By Charlene Lattea, WVU Online | Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Discover the perfect business degree for your goals. Explore options, compare programs, and find answers to the question, "What type of business degree should I get?"
Now that you’ve decided to major in business, you have more decisions to make. What kind of degree in business?
There are various types of degrees that fall under the business umbrella, whether it is an undergraduate degree or graduate degree, a degree that takes two years, or one that takes up to five years. You can earn a general business degree, or you can specialize.
In this article, we will help you decide which degree type best fits your skills, personality type, and career goals.
Before you commit to a major, you should consider many different factors, including how much it will cost, your goals for the future, what kinds of jobs you can get, as well as your abilities and interests.
All of this can be overwhelming, so before we get into the types of degrees available to you, let’s consider these basic questions:
As the cost of earning a college degree continues to go up, you need to know that you will be able to land a good-paying job after you graduate. The type of education you choose will be critical to your earning potential in the future.
When asking, "What type of business degree should I get?" you should first ask yourself: "What am I most interested in?" Working in a field where you also do what you are passionate about can greatly affect your job satisfaction.
What specific jobs do you see yourself doing in the future? If you can identify your career goals, you can choose a business degree program that will strengthen your qualifications for those goals.
All the different types of business degrees will give you the foundation in accounting, management, financial analysis, and business operations that you will need for your future career. But the area of specialization you choose beyond this will lead to a career in a specific industry.
Now, let’s look at the types of business degrees and specializations that are available to you so that you’ll be able to compare one to another. These are some of the most popular.
The Associate of Arts in General Business is an undergraduate degree that takes approximately two years to complete. In this program, you'll gain a broad knowledge of business fundamentals, as well as skills in accounting, statistics, advanced math, and computers.
Students who earn an Associate of Arts in General Business work as executive assistants, office managers, customer service representatives, human resources assistants, or small business owners. As of May 2023, the salary range in this field is $21,500 to $65,000, with a growth outlook of 11% through 2026.
This is a great degree for people who want to get started on a business career without spending four years in school.
The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Marketing is an undergraduate degree that takes approximately four years to complete.
In this program, in addition to gaining a solid foundation of business knowledge, you'll learn how to conduct, analyze and interpret marketing research. You will be able to create and implement marketing plans and become proficient in strategic marketing management.
Students who earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Marketing work as advertising and promotions managers, business continuity planners, marketing directors, public relations specialists, and marketing research analysts.
The salary range in this field as of 2023 is $41,829 to $112,913, with overall employment projected to grow 10% through 2031.
This is a great degree for people with strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as creative and strategic thinking abilities.
The Bachelor of Science in Finance is an undergraduate degree that takes approximately four years to complete. In this program, you'll learn how to write business plans, make investment decisions, do long-range financial planning, and evaluate and control assets and risks to maximize the value to owners or beneficiaries.
Students who earn a Bachelor of Science in Finance work as budget analysts, financial managers, loan officers, risk management specialists, and securities and commodities traders.
As of May 2023, the salary range in this field is $40,000 to $125,000, with employment projected to grow 7% through 2031.
This is a great degree for people who enjoy working with people as well as dealing with stocks, dividends, insurance, and financial instruments.
The Bachelor of Science in Global Supply Chain Management is an undergraduate degree that takes approximately four years to complete. In this program, you'll learn how to view the chain of supplies as a complex and global system, via an integrated end-to-end perspective. You’ll learn skills in inventory control, customer fulfillment, logistics, freight, warehousing, production planning, purchasing, and sourcing.
Students who earn a Bachelor of Science in Global Supply Chain Management work as industrial production managers, logistics analysts, transportation managers, materials project managers, sourcing leaders, and supply chain managers. The salary range in this field could be anywhere from $28,500 to $193,500, but the average salary is $103,569 as of 2023. The U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 30% job growth for logisticians from 2020 to 2030.
This is a great degree for people who enjoy functioning as part of a team who are able to see “the big picture” and would like to learn a vast array of business functions.
The Bachelor of Science in Management is an undergraduate degree that takes approximately four years to complete. In this program, you'll gain a broad understanding of management and leadership and will gain skills in communication, critical and analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Students who earn a Bachelor of Science in Management work as financial managers, first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers, sales managers, and operations managers.
