Business & Management

“Business and management” is such a broad term that it covers a great many degree types and careers in numerous different industries. Students who want to climb the corporate ladder and run day-to-day operations can succeed with an accredited business and management degree under their belts. However, a degree in these fields is also suitable for the prospective student who hasn’t yet settled on a career, as the careers available after graduation are so varied.

You could work for an organization as a financial accountant or human resources specialist, helping coordinate the essential functions of any company. Or, you could direct emergency response teams after a major disaster. You could analyze supply-chain data to ensure that a company has sufficient supply for its demand, or you might design a marketing campaign for a product launch.

The options are varied and numerous, though one thing is consistent throughout: careers in business and management offer high salary ceilings and pretty much-guaranteed job growth for life. Just look at the figures we’ve highlighted farther down the page to see what kind of salary you could earn after graduation.

What Degrees Are There in Business and Management?

The most common route into a career in business and management is to obtain a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. However, certain roles only ask for an associate’s degree, in addition to the numerous entry-level roles in the business world that can be obtained with a high school diploma. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the study options for students in these fields.

Certificates in Business and Management

Certificate programs in these fields are often chosen by those who are already qualified professionals, but who want to enhance their skills, experience, and resume. They can also prove an effective way to boost your knowledge for entry-level positions when you can’t or don’t want to attend college.

Certificates of this type can include subjects such as the basics of accounting, introductions to marketing, the principles of project planning, and so on. While these programs are often shorter than degree programs, some certificates could take as long as two years to complete.

Associate’s Degrees in Business and Management

Most business and management associate’s degrees comprise 60 credits and can be completed within two years if you’re studying full time. However, there are often accelerated options to reduce the time they take, or self-paced options to allow you more time to finish your degree. Choosing an accelerated option can or transferring credits—where permitted—could also save you money on tuition.

Your introductory courses are likely to focus on key skills that are essential in business and leadership fields, including communication skills, computers and technology, and critical thinking. The remainder of your courses will address subjects such as project planning, accounting, marketing, or law and regulations. Your options after graduation can vary; an associate’s degree could lead you into an administrative position, for example, but could also qualify you for certain non-entry level positions like assistant construction manager.

Bachelor’s Degrees in Business and Management

Your average business and management bachelor’s degree program will consist of 120 credits and take four years to complete if you’re studying full time. With a bachelor’s degree, you’ll typically attract a higher starting salary, or at least have greater earning potential, compared to those without this qualification.

As part of your studies, you’ll focus on developing the same kinds of essential skills as you would in an associate’s degree program. However, you’ll dive into courses like business and ethics, project management, and HR management in greater depth. You may also be able to choose a concentration if you already have an idea of the type of career you’d like to pursue.

Master’s Degrees in Business and Management

While many roles within business and management only require a bachelor’s degree, gaining a master’s in these fields will enhance your skills and knowledge, giving you a greater chance of securing a senior leadership role. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), those with a master’s degree may earn as much as 89% more than people who only have their bachelor’s degree.

Depending on whether you’re studying full time or taking an accelerated option, your master’s program could last from one to two years. Your courses will cover subjects like operations management, advanced leadership techniques, and entrepreneurial thinking. Most master’s programs require you to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, which will typically need to be in a related field.

Doctoral Degrees in Business and Management

Doctoral degrees are some of the most expensive and time-consuming courses of study available. What’s more, obtaining such a qualification won’t always help to advance your career; in some industries, you could achieve more in terms of career progression by investing that time into gaining experience in the role. So you should carefully think about whether or not a doctoral degree will help your career aspirations.

Doctoral degrees in business and management do exist, and they often focus on courses that include advanced theories and research methodology, and business strategy.

Types of Degrees in Business and Management

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most popular degree types in the fields of business and management. This is just a sample of the courses on offer; these are broad subjects with a great deal of variety in potential careers after graduation.

