Quick Highlights
- A-State’s online B.S. in Business Administration (BSBA) program spans the functions of a business with 16 electives, while the online B.A. in Organizational Leadership program emphasizes leading people, communication, conflict and change with at 43 electives.
- Both degrees can support management and leadership careers, so choose based on the coursework and skills you want to develop: business functions in the BSBA, and people, change and conflict in the B.A.
- Both programs cost $302 per credit with fees included and accept up to 90 transfer hours, and accepted credits shorten the degree only when they apply to degree requirements.
- Each program meets the bachelor’s requirement for a master’s, and the BSBA is offered through A-State’s AACSB-accredited Neil Griffin College of Business.
Ready to complete your bachelor’s degree and move toward management or leadership, but not sure which one to choose? At Arkansas State University (A-State), the online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) program provides a broad business foundation with elective business areas, and the online Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Organizational Leadership program emphasizes the skills needed to manage and lead. This guide compares the two side by side, from credit structure and coursework to transfer credit, so you can pick the curriculum that fits your goals.
What Is the Difference Between a BSBA and a B.A. in Organizational Leadership?
A BSBA is a bachelor’s degree that covers the core functions of a business and lets you tailor your electives to a business area. A B.A. in organizational leadership is a bachelor’s degree centered on managing and leading people. A-State’s AACSB-accredited BSBA lets you focus its 16 elective credit hours on areas such as Finance, Marketing, Sales or Supply Chain Management. Beyond 38 credit hours of general education, the BSBA assigns 66 credits to major and other courses, while the B.A. assigns 39 credits to its major and 43 to electives.
| Program feature | Online BSBA | Online B.A. in Organizational Leadership |
|---|---|---|
| Credit structure | 38 general education, 66 major and other, 16 elective | 38 general education, 39 major, 43 elective |
| Transfer allowance | Up to 90 hours of accepted credit that applies to degree requirements | Up to 90 hours of accepted credit that applies to degree requirements |
| Price | $302 per credit, fees included | $302 per credit, fees included |
| Admission for transfer students | 13 or more transferable credits, 2.0 GPA on that work, $30 application | 13 or more transferable credits, 2.0 GPA on that work, $30 application |
| Format | Fully online; seven-week courses in fall and spring, five-week courses in summer | Fully online; seven-week courses in fall and spring, five-week courses in summer |
| Coursework | Major courses include Business Finance, Foundation of Business Analytics, Marketing and Strategic Management; elective pathways in ten business areas | Major courses include Principles of Management, Human Resources Management, Leadership, Organizational Change and Development, Compensation and Benefits, and Conflict Resolution |
| Example skills on the program page | Decision-making and understanding core business functions | Communication strategies, problem solving and employee relations |
Because price, credits, transfer and format are identical, your choice comes down to coursework and skills. The BSBA explores how key business functions work together and allows students to focus elective coursework in a specific business area. The B.A. teaches how people and organizations work, from conflict resolution to organizational change, and leaves 43 credits for electives. Both majors include Principles of Management.
Which Degree Fits Your Goals?
Choose the BSBA for breadth across business functions and the B.A. for depth in how people and organizations work; both can support management and leadership careers. Many management and leadership positions list a bachelor’s degree as a common educational requirement, making both programs viable pathways for professionals seeking advancement.
If HR is your target goal, both degrees reach it through different coursework, and A-State’s program pages list HR manager as a career for each. The online BSBA offers Human Resource Management as one of ten elective pathways, while the online B.A. in Organizational Leadership includes human resource management and compensation and benefits within the major.
If a promotion at your company requires a bachelor’s degree without naming a major, both degrees qualify you to apply. When evaluating the two programs, consider which curriculum aligns more closely with your long-term career goals and the skills you want to develop.
How Do Transfer Credits Change What You Pay?
