If you’re serious about growing your professional skills, career prospects, and earning potential, you might consider enrolling in a business management program. An undergraduate program like the online Bachelor of Science in Management at UAB’s Collat School of Business can offer the comprehensive curriculum and level of flexibility you need to accelerate your career and can be completed in as few as four years.
But what can you do with a business management degree? Here’s a closer look at the learning outcomes and potential career paths for graduates.
What Do You Learn Pursuing a Business Management Degree?
A bachelor’s degree program in management is designed to prepare you for the working world. Your coursework will introduce you to the theoretical and practical sides of management and leadership, organizational dynamics, and the modern business environment. Core courses and electives can give you the chance to expand your depth and breadth of knowledge, while experiential learning opportunities empower you to apply what you’ve learned to real-world contexts.
As part of the online Bachelor of Science in Management program at the Collat School of Business, we offer a General Management track to give students a versatile, robust business education. Or, if your interests lie in a specific aspect of business, you can choose a degree concentration in Marketing, Finance, or Operations.
Let’s explore the different subject areas you’ll learn about with a General Management concentration:
Management Theory and Practice
Naturally, a management curriculum will include courses that teach you about management from a variety of angles, from organizational dynamics to leadership strategies. Additional coursework in business law and international business will help you understand how to lead in a way that’s compliant with applicable regulations but that also takes global perspectives into account. Courses that will help you build management skills include:
- Business Foundations
- Organizational Behavior
- Management Processes and Behavior
- Managing through Leadership
- Legal Environment of Business
- International Business Dynamics
Economics and Financial Management
If you’re a business management major, you’ll take courses that will not only help you navigate the economic realities of the business world, but will also assist you in managing a company’s financial health through financial and accounting strategies. Course titles under this umbrella include:
- Principles of Microeconomics
- Principles of Macroeconomics
- Essentials of Financial Literacy
- Fundamentals of Financial Management
- Principles of Accounting I and II
Information Management and Data Analysis
Courses aimed at developing skills in information technology and data analysis can prepare you for a variety of business challenges and contexts. Relevant courses include:
- Introduction to Business Intelligence
- Information Systems
- Quantitative Analysis I and II
Marketing and Communications
A business management degree program will prepare you to communicate effectively with key stakeholders and audiences, empowering you to market and sell ideas as well as goods and services. At UAB, courses in these disciplines include:
- Business Communications
- Basic Marketing
Business Operations
The management curriculum and General Management track also feature courses that will give you experience in various business functions like project management and operations. These will help provide a well-rounded business education that can expose you to specific departments and open your eyes to potential job titles and career paths. Courses in these subject areas include:
- Operations Management
- Supply Chain Management
- Project Management
Human Resources
In the General Management track, you can complete courses that address human resources considerations, from hiring and supervising staff to creating training programs, administering compensation, and upholding employment laws and regulations. Courses with this focus include:
- Human Resource Management
- Employment Law
- Employee Selection and Development
- Compensation Administration
Professional Development
Finally, as part of UAB’s online Bachelor of Science in Management program, you’ll participate in experiential learning and professional development courses. These will help you navigate the employment landscape, build your professional brand and network, and apply theoretical knowledge and skills to real-world situations:
- Professional Development
- Strategic Management Capstone Experience
How Can a Degree in Business Management Help Your Career?
A business degree comes with a variety of benefits that can support you throughout your career, whether you’re joining the workforce or seeking new and more advanced opportunities. Here are some of the ways an online Bachelor of Science in Management can prepare you professionally:
Direct Preparation for In-Demand Jobs
By taking courses that focus on specific business functions — like accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, project management, and others — you can get a firsthand look at what jobs in these fields might be like. A business management curriculum can help you explore your career options while giving you the tools you’ll need to excel in the workplace.
Holistic Business Perspective
Studying a variety of disciplines, theories, and practical strategies throughout a business management program can help you develop a holistic view of the business world. Wherever you land in the workforce, you will have greater understanding about the roles, responsibilities, and needs of colleagues, clients, and key stakeholders. This can make you a better collaborator and stronger leader. It can also help prepare you to take on complex and multidisciplinary challenges.
Networking and Portfolio-Building Opportunities
During your undergraduate experience, you’ll have many chances to craft your identity as an emerging professional. With access to award-winning faculty, extracurricular programs, and hands-on coursework designed to support your professional development, you will be well on your way to growing your network. Plus, rigorous coursework ranging from cumulative assignments to capstone projects can serve as material for your professional portfolio and interview conversations.
Increased Earning Potential
With a bachelor’s degree in business management, you can qualify for a wider range of higher-paying jobs. According to PayScale, as of January 2021, professionals with a bachelor’s degree in business management made $66,451 on average. Moreover, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in May 2019 that the median salary across all management occupations was $105,660. This figure “was the highest wage of all the major occupational groups” and significantly higher than the $39,810 median annual wage across all fields.
Flexibility to Work While You Study
Since UAB’s online Bachelor of Science in Management is 100% online, you won’t have to worry about attending in-class sessions or relocating to be near a campus. Instead, you can complete coursework from any location and study at your own pace. This is a major advantage for students who want to maintain employment while making progress toward a business management degree.
