What Can You Do With A Business Degree?

Of all the degrees that people have the option of pursuing, degrees in business and business administration often appear as one of the most popular. It is a top choice for many and sets the career path that they should consider pursuing. But why is it such a popular choice, and what can you do with a business and business administration degree?

The answer is that you can do quite a lot with a degree in business. At its most fundamental level, the versatility and overarching aspects of content covered in a business degree make it an outstanding choice for almost any career that people choose to follow, in almost every industry.

There is a common misconception that many people have when they think of a business degree and that is that they need to own a business. But this is not true. Yes, having a business or business administration degree will help you if you do decide to establish your own entity, but that is not the 'do or die' roles that you could fulfill with this qualification.

Many employers also actively seek out employees who have a business degree because the skills that are acquired in this degree are transferrable and effective in most organizational settings. Therefore, having this degree makes you extremely appealing to potential recruiters, which is great when you are actively searching for a job.

Let us take a closer look at this degree, its components, and what you can do with it when you enter the workforce.

What Is A Business Or Business Administration Degree?

In a nutshell, this degree teaches you the processes and strategies that are required to run a business, and to do so successfully. Aside from running or owning a business, it teaches you how a business should be operated effectively and systematically, meaning that it is a great degree to have that goes beyond management applications but is also effective at the functional level.

A bachelor's degree provides you with an overarching understanding of business operations, but it also gives you insight into more specific aspects of these operations.

For example, some of the coursework that you would take in a general business degree at a bachelor's level may open up a variety of specialization prospects for future studies and for your career.

Once you have the business degree in hand, you can further pursue career fields in accounting, finance, human resources, consulting (in terms of business management, operations, or in a number of sub-fields), healthcare management, marketing, and public administration.

What Can You Do With A Business Degree?

Ultimately, the effort you put into your career and your degree come from the goals which you set for yourself. A business degree allows you to set both specific and narrowly defined goals, as well as broad goals for the direction you hope for your career to head in.

While the opportunities that a business degree unlocks are nearly infinite, what you decide to do with this resource is entirely dependent on you. For example, a business degree can serve as a secondary qualification for professionals who are hoping to run the business side of their organization, as well as carry out the trade or service in which they initially specialized.

For example, someone who is a carpenter by trade and skill may seek to establish their own business. While they are an expert in carpentry, they may pursue a business degree to effectively run their business by themselves.

If you decide to make a business degree the basis for your career, you will unlock career prospects in a variety of industries where you will have the opportunity to further your studies, and where a business degree serves as the bedrock for your career.

You can decide if a business degree will be a placeholder on your shelf that may assist you in your career, or whether it will be the foundational element of your career, but the benefits that the degree poses, in either case, are undeniable.

What Types Of Business Degrees Are There?

When considering the types of general business degrees that you can pursue, there are many, and each comes with its own benefits. A bachelor's degree in business takes around four years to complete and it exposes you to the important and necessary elements required to successfully utilize the skills you will acquire.

When you are ready to enter the workforce, having a bachelor's degree equips you for entry-level and mid-level roles, depending on the experience, if any, that you may have.

A master's degree in business or a master's degree in business administration (MBA) is another popular graduate degree option that many people consider pursuing. Having an MBA in hand qualifies you to work in executive-level roles or as a senior manager.

Lastly, one could consider pursuing a doctorate in business or business administration which usually opens c-suite level roles, or pursuing roles in the field of education as a professor.

If you are working while studying, furthering your qualifications and education may entitle you to job and salary growth within the organization you currently find yourself occupying.

Why Should You Consider A Business Degree?

While each has their own reason for pursuing a business degree, whether it is to establish their own business, or because they are seeking growth in their own career, pursuing this degree presents considerable benefits.

The first way in which it helps you is by equipping you with the valuable skills needed for business operations. Moreover, if you are hoping to focus on a specific field within business operations, taking coursework in a specific degree will help you set up your success in the role.

If you are already in the workforce and you already have a job, pursuing a business degree will contribute to your career growth and open doors and opportunities for you to earn promotions in your workplace. Not only does it increase your prospects of growth because of the new skill sets you may acquire, but it will also enhance your performance in the role you currently occupy.

The skills you acquire and the growth you receive in your workplace come with obvious salary increases and benefit increases. It also comes with greater responsibilities and opportunities to showcase your expertise.

Aside from the new skills, you will undoubtedly have, you will also develop a new outlook on business strategies and operations. If you choose to pursue a general and overarching degree, you will no longer focus on the micro aspects of a business such as just accounting or human resources, but rather you will look at it from a macro level and how each smaller element seamlessly integrates to successfully operate as a whole.

Lastly, having a business degree allows you to become an effective and successful leader for your organization, your internal employees, as well as customers and clients that you may work with.

FAQs

Do I Need A Business Degree To Be An Accountant?

While you may not need a business degree to be an accountant, you may need a finance degree or an accounting degree. However, taking a business degree or a business administration degree will provide you a foundational and fundamental knowledge and understanding of business finances and accounting processes.

With that said, if you choose to specialize in accounting, a business degree will open the door for that opportunity, but if you are overseeing a business or prefer to operate in an area outside of accounting and finances, you will still have enough understanding of accounting processes that you would have acquired from your business degree.

Conclusion

When you wonder what you can do with a business degree, it truly opens up countless opportunities. The benefits that it will have in your own personal life and career are what you choose to do with it and how effective you are at applying the skills you acquire into practice.