Business education provides versatility because it can be applied to a variety of industries and organizations, including new businesses, rising startups, small businesses, nonprofits, health care organizations, schools and large corporations.

A business administration degree teaches business fundamentals and business management best practices. Students get a broad understanding of business fields, such as finance, marketing and human resources. Students will likely learn how to plan, organize, lead and support various aspects of a business.

There are lots of things you can do with a business administration degree, from owning a business to an increased leadership role at an organization. Here’s a look at the potential skills a business administration degree can offer.

Business degrees are the most popular choices for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (2016-17). Business administration knowledge can apply beyond working for the corporate business world. Business administration expertise can be used to help charities succeed, to launch startups, start new businesses or take over family businesses.

A business degree offers a broad business background and typically provides students with the ability to choose a business concentration to focus on. Business administration degree programs will usually cover management principles from a high-level view.

In a business management program, there’s more emphasis on business planning, organizing and management. Business management students take courses based on managing and supervising people and operations.

Both programs will have some overlap, but a business manager program will focus more heavily on management, while a business administration program will focus more on general business practices and whatever concentration is selected.

As you think about careers with a business administration degree, remember that all types of organizations need managers to lead projects and teams and delegate resources. Business administrators can work for government, nonprofits, international businesses and the private sector. Within a variety of organizations, there are leadership roles in areas like accounting, data analytics, human resources, marketing and product development.

Many business administration programs enable students to choose a concentration that aligns with their career goals. Concentrations you might consider include:

Depending on the role you want and type of organization you want to work for, you can learn core business administration principles and then choose a concentration that directly relates to your career goals.

You might also consider a dual degree program. Structures can vary, including programs where you earn a bachelor’s degree in one subject and a Master of Business Administration degree, or where you earn two master’s degrees in one program. Here are a couple examples:

If you want to be a business leader with an engineering background, a dual degree in engineering and business can help you land leadership roles in engineering. There are some programs that focus on engineering for the first few years, then on business administration, then synthesize the subjects to help engineers grow their organizations.

Aspiring lawyers who want to apply legal knowledge to organizations or who want to work with business clients might be interested in a pre-law and business dual degree. Graduates with this dual degree might pursue careers as corporate lawyers or specialize in business legal matters at law firms.

With a degree in business administration, there are job opportunities in a variety of industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of financial operations and business occupations is projected to grow 7% from 2018 to 2028, which is faster than average for all occupations. About 591,800 new jobs are expected to be added in roles like:

There are also management positions in a variety of businesses. The BLS reports employment of management positions is also projected to grow 7% from 2018 to 2028, with 706,900 new jobs added. Management positions include:

Some business administration degree holders go on to pursue top executive positions. The BLS projects 150,600 top executive positions will be added from 2018 to 2028, a growth rate of 6%.

Other business administration degree holders start their own businesses. According to the Small Business Administration, there were 30.7 million small businesses (PDF, 1.3 MB) in 2019, which made up 99.9% of U.S. businesses and employed 59.9 million workers.

In a business administration degree program, you will learn about common business functions, including accounting, marketing, operations, finance, budgeting, product pricing, management and human resources. This can help you understand how businesses form and operate, and why they’re likely to succeed or fail in certain market conditions.

Your program may also help you develop soft skills like communication and leadership. The following are skills you can expect to learn in a business administration degree program:

Business administration students can expect to learn skills related to problem-solving, goal-setting, task creation and planning, responsibility assignment, group behavior and team-building.

Analytical skills like decision-making, financial analysis and data analysis are covered in a business administration program. Students may be able to choose a concentration that delves deeper into topics like these.

Accounting, finance and economics are typically covered in a business administration degree program. Students learn about cash flow, capital markets, financial risk and other related topics.

Business administration students may learn about effective communication via a variety of channels, including public speaking and presentations, written communication and business documents, and team communication through collaboration.

A business administration program might also teach students about customer demand and target markets and how to successfully price, promote and distribute products and services.

Most companies and organizations can benefit from business skills to keep the organization operating successfully. As you consider whether business administration is a good choice in major, skills like leadership, management, communication, finance and marketing will likely apply. There are programs that enable students to tailor the curriculum to their unique career goals.

Last Updated July 2020