The salary range in this field is $21,000 to $98,000, and employment in management occupations is projected to grow 8% through 2031.
This is a great degree for people who like to analyze information and solve complex problems.
The Master of Science in Human Resources Leadership is a graduate degree that takes approximately 1 to 2 years to complete. In this program, you'll learn how to recruit, assess and select employees, as well as how to develop and implement policies and programs.
Students who earn a Master of Science in Human Resources Leadership work as human resources directors, labor relations specialists, training and development managers, and compensation and benefits managers.
The salary range in this field is $24,500 to $92,500, and employment is projected to grow 7% through 2031.
This is a great degree for someone who likes to be involved in creating and maintaining positive work environments and finding workable solutions to problems.
The Master of Accounting is a graduate degree that takes approximately 1 to 2 years to complete. In this program, you'll learn new technologies, methods of doing business, and how to solve problems related to financial and tax accounting.
Students who earn a Master of Accounting degree work as accountants, auditors, budget analysts, financial managers, and tax examiners. The salary range in this field is $26,500 to $58,500, with a growth outlook of 6% through 2031.
This is a great degree for people who like to examine complex issues and solve problems.
The Master of Business Administration, or MBA, is a graduate degree that takes approximately two years to complete. You'll learn skills in entrepreneurial thinking, management and team building, business research, marketing strategy, financial accounting, and more.
Students who earn a Master of Business Administration work in positions such as chief executive officers, chief financial officers, operation managers, business consultants, policy analysts, and business owners.
The salary range is anywhere from $111,500 to $176,500, depending on location and type of industry. Overall employment of chief executives is projected to grow 6% from 2021 to 2031.
This is a great degree for people who would like to work in top management, or as a business owner involved in networking and continuous learning.
The Master of Science in Business Cybersecurity Management is a graduate degree that takes approximately two years to complete. In this program, you'll learn cutting-edge technical skills such as data analytics, machine learning, penetration testing, and software security, as well as cybersecurity research skills.
Students who earn a Master of Science in Business Cybersecurity Management work as computer systems analysts, security management specialists, business continuity planners, and information technology project managers.
The salary range in this field is anywhere from $28,500 to $188,000, and jobs are projected to grow by 35% through 2031.
This is a great degree for people who enjoy working in teams, learning complex technologies, and doing research.
The Ph.D. in Economics is a doctoral degree that usually takes at least four years of full-time work beyond the baccalaureate degree to complete. In this program, you will learn high-level research skills, employing tools and methods of theoretical and empirical economics. This includes the ability to create, use and manipulate data.
Students who earn a Ph.D. in Economics are usually employed in academia, but this degree could also lead to careers in government, healthcare, finance, insurance, consulting, scientific research services, and international organizations.
The salary range for an economics professor in the United States in 2023 is $58,000 to $186,000. Employment is projected to grow 6% through 2031.
This is a great degree for people who have a strong aptitude for studying theory, as well as mathematical or logistical methods to analyze and solve problems.
The Ph.D. in Business Administration is a doctoral degree that may take as long as 4 or 5 years to complete. In this program, you'll learn research methods and statistics, as well as philosophy, leadership, organizational behaviors, strategic management theory, and structural equation modeling.
Students who earn a Ph.D. in Business Administration are prepared for success as researchers, in both academia and industry, working on a variety of topics to advance knowledge of managerial practice.
In addition to university professors, they work as business consultants, C-Suite executives, organizational development managers, or in any other field where advanced knowledge of management is required.
The salary range for a business professor in the U.S. in 2023 is $52,500 to $141,000. Employment in this field is projected to grow 4-7% through 2031.
This is a great degree for people who can work independently at a high level, communicating with audiences worldwide.
After reading this article, if you are unsure about your goals, or how to identify your interests and skills, be sure to reach out to one of our WVU Online admissions coaches. They are trained to help you look at your individual situation and make the right choice for your future.
Contact the Coaches at Our Learning Engagement Center
After reading this article, if you are unsure about your goals, or how to
identify your interests and skills, be sure to reach out to one of our WVU
Online admissions coaches. They are trained to help you look at your individual
situation and make the right choice for your future.
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