Construction Management

A degree in construction management will prepare you to manage large-scale building projects. As such, your college courses will focus heavily on two sides of that role; successfully managing a project and the knowledge you’ll need about the construction industry. Your courses might cover materials and equipment, safety procedures, and building codes and regulations. You’ll also study subjects such as project cost estimation, managing a budget, and project risk management.

Emergency Management

Responding to a disaster isn’t a knee-jerk process for emergency services; emergency management professionals prepare for these eventualities constantly. In fact, there are four phases of emergency management: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. You’ll learn all about these concepts, with concentrations often available in areas such as disaster preparedness, homeland security, and business continuity.

Entertainment Management

Entertainment management is a growing field of study in colleges and universities. These degree programs will prepare you for a senior leadership position in the entertainment industry. After graduation, you could find work as an events coordinator, events manager, public relations manager, or social media manager, for example. Your courses are likely to focus on general business management, such as marketing, finance, leadership techniques, and customer service and communications.

Entrepreneurship

Who hasn’t dreamed of leaving the corporate life behind and opening their own business? Entrepreneurship degree programs teach important foundational knowledge and skills in managing a business and everyday operations. You’ll be taught key concepts in subject areas such as communications, finance, marketing, and technology. Courses tend to focus on the creation and growth of a small business from the ground up, helping you to understand what causes small businesses to fail and how you can stand the best chance of success as a business owner.

Hospitality Management

Working in hospitality requires a broad skillset. You might be overseeing the delivery of food services on one day, and managing a team of customer service staff the next. As such, these degree programs can be varied, with many different specializations available. These might include events planning, gaming management, and restaurant management. However, most programs contain certain core courses, including the basics of food and beverage service, effective communications, business management, and human resources (HR) management.

Human Resources

The first years of a human resources degree tend to focus on general education and business courses. You might study further in areas like mathematics, communications, political science, and social science. In subsequent years, you’ll specialize further into HR coursework, including workplace diversity, ethics, organizational behavior, recruitment, and training. According to the BLS, many human resources managers earned in excess of $100,000 in 2019.

International Business

With a degree in international business under your belt, you’ll be ready to work in almost any field within the business world. Your courses will typically cover subjects like financial accounting, principles of management, organizational behavior, marketing, supply chain management, and business law. You’ll form a strong understanding of business on an international scale, preparing you to work in accounting, finance, health care, marketing, law, and many other areas of business.

Marketing

As a marketing professional, you’ll be involved in the promotion and sale of products and services. So, it makes sense that your courses will largely focus on marketing techniques, including global marketing techniques, market research, product management, logistics, and retail and sales management. You’ll also likely take numerous general education courses in areas like writing, communications, business law, and mathematics.

Organizational Leadership

If you’ve set your sights on the upper levels of management in the business world, then a degree in organizational leadership could help you get there. Your studies will focus on the essential skills for management; foundational courses might include psychology, sociology, economics, and communications. You’ll develop skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, influencing, problem solving, and motivation.

What Are the Admission Requirements for a Degree in Business and Management?

Admission requirements vary from one institution to another, but in most cases you will be required to hold a high school diploma or equivalent, in addition to meeting certain requirements around your GPA and SAT or ACT scores. You’ll normally be asked to provide your official high school—and college, where relevant—transcripts.

From here, colleges may be more varied in their requirements; some will ask for resumes, others may ask for up to three letters of recommendation. In terms of that GPA requirement, it’s not uncommon for top universities to ask for a minimum GPA of 3.5, with less competitive schools requiring a minimum GPA of between 2.5 and 3.0.

What Can I Do with a Degree in Business and Management?

With a degree in business and management, the scope for varied career paths is huge. By completing a degree program in these fields, you aren’t necessarily limited to one type of career or industry; most organizations need skilled business people and leaders. Below, we’ve listed a range of careers that you could pursue with a degree in business and management.

