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Bachelors In

Business Administration Degrees

The complete guide on what you’ll learn, job prospects, university programs, and saving time and money.
on February 19, 2024

Why We Love It

  • $91,770
    Potential Avg. Salary*
  • Growing Demand
    Job Outlook

* Salary & growth data is based on the recent Bureau of Labor and Statistics data published at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131111.htm for 13-1111 Management analysts 11/2021. Based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.

A bachelor of science in business administration is a flexible degree that allows students to work in a wide variety of management and leadership roles across all industries. Students learn how to run a business, gain effective leadership skills and techniques, and manage projects from start to finish.

Coursework is focused on management skills, legal issues, and entrepreneurship best practices.

What is a Degree in Business Administration?

A bachelor of science in business administration is an excellent generalist degree that prepares students to move into a diverse array of business areas.

Students focus on a variety of topics of interest to modern business owners and leaders, such as marketing, leadership skills, human resources regulations, writing business plans, project management methodologies, and interviewing techniques. Depending on your goals and focus, you may work in a variety of business areas: marketing, sales, management, and more.

With a business degree, you can find work in a variety of industries. Some individuals go into corporate management and pursue leadership positions, and some work in marketing and web development and help manage and shepherd projects through to completion.

Additionally, most corporations look for individuals with adept business administration skills when filling management and leadership positions, and a business administration bachelor’s degree can eventually lead to director and chief executive roles.

Recommended Schools

What Courses Would I Take For a Major in Business Administration?

  • Principles of Marketing
  • Intermediate Economics
  • Financial Accounting
  • Ethical and Legal Issues in Business
  • Strategic Management
  • Organizational Behavior and Management
  • Project Management Methodologies
  • Fundamentals of Business Finance

What Jobs Can You Get with a Degree in Business Administration?

Businesses of all types and in all industries are always in search of effective managers and leaders who can inspire employees and drive business growth.

As such, demand for individuals with bachelor’s degrees in business administration should continue to grow in the coming decade. Graduates should be able to find work as analysts and managers in a variety of industries, including healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, communications, and more. Some even go on to own and operate their own businesses.

How Long does it take?

A bachelors in Business Administration will have a typical length of 4 years in a full time schedule. That said, there are many ways to speed up the timeframe by either taking more units via online coursework, community college, or taking free classes at OnlineDegree.com that could transfer to universities in the US.

Online Business Administration Degree

Business administration is among the most popular academic programs which are offered online by many universities. The program usually includes around 120 credit hours that are normally completed by full time students within four years.

Students can choose between different specializations including accounting, finance, information systems, management, marketing and technology entrepreneurship. If you already have a college degree, you may choose to study an online master’s of business administration (MBA) which will help you advance to a managerial position in your field.


What Can You Do With a Business Administration Degree?

Business administration is the comprehensive study of various aspects of business management including finance, accounting, project management and marketing. It focuses on managing business operations and decision-making to utilize financial and human resources to achieve business objectives.

The comprehensive multi-discipline study enables graduates to work efficiently in companies and organizations with more opportunities to reach managerial positions.

What does a business administration student learn?

Business administration is a multidisciplinary study that involves different fields related to business from various aspects. The following list shows courses that are commonly studied in business administration programs:

  1. Principles of business management: this is an introductory course to business management including planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling.
  2. Microeconomics: it is the study of the behavior of individuals and companies that affects business decisions including the management of scarce resources.
  3. Macroeconomics: it is the study of methods and factors affecting the economy of countries and the collective effect on the global economy
  4. Business communication: This is an academic English course that focuses on effective methods for communication within the business community.
  5. Principles of marketing: the course introduces the fundamentals of marketing including concepts such as “the 4 Ps” which refer to the product, price, place and promotion.
  6. Principles of finance: this is an introductory course that presents the foundations of finance including concepts as the principle of risk and return, the time value of money and the cash flow principle.
  7. Business law and ethics: this is an essential course for students who plan to enter into business. Legal and ethical issues may represent significant concerns to companies or organizations.
  8. Other courses offered: E-commerce, multinational management, business and society, organizational behavior, leadership and quality management.

