The business sector plays an important role in the economy of any country. Businesses of all scales create cash flows, job opportunities, and essential products and services for our society. 

Despite different business structures, like limited liability, joint venture, or statutory structure, for businesses to best grow and expand their market, great managers and sales reps play essential roles; as they are the ones who make critical business decisions, come up with the right strategy, monitor and coordinate or advise the C-levels on how costs are used and should be used on a daily basis, as well as boost revenue. 

Hence, business administration graduates are always in demand. As there are more and more startups popping up, they need talents to help them create success.

This article will share some thoughts on business administration as a profession and whether you should follow it or not. 

“Don’t study business administration”, they said

Business administration is perhaps one of the most popular majors. However, there are certain prejudices about this study field. 

You might have heard something like, “This is too much for me; I don’t know what I’m studying exactly.”

According to the National Survey of Student Engagement, business administration students spend less time studying: they read and write less than other majors’ students like mathematics, science, engineering, or even liberal arts like philosophy, history, or literature.

A recent study conducted at ten different universities in Texas, USA, revealed that of 40 total courses offered in business administration, only one requires writing essays of 20 pages or more. Only three courses require writing essays of at least ten pages.

Stephen Moret, CEO of Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), analysed, using data from the U.S Census Bureau and the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, and found out that the unemployment rate of business administration graduates is 50 per cent higher than other majors.

These information and prejudices have somehow discouraged students who are studying business administration major; not to mention, this information also confuses prospective students.

So, in order to clarify all of the information mentioned above, let’s look at who study, and should study business administration major and the benefits of earning a bachelor’s degree in BA.

Who should study for a business administration degree?

Anyone who wants to help businesses generate profits has to learn everything about business administration (BA). Hence, BA graduates can work in different fields since the major provides extensive knowledge of all business’s domains. 

Here are some industries that BA graduates can work in:

• Financial institutions
• Healthcare services providers such as hospitals and pharmaceutical companies
• Manufacturing companies
• Sales organisations
• Educational organisation
• Real Estate organisation
• Audit firm
• Government and private agencies
• Commercial organisations
• Limited liability businesses or joint ventures, etc.
• Insurance companies
• Transportation and logistics

And also other industries. Read this article on Business Administration and career opportunities for more detailed information.

A few other reasons why you should study for a BA’s degree

If the diverse work market we’ve mentioned above is not convincing enough, here are some benefits you can have when earning a degree in BA:

• Plentiful working opportunities: graduates of this major are rated by most employers as having excellent leadership and management skills. As a graduate student in business administration, you’ll have the opportunity to become the future CMO, human resources manager or CFO.
• Opportunities to develop your management skills: while enrolling in business administration, you will have the opportunity to develop your leadership and management skills that employers are looking for. Not to mention the chance of being an indispensable factor in the organisation where you work.
• Flexible career path: having a degree in BA meaning you’ll have flexibility when it comes to your career path since business administration is essential for all industries.
• Be your own boss: yes, that’s right! You can start your own company using all the skills and knowledge you’ve learned throughout the years spent in uni and while you were working.

If there are so many benefits of earning a BA’s degree, why there are still some prejudices toward it?

Like any other profession, BA is a field where theory and hands-on experience are needed. To be successful, the right mindset is a must at the very beginning. Many have neglected this “mindset”, leading to false expectations, leading to failure later in life.

For educational institutes, universities, and schools, the offered program must be high-quality. Educational providers must ensure the quality of the study curriculum, lecturers and lectures, etc., meet the requirements and expectations of the learner. For instance, in the UK, all programs of all levels are bound to comply with academic outcomes and real-life applicability.

For learners, it is necessary to understand that earning a bachelor of business administration degree does not equal you’ll end up being a director or a manager. It is necessary to define your study goal during the learning process, what you want to achieve in life. Be specific and be realistic about it. Don’t set your goal like “to be the director of Apple” for instance, in order to be something big, time and effort are needed. Instead, you can set your goal in 5 years to be the manager of X department in a startup company and use what you’ve learned and applied it to real-life scenarios. With determination, effort and patience, you’ll achieve your goal eventually.

In addition to the time spent in class and the right mindset, it is essential to use time to practice what you’ve learned. In addition to earning pocket money and years of working experience, this can help you apply what you are learning in school to the workplace immediately.

Soft skills and foreign languages are also important skill set of a good manager. These skills are usually not offered in a university course, but they can be acquired through part-time work, internships, self-study, etc.

Perfection takes time. If you are passionate enough, study the right program, and know how to utilise what you’ve learned and taken the time to develop relevant skills, business administration will be the industry with the most opportunities in the context of global trading, e-commerce and businesses booming like today.

Where should I study Business Administration?

Most education providers like universities, training centres, business schools, and other educational institutes offer business administration programs because of its diversity and career opportunities.

Some education providers will offer programs/courses with names like business management, business studies, or management studies, etc., but in general, they are all business administration. 

Over the past decade, most of the programs in business administration have been changed to qualification levels so that after graduation, students can easily get the job they want. Qualification levels programs are one of the most advanced educational models available that you can consider.

You can study for a bachelor’s or master’s degree, or even a doctorate’s if needed. Alternatively, you can also participate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training programs to enhance your expertise or join business associations for career development opportunities.

There are many training models in business administration. You can choose traditional models like what offered in institutes, universities, schools, etc., or hybrid models (combined online and offline), or 100% online, etc.

Conclusion

Business administration is a flexible and important major. All enterprises need talents to help them generate profits, manage human resources, finance, etc. Therefore, the demand for managers and business administration professionals is increasing.

So, to make it short: Yes, you should definitely study business administration if you intend to be the one who makes or advises major decisions, helping business in many different ways. 

Source: The Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation