Ultimate Business Administration Degrees Guide
Looking to become a business graduate? Let’s tell you everything you need to know.
Business administration graduates seldom have to worry about declining job demand. Simply because every business you can imagine today requires business administrators and managers to handle their everyday operations.
Hence, a degree in business administration is one of the most lucrative gambles you can make post-high school. So, let’s tell you all you need to know about it.
What a Business Administration Degree Teaches You
Business administration degrees teach students a broad understanding of the business world and how to apply their knowledge in their jobs. In the past, business administration degrees were often focused on management. Nowadays, it has become a multidisciplinary degree that teaches specialization in multiple areas.
There are specific concentrations, but some areas of this degree remain constant. In recent years, more universities have been adding human resources and administration courses to their curriculum.
This prepares students for the versatile nature of today’s business world. For instance, MCNY describes its BBA degree as a program to prepare you for “today’s job market demand.” What demands are those? They include:
- Management and daily maneuvers of a human resources department;
- Managing a marketing strategy for a company on a wide or short scale;
- Implementing brand or company strategy for better financial results;
- Implementing their expertise in specific areas, i.e., students with concentrations in sports management or digital marketing specialization.
Thus, the description of a business administration degree is highly dependent on the major/main concentration picked by you. But, in that particular discipline, students can hope to learn specific and necessary aspects of administrating and managing a business.
What is a Business Administration Degree Good for?
A business administration degree is an academic course that helps you to prepare for corporate challenges in the business world. It gives you a good understanding of how businesses work and how to keep them running. This degree usually covers a wide variety of skills and industry sectors, which means that it can be applied in many different areas.
So, the things a business administration degree is good for include:
- Effective management decision-making, strategy creation, and analysis of business plans;
- Developing operational processes, policies, and their implementation for efficient business administration;
- Plan marketing and sales strategies for securing income and sustaining the business;
- Specialists learn about human resources management of departments; sports management of fitness or sports events; accountants and financial executives control inflows and outflows of funds, etc.
- Entrepreneurs learn to effectively and efficiently launch their startups, understand all the processes in the organization, and run it.
Thus, a degree in business administration from a reputable business school is good for many things, and it can help you hone yourself for a long and fruitful career in any business.
Business Administration Degree Courses
The courses of a business administration degree depend entirely on the university or college offering it. Each university has a unique curriculum that prepares their student for careers in separate areas of business administration.
However, the degree is known worldwide as B.B.A (Bachelor of Business Administration), followed by an M.B.A (Master of Business Administration). Both graduate and undergraduate are the general degrees that provide you with the knowledge and skills to lead in the business world.
The coursework usually targets a variety of areas, such as accounting, finance, marketing, and management. Now, what follows is dependent on the student’s choice, or the offers made by the university, such as:
- BBA in Marketing
- BBA in Finance & Accounting
- BBA in Sport Management
- BBA in Management
- BBA in Analytics
- BBA in Digital Marketing
Besides that, courses like sports management or specialized marketing curriculum will take up 2-3 courses in the entire curriculum. But that depends on the path taken by the student.
Top 5 Online Business Administration Degrees
A working student can seldom afford to join classes in person. That’s why they look for options that serve both on and off-campus degrees. So, if you’re looking for a university in the USA that stands out for its online business administration programs, then here are five of them:
1. The University of Florida in Gainesville Online
The university offers an outstanding online BBA program. The program is called:
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration under U.F. Online programs
The University of Florida’s online business administration degree program is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in business management and leadership. The program is offered completely online, which means that students can take classes from any location at any time.
2. Western Governors University in Texas
Western Governors University is a nonprofit, online university that offers degrees in business administration. Including a Bachelor of Science in
- Business Management
- Business Marketing
- Human Resource Management
These three specializations allow students to stand out with their exclusive expertise. The university has no on-campus classes and offers courses in a variety of formats, such as live lectures, webcasts, and videos.
3. Northeastern University In Boston
Northeastern University offers an online business administration degree, which it provides under a flexible learning environment and an interactive curriculum that allows students to learn at their own pace, which is called:
- Online Bachelor of Science in Management
You will learn how to use your skills in various areas of business, including finance, accounting, marketing, operations management, and international business to manage the needs of today’s organizations.
4. California State University-Fullerton
Cal State is one of the best universities in the nation for an online program, and the degree for business administration here is called:
- Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
This online business administration degree has a curriculum that will prepare you for the world of work. They teach you how to use data to make decisions that will have positive effects on your organization.
5. San Diego State University
San Diego State University is a public research university in San Diego, California. It is the largest and oldest higher education institution in the state of California, offering an online business administration program:
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
The online business administration degree from SDSU provides a great deal of flexibility for the student as it can be completed in as little as two years or over four years, depending on how much time you have available for studying.
Top 5 Bachelor of Business Administration Degrees on Campus
Here are the top 5 on-campus business administration degrees in the U.S. today:
1. The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the most respected universities in the United States. The business program offered by it is called:
- Bachelor of Business Administration
This undergraduate program is intended to provide students with a strong foundation in business and management principles, analytical and quantitative techniques, and the opportunity to explore a variety of business specialties.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The MIT Sloan School of Management offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (BSBA) with concentrations in Finance, Management, and Systems Engineering.
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
The BSBA degree requires a total of 126 credits, including 33 credits that are outside the major.
3. University of California Berkeley
UC Berkeley offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, which prepares students for careers as managers and entrepreneurs
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
The degree program includes courses on accounting, finance, economics, marketing, management, and organizational behavior.
