the programmes that require it when you continue your studies
• The RNCP listing: granted by France compétences, it certifies that the skills targeted correspond to identified careers and makes the qualification readable for companies that recruit on a work-study basis

Both Excelia Business School's Bachelor in Business and its BBA International combine State accreditation, the Grade de Licence and listing at level 6 of the RNCP scale. This equality applies to these three benchmarks only, since the duration, the place of international experience and the target profile distinguish the two programmes.

Both programmes are also accredited by EQUIS and AACSB, two international accreditations awarded to the school. EQUIS recognises the quality of the school's strategy, while AACSB assesses its mission, the qualifications of its faculty, its intellectual contributions and its teaching programmes.

Three years or four: what does the extra year change?

Excelia Business School offers the Bachelor in Business over three years and the BBA International over four years, which is one year more. This extra year, entirely focused on international business, combines a common core in international management, a specialisation of your choice, a dissertation and professional experience abroad, in the form of an internship or a programme abroad.

When two programmes are not the same length, the useful question concerns the content of the extra year rather than the number of years.

Each year of study also adds its own budget, whether for tuition fees, accommodation or daily life. Our study fees simulator helps you estimate this budget.

What role does international experience play?

International outlook is one of the major characteristics of Excelia Business School's BBA International. Far more than a simple option, it is an integral part of the pathway and accompanies students throughout their programme.

Teaching is delivered in French and/or English, in a multicultural environment that makes it possible to develop language skills, discover different management practices and prepare to work in an international context.

Depending on the admission route chosen, part of the programme takes place abroad. This experience allows students to discover other academic and cultural environments, while developing their ability to move within a professional world open to the international. The page dedicated to the BBA International presents the various mobility possibilities and the organisation of the pathway.

The Bachelor in Business and the BBA International thus meet different approaches: the former is centred on the fundamentals of commerce, administration and management, while the latter places international experience at the heart of the programme.

If you are comparing several business schools, remember to look concretely at the place given to international experience: courses in foreign languages, a semester of study abroad, international internships or a multicultural environment. All of these are elements that can help you choose a programme in line with your ambitions.

Which profile for which programme?

Excelia Business School's Bachelor in Business is aimed at secondary school pupils, as well as Bac+2 students, who are looking for practical, career-focused training. It trains operational profiles in commerce, administration and management, with field experience and specialisations that refine the plan, and it also suits anyone still working out their direction and wanting to take the time to define it.

The BBA International is aimed at profiles who are passionate about the international, who are considering a career abroad and want to study in a multicultural environment.

If your plans are not yet defined, take our undergraduate guidance quiz to identify your profile and matching programmes.

Each programme has its own campuses and specialisations, detailed on the Bachelor in Business page and on the BBA International page.

What to do after a BBA or a Bachelor?

The Bachelor in Business is a springboard towards the school's Bac+5 programmes, the Master in Management (Programme Grande École) and Excelia Business School's Master of Science (MSc) programmes. After the BBA International, two routes open up: entering the job market directly, or continuing to a master's degree, in France or internationally. The article on the careers accessible after a business school sets out these career prospects in detail.

That leaves admission. A secondary school pupil in France applies on Parcoursup. Entry partway through the programme also exists, with arrangements specific to each programme.

Frequently asked questions

What does the acronym BBA stand for?

The letters BBA abbreviate Bachelor of Business Administration, a title that refers to a business school qualification. Excelia Business School's BBA International is an example, and is taken over four years.

How do you compare two programmes called BBA or Bachelor?

Each benchmark answers a question: State accreditation, whether the Ministry of Higher Education has checked the academic quality; the grade, whether the qualification gives access to the programmes that require it; the listing on the Répertoire national des certifications professionnelles (RNCP), whether the skills targeted lead to identified careers. The duration and the place of international experience complete the comparison, and both Excelia Business School programmes are listed on the RNCP at level 6.

Do you need a BBA to work internationally?

The BBA is not the only route. At Excelia Business School, the Bachelor in Business also allows an academic stay abroad during the programme, while the BBA International is aimed at profiles who are considering a career abroad. After the BBA International, a master's degree in France or internationally remains possible.

What does the fourth year of the BBA International change?

Entirely focused on international business, the extra year of the BBA International adds in particular a dissertation and professional experience abroad. The programme page sets out its content in detail.

Can you take a BBA straight after the baccalaureate?

Yes, at Excelia Business School: a secondary school pupil in France applies to the BBA International via Parcoursup. The entry arrangements, including entry partway through the programme, are set out on the programme page.