By Charlene Lattea, WVU Online | Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Wondering what you can do with a WVU Online business administration degree? A lot, actually! We’ll break down popular business administration careers and your degree options.
The business world today is extremely competitive. A business administration degree will help you to develop the skills you need to become a successful innovator in this field.
One of the reasons a business administration degree is so popular is that it gives you a great deal of job flexibility. With this degree, you can work almost anywhere, for companies large and small, and choose from a variety of different and interesting careers.
Did you know that business administration jobs also have high salaries? Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that salaries for many business-related occupations are higher than those for all other workers!
Salaries for those with a bachelor’s degree can range from $131,710 per year for financial managers, to $49,470 for meeting, convention and event planners, with the median annual salary in business administration at $65,000 per year.
Depending on the kind of business administration program you choose, you will develop communication skills, decision-making skills, leadership skills, problem-solving skills, and time-management skills, all of which are very important in the business world.
At WVU, our business administration programs emphasize "learning by doing" and hands-on, real-world activities to give you the skills you need. Plus, you can earn your degree in as little as four years.
Briefly stated, business administration is a field that involves management – specifically the management of financial and other resources, as well as employees and activities. It is a wide-ranging career area that requires a great deal of knowledge from a variety of fields.
For example, graduates of WVU Online with the Bachelor of Science degree in General Business work in a variety of industries and careers, such as:
Let’s explore a few of these options in depth!
Marketing
A
degree in Marketing will provide you with a strong understanding of the
foundations of marketing strategy, including how to conduct, analyze and
interpret marketing research, and how to adapt marketing strategies to the
globalized economy.
WVU Online Professor Michael Walsh spent more than 20 years working in the corporate world before making the change to working in the academic world, because he wanted to help create the next generation of marketing professionals.
"A generation ago, marketing was a stand-alone function in only the largest organizations," he says. "Today, every organization—big and small, profit and non-profit, public and private—requires marketing."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of marketing managers is projected to grow 10 percent through 2031, which is faster than the average for all occupations. About 35,300 openings are expected each year and marketing managers will continue to be in demand.
You can do a lot with a Business Administration degree, and that flexibility is what makes it so popular. Depending on your goals, by specializing in Marketing, you will find a wide variety of job opportunities, such as:
Marketing Research Analyst
Marketing research analysts collect and analyze data on markets, trends,
and consumer demographics to determine potential sales of a product or service,
or to plan a marketing or advertising campaign.
Projected median salary: $63,920. Projected growth: 19% - much faster than average.
Business Intelligence Analyst
A business intelligence analyst produces financial and market intelligence
by querying data repositories and generating reports. They formulate recommendations
for actions that the business can take.
Projected median salary: $100,910. Projected growth: 11% or higher - much faster than average.
Marketing Specialist
Marketing specialists employ marketing or advertising campaigns to increase
visibility and engagement with content and to determine potential sales of
a product or service.
Projected median salary: $63,920. Projected growth: 11% or higher - much faster than average.
Advertising and Promotions Manager
Plan, direct, or coordinate advertising policies and programs. They plan
and prepare advertising, inspecting layouts, editing scripts, and preparing
advertising copy, audio, video and other promotional materials.
Projected median salary: $127,150. Projected growth: 4% to 7%.
Search Marketing Strategist
Search Marketing Strategists employ search marketing tactics to increase
visibility and engagement with content, products, or services in Internet-enabled
devices or interfaces.
Projected median salary: $63,920. Projected growth: 11% or higher - much faster than average.
Hospitality and Tourism Management
If you are a people person, love to travel, or would like to work in a dynamic
environment, where every day presents new challenges with new customers,
then
Hospitality and Tourism Management is for you.
This field covers all aspects of the industry from a management perspective and provides a solid foundation in all core business functions, along with specialized courses.
"A degree in Hospitality and Tourism can lead to a wide variety of exciting careers in the service industry, including restaurants, theme parks, resorts, cruise lines, casinos, and sports venues," says WVU Online professor Ajay Aluri.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the U.S. economy to add 8.3 million jobs in in the decade leading up to 2031. Of those, 1.9 million jobs—or 23.1 percent of all new jobs projected—are expected to be in the leisure and hospitality field.
This rapid projected growth is the fastest of any sector! It is largely the result of the recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some of the exciting job opportunities in the field of Hospitality and Tourism include:
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planner
These professionals coordinate activities of staff and consult with customers
to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.
Projected median salary: $49,470. Projected growth: 18% - much faster than average.
General and Operations Manager
General managers plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or
private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations.
Projected median salary: $97,970. Projected growth: 4% to 7%.
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager
Focusing on long-term strategic financial planning, hotel property or real
estate managers ensure a hotel’s real estate investment reaches its expected
revenue.
Projected median salary: $59,230. Projected growth: 2% to 3%.
Food and Beverage Director
Food and beverage directors are responsible for ensuring the quality of food
and drinks, planning menus, and training staff.
Projected median salary: $59,440. Projected growth: 10% - faster than average.
Hotel Sales Manager
Hotel sales managers direct the sales teams to set sales goals and promotional
plans to sell rooms, upgrades, and other relevant services.
Projected median salary: $127,490. Projected growth: 5%.
General Business
General Business gives students an overall understanding of business and
how organizations operate. Graduates with a degree in this area are well
prepared to enter corporate management training programs, or to apply their
skills to virtually any industry.
According to WVU Online Professor Suzanne Kitchen, graduates with a General Business degree should be able to demonstrate practical and useful skills.
"Students studying this area will acquire a degree that is very flexible and customizable for a variety of different kinds of careers," she says.
Overall, employment in business and financial occupations is projected to grow 7 percent through 2031 and this increase is expected to result in about 715,100 new jobs in the field during this time.
Some top jobs in the General Business field include:
Business Professor
Business professors teach courses in business administration and management,
such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations,
marketing, and operations research.
Projected median salary: $94,360. Projected growth: 4% to 7%.
Business Continuity Planner
Business Continuity Planners develop and implement business continuity strategies
and solutions, including risk assessments, business impact analyses, and
documentation of disaster recovery procedures.
Projected median salary: $74,670. Projected growth: 4% to 7%.
Sales Manager
A sales manager plans, directs, and coordinates the distribution of a product
or service to the customer. This often means leading a sales team or department
and establishing sales territories, quotas, goals and training programs for
sales representatives.
Projected median income: $127,490. Projected growth is 5%.
Are business administration degrees in demand? You bet! U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show many jobs in this field growing at a much faster rate than average.
For example:
A business administration degree can be a valuable investment in your future career and personal growth, helping you gain new skills, advance your career, and increase your earning potential.
This degree can open doors to you in any area you choose to work, including large corporations, educational institutions, the medical field, or the entertainment business.
Overall, the outlook for business administration graduates is very positive, and graduates earn higher salaries than most other workers, but it also requires staying up to date with the latest industry trends, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data analytics.
For example, by 2031, employment in the fields of Business Data Analytics and Business Cybersecurity Management is projected to grow as much as 36%. Graduates with these degrees can expect a median salary that is well over $100,000 per year.
Salary and growth projections provided by:
US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Occupational Outlook Handbook
O-NET Online Database, U.S. Department of Labor
Want to Get Started Right Now? Connect with WVU Online today!
The future for Business Administration graduates is very promising. If you
would like to advance in your current career or prepare for a future career,
here’s how you can get started right now on the path to learning new skills
that will help you achieve your goals:
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of the way – from your first inquiry about WVU, to registering for your first
class, and throughout your journey until the day you graduate.
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