Are you interested in:

• Leading and motivating people
• Teamwork
• Organizing tasks
• Setting goals
• Planning projects
• Running your own business

Business administration majors learn how to manage people and accomplish strategic objectives in an organizational setting. To move into a career where you are responsible for people, projects, and resources, you need to have strong knowledge of business and a solid understanding of how organizations function as systems.

Business administration students take courses which expose them to all of the functional areas of business and management, including economics, accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and strategy. A major in business administration enables the graduate to pursue a career with virtually any firm, from for-profit major corporations to non-profit charities to small business. Because all companies need marketing, management, accounting and finance expertise, the business administration major is uniquely poised to add value to any organization. Many students combine the business administration major with specialized study in a target area, which prepares them for careers in marketing, finance, international business, human resources management, or accounting.

Types of jobs:

• Public relations
• Sales representative
• Social media marketing coordinator
• Budget analyst
• Event planner
• Human resource manager
• Office manager
• Business owner

Attend graduate school for:

• Master in Business Administration
• Law school
• Graduate programs in public policy and healthcare administration

Options for the major:

• B.S. in business administration
• All majors are required to complete a professional internship with responsibilities connected directly to business administration
• Students wanting to expand their knowledge and skills might consider adding:
  
  • A concentration or minor in accounting, economics, entrepreneurship and family business, finance, hospitality and tourism management, human resource management, or marketing
  • A minor or additional courses in technology or statistics – analytical skills will make you more competitive in the job market
  • Other opportunities for experiential learning including leadership roles in student organizations, which provide experience managing people, projects, or resources

Professional associations:

• The American Marketing Association www.ama.org/
• Public Relations Society of America www.prsa.org/
• Society for Human Resource Management www.shrm.org/
• American Institute of CPA’s www.aicpa.org/
• Beta Gamma Sigma, national business honorary www.betagammasigma.org/
• Phi Beta Lambda  https://www.fbla-pbl.org/pbl/ 

Career outlook:

The career outlook for business administration majors depends largely on the field or industry entered. In general, however, business administration majors are typically very successful in finding employment straight out of college.
Sales management
Finance management
Human resources management
Hospitality management
Healthcare administration
Marketing management

Additional information:

Meredith’s business administration major »

The business administration major prepares students for work in corporations large and small, for federal, state, or local government offices, or in nonprofit organizations. The knowledge and skills acquired by a business major are highly valued and transfer into virtually any setting.

Business majors can apply to the Meredith MBA “Early Career Entry” program and finish their MBA in just one additional year. Having the graduate degree in hand when entering the job market can be a great advantage and help jump start your career progression.