Administrative Services Manager

As an administrative services manager, you’ll take the lead on activities such as maintaining accurate company records, distributing mail, and supervising administrative employees. You may be working with other managers who have distinct responsibilities or look after specific areas; this could extend to other tasks often covered by facilities managers, such as building maintenance. While some companies will require you to have a bachelor’s degree, others will only look for a high school diploma.

Advertising, Promotions, or Marketing Manager

Depending on the type of management position you’re in, your responsibilities can vary. However, people in these roles generally work to increase interest in a product or service offered by their company. You could be determining marketing or advertising budgets, creating media for a campaign, negotiating contracts, and supervising your own team. Most roles will ask for a bachelor’s degree, with many companies wanting to see experience in the field for more senior positions.

Compensation and Benefits Manager

Compensation and benefits managers are in charge of remuneration within an organization. Working in this role, you’d be setting out a company’s benefit and salary structure, determining compensation for employees at every level. You’ll have to work within a budget, while ensuring that your salaries remain competitive within the industry. Too high, and you’ll break the budget; too low, and you could lose employees to competitors. To become a compensation and benefits manager, you’ll typically be expected to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as human resources or business.

Construction Manager

To become a construction manager, you’ll typically be expected to have a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, it’s likely that you’ll start as an apprentice or assistant, working under the supervision of an experienced construction manager. It’s a job with a great deal of responsibility; as a qualified construction manager, you’ll be managing large-scale projects, building anything from small and large structures to infrastructure. You’ll design and plan projects, set and manage a budget, and supervise a wide range of subcontractors.

Emergency Management Director

When disaster strikes, there are professionals who work behind the scenes to facilitate recovery and provide aid. As an emergency management director, you’ll help to create disaster recovery plans, ensuring that any damage or risk to people and property is mitigated in the event of an incident. You’ll organize emergency response training, prepare damage assessments when the worst occurs, and assess hazards that could lead to a disaster. While a bachelor’s degree is sufficient to secure a role such as this, you’ll be expected to have numerous years of work experience in the field of emergency response or public administration.

Food Service Manager

With several years of work experience in the food industry under your belt, you could be ready to become a food service manager. You won’t need a degree, though some managers do opt for training at community colleges. While some see this as a less glamorous career, in reality food service managers earn above the U.S. national average salary for all other occupations combined. Job outlook is strong, too, with the BLS predicting an 11% increase in the number of positions between 2018 and 2028.

Human Resources Specialist

Human resource specialists are involved in the onboarding of new members of staff. You’ll recruit, interview, and conduct screening on new employees. In some cases, you may also be involved in compensation and benefits planning, and the delivery of training. In most cases, you’ll be office based, though you may travel to attend job fairs, meet training providers, or recruit on-campus at colleges and universities. With enough experience in the role, you could progress towards becoming a human resources manager.

Human Resources Manager

Human resources managers perform many of the same responsibilities as human resources specialists. However, you’ll support the hiring strategy at a higher level, planning ahead to determine demand for new staff. You’ll be a subject matter expert in complex human resources issues, including equal rights employment, discrimination, and sexual harassment.

Logistician

Most logisticians work within an organization full time in a role that’s reasonably fast-paced. You’ll build strong relationships with suppliers and clients in an organization, managing a product lifecycle from a logistics point of view. You’ll use complex software regularly, and spend time looking for improvements in the process. While a bachelor’s degree is common in the industry, an associate’s degree could suffice for some companies.

Management Analyst

Like most analysts, management analysts work with data, specifically to try and improve operational efficiency within an organization. They provide recommendations to senior management on how a company can be made more profitable through the reduction of costs or increased revenue streams. Some work within an organization full time, but many are self-employed contractors. You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in most cases, plus several years of work experience.

Medical and Health Services Manager

The majority of medical and health services managers are based in nursing homes, hospitals, and other health-care facilities. While a bachelor’s degree will qualify you for some roles, others may require a master’s degree. Your day-to-day responsibilities may include developing work schedules, recruiting and training new members of staff, looking for ways to improve efficiency and care quality, and keeping detailed and accurate records.

