What Is A Business Administration Degree?

When you consider the many elements of a business that needs to seamlessly integrate into one moving organism, it could make your brain hurt. Essentially, these different elements of business need to seamlessly collaborate with each other, and it is done so by having managers and individuals with degrees in business administration who understand how to operate different facets of a business.

Business administration is a degree program that encompasses a number of broad business-related topics, and it is designed to train individuals in the best way to operate and run specific parts of an organization.

Throughout the course, you will cover content that will encompass almost every aspect of a business such as accounting processes, human resources, financial management, marketing, operations management, and much more.

While there is a broad spectrum of career choices that you could choose from within the degree program, you also have the choice to specialize and focus on one particular field. For example, if numbers are your game, you may get your degree and specialization in accounting or finance.

If you are good at working with people and you are able to motivate a team of people, you may go into human resources, although keeping a team motivated is just one small fraction of human resources.

Let us take a closer look at business administration as a degree program and what skills it can equip you with.

What Can You Do With A Business Administration Degree?

If business managers set out the path for a business and create goals that a business should work toward, then business administrators are the drivers of the vehicles that will head down a specific path toward meeting those business goals.

With this degree, you will have a holistic grasp of core and fundamental business functions. While you can work as a business administrator or an accountant, or any number of other roles within a company, you can also work as a consultant, providing administrative services to many clients.

The skills that you will ultimately acquire from this program will allow you to add strategic organizational value to the business with which you work. From designing and establishing processes for a business, to actually executing these processes, the hope is that you will be equipped to carry out all business processes for your own success and the success of the organization.

The main goal of business administrators is to keep an organization profitable, ensuring that operations are efficient and that everything is done effectively with resources used in the most economical way.

There are several jobs that you can pursue with a degree in business administration, the first of which is that of a sales manager. As a sales manager, while you may or may not be directly selling the organization's products and services, you will oversee and manage other sales representatives who are directly responsible for selling products and services.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), sales managers earn a median annual salary of $127,490.

If you are hoping to work with multiple companies and organizations, you could pursue a career as a business consultant that collaborates with business managers to improve the efficacy of a company's strategy and assisting them in becoming more profitable.

According to the BLS, Business consultants earn a median annual salary of $93,000.

If you are interested in focusing solely on the financial aspect of a business such as how much turnover and profit a business is bringing in, if you are interested in where the money of a business is being spent (from salaries of employees, equipment, stock, and overheads), and if you would like to take steps to make sure that a company stays financially afloat, then perhaps you can pursue the role of a financial analyst.

According to the BLS, financial analysts earn a median annual salary of $95,570.

What Degrees Are Available?

If you know that business administration is the career path that you want to head toward, there are many degree options that you can pursue. An associate degree will equip you with the skills and qualifications needed for an entry-level role within an organization and it takes around two years to complete. It is a great way of getting your foot in the door before furthering your qualifications or working experience.

Next, you could opt for a bachelor's degree, which is often the most common degree in business administration. With this degree, you can study full-time for four years and even qualify for management-level roles.

Lastly, you could pursue an MBA which can take up to two years to complete on top of a bachelor's degree qualification. This degree qualifies you for c-suite level roles and upper management roles.

What Does It Take To Work In Business Administration?

You would need a unique combination of technical or quantitative skills, which is usually acquired through the course work and content that you take in your degree program, and you will need soft skills such as effective communication skills, rational thinking, and problem-solving skills that will allow you to be the best version of yourself in fulfilling a role as a business administrator.

FAQs

What Is The General Function Of A Business Administrator?

Business administrators are responsible for overseeing and managing the general operations of an entire business or a specific department within a business.

Is A Business Administration Degree Hard To Obtain?

While there is a heavy course load and a lot of course content to cover within a business administration degree, and while you will be learning a number of technical components, it isn't hard to earn this degree, provided your work hard and stay on top of all the content.

Is There A Lot Of Math Included In Business Administration?

While you will need to grasp basic concepts of math like addition and subtraction, you don't necessarily need to be a mathematical savant to pursue business administration.

Conclusion

When deciding what career to pursue and what degree to obtain, a business administration degree may be the best option for you if you are inclined to manage the operations of an organization. With this degree in hand, you will be equipped with the needed skills to successfully manage and operate the organizational aspects of a business.