BHM vs BBA (HM) vs BA Tourism - Which is the Best Option after Class 12th?
BHM, BBA(HM) and BA Tourism are three of the most popular undergraduate hotel management courses in India. These courses are somewhat related but they can give different directions to a student's career. Here is a comparison of BHM, BBA (HM) and BA Tourism to help you decide the best course for you.
For any student who wishes to join the hotel management and tourism industry after class 12th, there are a number of educational pathways available. These pathways are available in the form of hotel management courses after class 12th. Hotel management colleges in India mostly offer degree or diploma undergraduate courses in hospitality, hotel management and tourism. It is up to the candidate to decide which course he/she wants to take up after completing class 12th.
For a candidate facing the dilemma of choosing a course after class 12th, the choice can be rather confusing. It can get a bit tricky to figure out which would be the best choice of hospitality course for a candidate, and this may cause a candidate to either choose the wrong course for their needs or take up a popular course, which may not prove to be the best choice for them. At this point, the best thing to focus on would be the career options offered by hospitality courses.
There are some popular hospitality courses like BHM, BBA and BA Tourism. Most of them are available in the hotel management colleges in India. To pursue any of these hospitality service courses, colleges require either national-level entrance exam scores or institute-level entrance test scores. It completely depends on the college candidates will apply for. Some colleges consider only candidates’ merit for admission to the courses like BBA and BA Tourism. In this article, you will come to know about all these matters in detail.
Also Read:How to choose a Hotel Management college after class 12th?
Best Hotel Management Course After Class 12th
Here are some important points a candidate must keep in mind to help them decide on the best hospitality course for them.
- The hospitality industry has its very own career niches or areas of work or specializations just like every other industry.
For eg. think about how many operations are going on in a hotel at once -- from the general management to housekeeping to kitchen management to food preparation. Specialists are often required for each of these niches. Before deciding on or even researching the available courses, it is very important that a candidate figure out which area of the hospitality industry they wish to join.
It is not required to have the exact and perfect idea of where the candidate wishes to be. They can have a general idea by thinking about their likes and asking themselves simple questions such as the ones given below.
Do I like to interact with people and make friends, as a General Manager would do, or do I like to work in the back end without having to directly deal with customers, as a chef would normally do?
- Am I interested in visiting and knowing about new places, as a tourism consultant would be required to do, or would I like to stay in one place and manage my own business, as a restaurant owner or manager would do?
If you are still having trouble deciding, take the CollegeDekho career profiling test, which will give you an accurate idea of your personality and best fields of study and career.
Also Read:Hotel Management Admissions in India: Eligibility, Exams, Top Colleges
Once a candidate has decided the goals, it is time to talk about the courses. In this article, we compare three undergraduate hospitality courses that can be taken up after class 12th -- BA in Tourism, Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM), and BBA in Hotel Management. Candidates can check how important aspects of each of these courses compare and then decide which would be the best choice for them after class 12th.
BHM vs BBA (HM) vs BA Tourism
| Factor | BHM | BBA (HM) | BA Tourism |
| Full Name | Bachelor of Hotel Management | Bachelor of Business Administration in Hotel Management | Bachelor of Arts in Tourism |
| About | BHM is the most popular choice of course among hotel management aspirants. The course focuses on all aspects related to the management and operation of the hotel and hospitality industry such as front office operations, catering etc. | BBA (HM) is a management course in hotel management that focuses more on imparting managerial and finance management skills in a candidate. It is focused more on the management aspect of each section of the hotel and hospitality industry. | The BA Tourism course is a very different course than the other two it is being compared to. The course focuses on the aspects of travel and tourism management including marketing, history, languages, etc. The course is more related to the Humanities and Social Sciences Stream. |
| Duration | 4 years | 3 years | 3 years |
| Eligibility | All of three courses are undergraduate courses available at the bachelor's level. The eligibility criteria for admission to these courses is as given below.
| ||
| Age Limit | 22 years (General) 25 years (Reserved category) | 25 years | No Age Limit |
| Top Colleges | |||
| Entrance Exam | Hotel Management Entrance Exams such as NCHMCT JEE | No common entrance exam is conducted for admission. However, the college you are applying to may conduct its own entrance exam. The exact admission process is defined by individual colleges and universities. | |
| Admission Process | Admissions are based on counselling as per the criteria set by the exam conducting body and college of application. | Admissions are based mostly on the basis of merit as per class 12th score or entrance test (if conducted). | |
| Average Course Fee | Rs. 4 - 6 lakhs | Rs. 1 - 3 lakhs | Rs. 50,000 - 1 lakh |
| Scope and Job Opportunities | BHM graduates are hired for the following job profiles: | The following positions are usually open for BBA (HM) graduates:
| Given below are the popular job profiles of BA Tourism graduates: |
| Average Starting Salary | Rs. 3 - 5 LPA | Rs. 3 - 5 LPA | Rs. 2 - 4 LPA |
| Who is it for? | Candidates who wish to pursue a career in the hotel and hospitality industry as a manager, chef, caterer etc. Since the course also involves the teaching of culinary skills, it is also great for restaurateurs. Since this is a vocational course, it is a bit more expensive than the other two but also has better scope and salary prospects than the other two. | Candidates who wish to go into the business and financial management of hospitality establishments such as hotels, resorts etc. This is also a good course for any candidate who wants to take up an MBA (HM) course in future. The course offers excellent prospects to students who wish to take up management level positions in top hotel management companies and organizations. | Candidates who wish to join the tourism industry in any role, including travel consultant, travel manager, travel marketer etc. It is also a great course for people who wish to take up jobs in the public sector and wish to pursue master's and research level courses in the travel and tourism sector. |
This was a comparison of some of the important factors associated with BHM, BBA (HM) and BA tourism courses. If you have any queries or doubts, feel free to ask our experts on the CollegeDekho QnA Zone.
Also Read:Hotel Management vs Travel & Tourism Management
Hotel Management is one of the most popular streams of higher education in India. It offers great prospects in terms of making a career while enjoying a lavish lifestyle and travel around the globe. It is also relatively less intensive as compared to some other streams such as engineering and medicine.
However, it must be noted that a career in the field of hotel management can be very demanding and require immense levels of discipline, patience, and willpower. But for the students who do find success, the rewards are potentially unlimited. Here is some related information about hotel management education in India.
If you have any doubts, ask our experts on the CollegeDekho QnA Zone. For help with admissions, fill our Common Application Form (CAF) or call our toll-free student helpline number 1800-572-9877. Stay tuned to CollegeDekho for the latest news and updates regarding hotel management education in India!