Every accepted credit that applies to your degree requirements is one you don’t pay for: at $302 per credit, every 30 accepted transfer credits lowers your cost by $9,060. A-State evaluates your official transcripts during admission and accepts up to 90 transfer hours toward the 120 credits, but only the credits that fit your degree’s requirements reduce the coursework you still need. A student engagement specialist can explain which credits count.
- Gather transcripts from every school you attended.
- Ask a student engagement specialist how your credits will be evaluated.
- Subtract the accepted credits that apply to your degree from 120 to see what is left.
For example, if 60 accepted credits apply to your degree requirements, 60 remain. That also reduces tuition by $18,120 (60 x $302).
| Accepted credits that apply | Credits left to complete |
|---|---|
| 30 | 90 |
| 60 | 60 |
| 90 | 30 |
The numbers assume A-State accepts the credits and that they apply to your degree requirements.
Before you apply
- Transfer allowance: Up to 90 of the 120 credits can transfer, once accepted and applied to degree requirements.
- Transfer admission: Applicants need 13 or more transferable credits, a 2.0 GPA on that work and a $30 application fee.
- Transcript review: A student engagement specialist explains what counts during the credit evaluation at admission.
- Tuition: $302 per credit includes all fees, as of 2026. Confirm current tuition and program details before applying.
- Estimates: The program page’s tuition estimator does not guarantee which credits A-State will accept.
Older credits from a community college or an earlier university may still be worth sending, since A-State decides what to accept when it evaluates your official transcripts. Send every transcript, including the oldest.
Where Does Each Degree Lead?
Both degrees may satisfy the bachelor’s degree requirement for admission consideration to A-State’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program and online Master of Science (M.S.) in Organizational Leadership program. Either bachelor’s keeps both graduate options open when you are ready.
Cindy Brawley, who finished her online BSBA in December 2022, now supports students as an A-State academic advisor: “Now I have stories that I can tell my students to encourage them.” She earned the degree while working, and she credits the online format: “You can work and do school on your own time.”
Choose the Curriculum That Matches Your Goals
Both degrees can support a move into management, so the decision rests on the curriculum. The BSBA pairs 66 credits of major and other business courses with 16 electives you can aim at one area. The B.A. focuses a 39-credit major on organizational change, conflict resolution and human resources, leaving 43 credits for electives. Read the posting for your next role, or the skills you want to add, and choose the curriculum that matches them.
Whichever you choose, start by ordering official transcripts from every school you attended. A-State evaluates them during admission, and the credits it accepts and applies to your degree requirements determine how much coursework and tuition remain.
Explore A-State’s online BSBA program or online B.A. in Organizational Leadership program.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have credits from a community college and a university from more than a decade ago. Will they count?
They may. A-State decides which credits to accept when it evaluates your official transcripts during admission, up to 90 transfer hours, and accepted credits reduce your remaining coursework only when they apply to your degree requirements. A student engagement specialist can explain how your credits would be evaluated, including older ones.
I am a shift lead who wants a manager title at my current company. Which degree should I choose?
Read the job posting for the title you want and note the skills it lists. The B.A. includes conflict resolution, organizational change and human resources in its major, and the BSBA includes finance, analytics and marketing, with Human Resource Management available as an elective area. Pick the curriculum that matches the skills the posting lists.
Will either degree let me apply to a master’s later?
Yes. Both meet the bachelor’s requirement for the MBA and the M.S. in Organizational Leadership at A-State. Graduate admission requires a bachelor’s degree and a 2.5 cumulative GPA, or 2.75 in your last 60 hours.
Can I study while working full time and raising kids?
Both degrees are fully online, so courses can fit around your work schedule and family time. Courses run seven weeks in fall and spring and five weeks in summer, so you work in short, focused blocks.
I don’t know which master’s I want yet. Does that change which bachelor’s I pick?
It does not have to. Either bachelor’s degree qualifies you to apply to both master’s programs, so choose based on the coursework and skills you want and decide the graduate route later.