Foundation for an MBA Program
If you have an interest in pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) later in your career, as a business management graduate you’ll likely have the necessary education requirements under your belt. Although it’s possible to enter an MBA program with a different degree, an online Bachelor of Science in Management will enable you to hit the ground running and take your skills to the next level. This is because the coursework in a business management program will more closely map to an MBA curriculum.
Where Can You Work as a Business Management Professional?
After earning a business management degree, you can carve out your own professional path. The answer to “What can you do with a business management degree?” will vary depending on what you’re interested in, what industries appeal to you, and what work environment you want to spend your time in.
Virtually Any Industry with the Right Experience
With an educational background in management, you can build your career in business around your skills and interests. This type of education can translate well to virtually any industry, so you will have the ability to pursue the fields and roles that interest you most. Keep in mind that you may need to come prepared with industry-specific skills or experiences for opportunities in certain niches.
A Wide Range of Work Environments
A business career doesn’t necessarily mean spending the week in an office setting or at a desk. Depending on the line of work you pursue, you may be able to qualify for remote opportunities. You could consider jobs that involve travel to different job sites or even different cities and countries. Moreover, you can find roles that involve a significant amount of communication and collaboration with others as well as those that are more independent. Also, a versatile online Bachelor of Science in Management can lead you to consider employment opportunities near and far.
What Are Possible Jobs and Career Paths with a Business Management Degree?
As a business management graduate, you will be able to pursue entry level opportunities that can lead to managerial positions. At that level, managers oversee things like strategic planning, daily operations, and the efforts of other staff members. It is typically their responsibility to help train and develop emerging professionals while creating and implementing strategies that help grow the business. Here are a few career possibilities with an online Bachelor of Science in Management:
Consulting
In the role of management consultant or business management analyst, you can help organizations develop greater efficiency and profitability while reducing risk and costs. The BLS reported that management analysts earned a median salary of $85,260 in 2019. The lowest 10% of earners made less than $49,700 whereas the top 10% earned more than $154,310.
Sales
As a sales representative or sales manager, you will be tasked with bringing a company’s product or service to market, setting and reaching sales targets, and building relationships with your customers. Sales professionals are often paid a base salary plus commission on the contracts they secure. Indeed reported that, in 2021, the average base salary for a sales representative was $64,989, and average additional compensation included $25,000 in cash bonuses and/or $12,000 in commission per year.
Account Management
As an account manager, you will be tasked with supporting existing customers and finding new opportunities to maintain their loyalty by driving more business through upsell and cross-sell strategies. According to PayScale, total account manager earnings ranged from $36,000 to $92,000 in 2021, including base pay, bonuses, and commissions.
Marketing
Marketing specialists and marketing managers create and execute compelling campaigns to promote specific products and services, build a brand’s reputation, and ultimately drive sales. Roles in public relations, advertising, and communications are all related career options, as are niche marketing roles like social media management and event marketing. PayScale reported that the average marketing assistant salary was $38,949 in 2021. The site also noted that marketing managers earned between $41,000 and $105,000.
Project Management
In project management, you will be responsible for keeping every aspect of a project running smoothly. This may involve working with vendors and production teams to keep project-based activities on schedule and on budget. According to 2021 data from Salary.com, the average salary for a project manager was $77,894.
Operations
An operations manager, supply chain manager, and those in similar roles oversee the logistics associated with producing goods and services. In this role, you will be focused on driving efficiency and ensuring the successful delivery of a company’s offerings. In 2021, Glassdoor reported that general operations managers earned an average of $83,322 per year.
Purchasing
In a purchasing manager role, you will be responsible for evaluating the price, availability, and quality of materials required to produce products and services for your business. This role involves tasks like negotiating contracts and arranging payments. According to Indeed, the average salary for a purchasing manager in 2021 was $69,978.
Human Resources
In human resources, you will coordinate various aspects of the workforce, from hiring and training new staff members to securing benefits packages and maintaining employee records. Communication, employment law, information management, and other skills are central to this type of role. Glassdoor reported that human resources assistants made an average salary of $38,937 in 2021. According to the BLS, human resources managers earned a median annual salary of $116,720 in 2019.
Earn Your Business Management Degree at UAB
What can you do with a business management degree? It’s all up to you — and an online Bachelor of Science in Management from the Collat School of Business can get you one step closer to your dream career. To learn more, explore the program page and get in touch with an enrollment advisor at UAB.
Recommended Readings:
Online Bachelor’s Degree in Management
Course Descriptions: Business Management
Becoming a Sales Manager: Job Overview, Qualifications, and More
What Does a Management Consultant Do?
Sources:
PayScale, Bachelor’s Degree, Business Management Salary
Indeed, Sales Representative Salary in United States
PayScale, Average Account Manager Salary
PayScale, Average Marketing Assistant Salary
PayScale, Average Marketing Manager Salary
Salary.com, Project Manager Salary in the United States
Glassdoor, Salary: General and Operations Manager