Now I have the business administration degree…where can I work after graduating?

There is a high demand for business administration graduates in companies, organizations and governmental entities. Their comprehensive multidisciplinary knowledge is important for effective management and leadership.

Career options available for business administration are numerous including the following jobs for example:

  1. Sales manager: the role of this position is to supervise the sales team within a company with the aim of generating more revenue.
  2. Business consultants: their role is to investigate problems and analyze the performance of organizations and companies. They provide recommendations to increase revenue, reduce costs and restructure a company for a more efficient system.
  3. Financial analyst: the role of this position is to analyze the financial statements of a company including the balance sheet, cash flow or change in equity. They provide recommendations to improve the financial position and generate funds to achieve the objectives of the company.
  4. Market research analysts: analyze the market to identify business opportunities and challenges. They provide recommendations regarding offering new products or services, investment or proper time to withdraw from the market.
  5. Loan officer: the role of this person is to evaluate loan applications to determine the ability of the applicant to pay the loan back or evaluate the profitability of a project that is funded by the loan.
  6. Human resources specialist: the role of this position is to evaluate the business needs and hire the talents to fulfill these needs. He/she will also provide evaluation and training for the employees.

Should I choose a business administration degree?

If you are excited about making a successful business and enjoy a leading and creative personality, then you should consider business administration as your field of study.

Business administration is a competitive and highly rewarding career but you should have the following skills to succeed in this field:

  1. Technology skills: people working in business administration rely heavily on computer programs to complete their tasks including general programs or other specialized programs for finance, human resources or management.
  2. Communication skills: your work in management is mainly about communicating effectively either internally with employees or externally with customers or clients.
  3. Efficient organization and time management skills: business administration is a highly competitive career and the pace of work is very quick. You will need to manage your time very efficiently to deal with different daily tasks in appropriate time.
  4. Short and long-term planning: the core of business administration is setting the plans for the business including management of available resources and acquiring new resources for future plans.
  5. Problem-solving skills: you will have to solve unexpected problems as limited availability of funds or sudden withdrawal of investment.

Recommended Schools


Best Jobs for Business Administration Degrees

A bachelor of science in business administration leads to a diverse variety of careers across all industries. Degree-holders own and operate their own businesses, work as analysts and consultants for businesses of all sizes, and take manager, director, and executive roles at major corporations and enterprises.

They’re equipped to work in finance, project management, recruiting, and manufacturing, as well as other industries.


How to save time and money

Our mission is to help you to avoid paying full price for college. We want your Business Administration degree to be affordable and accessible. Here’s how you could save:

Create Your Free SmartPlan

There are many ways to make college affordable and accessible.

That’s why we created a helpful tool called SmartPlan.

It’s free, and helps you find potential ways to save and tons of information about each school you’re considering

Think of it as your “college blueprint”, to help you instantly craft a path to your degree:

  • Which Colleges Match Your Needs
  • Ways You Could Save Time & Money
  • Free Courses You Could Take for Credit
  • Valuable Data and Insights on Each College
  • Detailed Steps You Should Take!

See what’s possible for you and generate a free plan within just a few minutes

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Earn a BS and MBA Concurrently

Most corporate management and leadership positions require candidates to have both a BS and a master of business administration (MBA).

You can save time and money by finding a college that offers a combined program awarding both degrees. These programs usually only require five years of full-time study, so you can shave a full year of time and tuition off of your overall educational commitment.


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Many visitors who look for a degree in Business Administration are also interested in the following degrees.

About the Author
Grant founded OnlineDegree.com with a purpose-driven mission: make college accessible and affordable for everyone. After graduating college with an overwhelming amount of debt, he was determined to change how students embark on their education. He's a frequent speaker and author in higher education, and has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, Business Insider, American Express, AOL, MSN, Thrive Global, Reader's Digest, Inside Higher Ed, Evolllution, EducationDive, and nearly 100 radio shows and podcasts.

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