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University offers an outstanding business program that refines students with the necessary skills to become leaders in the business world.
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
The program includes courses that teach students about finance, marketing, management, and other business-related topics. Students will also have access to internships and networking opportunities through the school’s cooperative education program.
5. New York University
NYU Stern offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees in business administration, finance, accounting, and management. This includes one of the most unique programs in the U.S. called:
- Bachelor of Science in Business
As you can tell by the program’s title, this degree will teach students all the intricacies of managing or administrating a business, including financial, marketing, management, and administrative skills.
Top Master of Business Administration Degrees on Campus
Here are the top universities in the United States for a Master in Business Administration Program:
1. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) MBA
The University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) offers MBA, which is a two-year graduate degree program. You can pick two of the main specializations, including
- Accounting
- Business Analytics
Either of these programs will ready you for challenges in their particular fields.
2. Northwestern University (Kellogg) MBA
Kellogg’s MBA program includes a rigorous curriculum that delivers an unparalleled education in management and leadership skills. You will have two choices:
- One-Year MBA Program
- Two-year MBA Program
Both of these courses are taught by faculty who are leading experts in their fields. Students are exposed to real-world issues facing organizations today, with an emphasis on developing skills to address them.
3. Stanford University MBA
Stanford University is undoubtedly one of the best universities in the world. The university has been ranked second in the world among universities for its undergraduate program.
- Master of Business Administration
Stanford University also offers an MBA program that is ranked as one of the best MBA programs in the world by Q.S. World Rankings, Times Higher Education, and U.S. News & World Report.
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) MBA
The MIT Sloan MBA is one of the best and most prestigious MBA programs in the world. It prepares graduates for a career in business, management, and leadership.
The program offers a demanding curriculum that covers areas like finance, accounting, marketing, operations management, and organizational behavior.
5. Columbia University’s MBA
Columbia University is one of the best universities you can consider for an MBA program. The prestigious institution offers MBA programs in various fields, such as:
- Business Management
- Finance and Economics
- Marketing
- Operations Management and Information Systems
The school also has a variety of joint degree programs, such as the JD/MBA program with Harvard Law School.
Business Administration Degree Requirements
The requirement of a business administration degree depends entirely on the university or institution that you choose. Granted, some rules are set forth by the U.S. Department of Education for bachelor’s programs.
However, a university can still choose to provide specifics for its particular program. For instance, Harvard University requires a BBA undergraduate hopeful to be:
- At least have a few years of work experience;
- Typically around or over 30 years of age;
- Has done a year or two of college previously;
- Works full time.
In most cases, this would be the requirement of a master’s program or for an online university. However, since it’s Harvard, the standards are high, and so are the business administration degree requirements.
Business Management Vs. Management Administration Degree
Business management and business administration are strikingly similar. Not only because of the similar courses taken by both degree holders but also the job titles. However, management and administration are two different things in businesses.
So, how exactly are they different? What does one do that the other doesn’t? In order to understand, here’s a table with job titles for both:
| Business Administration Job Titles | Business Management Job Titles |
| Staff Accountant | Operations Manager/Project Manager |
| Marketing Specialist/Marketing Executive | Management Analyst/Management Planner |
| Human Resource Manager/Executive/Associate/Assistant | Financial Reporter/Financial Reporting Manager |
| Business Analyst | Project Supervisor/Project Analyst |
While some of these job titles sound or look the same, their responsibilities are far different from one another. Let’s talk about the responsibilities of a business administrator first:
Business Administration Job Titles:
- Staff Accountant: Usually manages accounts, manages payments, and handles all the receiving and outgoing payments.
- Marketing Specialist/Marketing Executive: Manages all the marketing strategies and plans marketing campaigns—both short and long-term. And handles content creation, distribution, etc.
- Human Resource Manager/Executive/Associate/Assistant: Depending on the designation, H.R. professionals usually have to deal with handling the workforce. This includes hiring (sometimes firing), payroll management, and conflict resolution.
- Business Analyst: Analyzes the current situation of the business. Then, comes up with strategies to elevate business, revenue, etc.
Business Management Job Titles:
- Operations Manager/Project Manager: An operations or project manager will oversee everyday operations. This includes managing accounts, overseeing the cost of jobs, handling information systems, sales, after-sales, customer service, etc.
- Management Analyst/Management Planner: The management analyst is usually responsible for managing company-wide performance. So, their job would be auditing, analysis, and performance monitoring to ensure each department is aligned with the company’s goals and gives out its best.
- Financial Reporter/Financial Reporting Manager: This job requires the reporter or manager to handle costs by creating reports, generating yearly expenditure analyses, scrutinizing gross income, etc.
- Project Supervisor/Project Analyst: Much like a project manager, a project supervisor will see day-to-day operations in a project. But, instead of planning or handling employees, they supervise specific tasks, like executing a marketing strategy.
These are some of the primary differences between business management and business administration. While a BBA holder can head into any of these fields, it’s highly likely they’ll end up with an administration job.
Simply because management jobs are given to associates or entry-level graduates. Hence, it’s important to understand the difference and choose the career path wisely.
Wrap-Up
These are some of the best programs you can find in the U.S. to enjoy the perks of being a business administration degree holder. All of these prestigious universities offer something unique. But, if you can’t find a program that’s suitable for you, you can always look for programs that are near you. Or programs that are in your particular state.
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