Training and Development Manager

Almost every industry needs training and development managers, which goes part way towards explaining why the BSL predicts an 8% increase in the number of positions between 2018 and 2028. These professionals plan and coordinate the delivery of skills and knowledge-based training in the workplace. You’ll likely be responsible for a training budget, selecting or sourcing training courses or coaches, and ensuring that staff receives both mandatory and other training. A bachelor’s degree may be sufficient in some roles, though other companies may require you to be educated to the master’s level.

How Much Can I Earn with a Degree in Business and Management?

The good news is that with a degree in business and management, you’ll be qualified for some high-paying roles—if not immediately after graduation, then at least with some experience under your belt. For example, managers in advertising, promotions, or marketing earned a median salary of $135,900 in 2019, according to the BLS. The data below have all been sourced from the BLS, so take a look at the job growth and salary statistics to get an idea of how much you could earn after graduation.

	Median Salary (2019)	Projected Growth (2018–2028)
Administrative Services Manager	$46.61 hourly / $96,940 annually	Faster than average (7%) 21,800 new openings
Advertising, Promotions, or Marketing Manager	$65.34 hourly / $135,900 annually	Faster than average (8%) 21,800 new openings
Compensation and Benefits Manager	$58.78 hourly / $122,270 annually	Slower than average (3%) 500 new openings
Construction Manager	$45.80 hourly / $95,260 annually	Faster than average (10%) 46,200 new openings
Emergency Management Director	$35.86 hourly / $74,590 annually	Average (5%) 500 new openings
Food Service Manager	$26.60 hourly / $55,320 annually	Much faster than average (11%) 38,500 new openings
Human Resources Manager	$56.11 hourly / $116,720 annually	Faster than average (7%) 10,800 new openings
Human Resources Specialist	$29.77 hourly / $61,920 annually	Average (5%) 33,000 new openings
Logistician	$35.94 hourly / $74,750 annually	Average (5%) 8,400 new openings
Management Analyst	$40.99 hourly / $85,260 annually	Much faster than average (14%) 118,300 new openings
Medical and Health Services Manager	$48.55 hourly / $100,980 annually	Much faster than average (18%) 71,600 new openings
Training and Development Manager	$54.50 hourly / $113,350 annually	Faster than average (8%) 3,100 new openings

Can I Get an Online Degree in Business and Management?

If you’re worried about the cost of getting a college education, online distance learning could be a good option for you. In most cases, getting your degree online can work out to be cheaper; this is partly due to the fact you won’t be paying for things like room and board, and partly because most institutions offer a lower-cost tuition rate. While many out-of-state students attending a university full time will pay a higher rate of tuition than residents, it’s uncommon for online learners to pay different rates; in most cases, you’ll pay the same as an in-state student pays for their campus tuition.

Many students choose to study online because it also offers greater flexibility. If you have existing work or family commitments, you’ll probably find it easier to study remotely, online. Synchronous courses, where you login at a given time with your peers, tend to take place on evenings and weekends, while asynchronous courses can be completed at any time, when it’s convenient for you. And unlike health care or teaching degrees, for example, business and management degrees don’t usually have a requirement to complete practical, real-world placements, so you should be able to finish all your coursework from home.

The Best Colleges for Degrees in Business and Management

Business and management degrees are some of the broadest in terms of potential career paths. But once you’ve made a decision about the kind of field you’d like to specialize in, you can check out the below links to find a list of rankings for the best institutions in different majors.

Construction

Best Online Master’s in Construction Management

Emergency

Entertainment

Best Online Master’s in Entertainment Management

Entrepreneurship

Best Online Master’s in Entrepreneurship

Forensics

Hospitality

Human Resources

International Business

Marketing

Organizational Leadership