Everyone's Ally -
The Business Administration Degree

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” We’ve all heard this question dozens of times, and our answers are often as varied as our personalities and talents. Whether you want to build your own business, market a toy company’s products, advertise an airline’s services, manage a hotel or restaurant, spearhead a hospital’s administration, oversee a local brewery’s computer systems, supervise a U.S. manufacturer’s plant overseas, buy and sell real estate, manage a bank, or work for the FBI or CIA, a business administration degree will help you achieve your goals.

Now that you have started thinking about the future, let’s explore the world of business. Nearly everything around you involves commerce. Eighty-five percent of you will either own or work for a business. With odds like that, a degree in Business Administration is a key to your future. Think of the term “Business Administration” as a large umbrella. Areas and careers covered by this label include Accounting, Business Law, Economics, Finance, International Business, General Management, Risk Management and Insurance, Real Estate, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality Administration, Health Administration, and Marketing. What a magnitude of options for you to explore!

Opportunities in these different majors and career avenues are seemingly endless. For instance, a graduate with an accounting degree may choose to be an auditor, tax accountant, corporate controller, business consultant, control systems analyst, or a manager of a corporate department or division. If your interest involves the law, a bachelor’s degree in business will form a solid foundation for a subsequent legal degree. You could practice in fields such as sports and entertainment law, health law, consumer protection, real estate, employment discrimination law, workplace safety and workers’ compensation, environmental law, or one of many other business-related specialties within the law. Just a few other examples of career options available to the college business student include computer systems analyst, programmer, hotel/resort manager, economic consultant, artist manager, credit analyst, real estate broker, investment manager, securities analyst, and financial advisor.

Employers are continually looking for multi-skilled professionals. Although you might specialize in one business sub-field, having a Business Administration degree, with its diverse wealth of knowledge, will definitely put your resume front and center. You will be marketing yourself for potential employment with all types of businesses. Employers recognize the unique ability of business programs to teach students the financial, managerial, technical, communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills necessary for success and advancement in today’s workplace.

After building experience by working for someone else, most people will at some point in their lives consider becoming their own boss. Many will try. Few will succeed. Failure is not due to the lack of a viable idea, product, or service. Rather, lack of business knowledge will lay victim to many upstart entrepreneurs. The majority of college students in our classes have said they would like to open their own businesses and work for themselves, perhaps shortly after college or perhaps farther in the future. No matter what type of business they want to start or when they want to begin it, all budding entrepreneurs can benefit from the knowledge of economics, accounting, law, technology, marketing, management, and business information systems that a business degree provides. All of these aspects of business studies greatly enhance workplace skills. Knowing how to market a product, create a business plan, locate financing, understand legal information, and prepare your financial statements will significantly increase your chances of being one of the few who succeed.

Whatever your particular interest, local colleges in the Atlanta area offer a wide variety of business programs. Junior or community colleges, such as Georgia Perimeter College, typically offer a basic Business Administration Program with courses like Economics, Accounting, Business Law, and Business Information Systems that business students need, regardless of specialty. Moreover, community colleges offer smaller classes and a highly supportive extra-curricular environment through groups like student business clubs. A good business club increases student awareness of and comfort within the business world and offers opportunities to plan business events, develop leadership skills, and build professional contacts directly with local “real world” business leaders. Community colleges can be ideal places to gain confidence and experience in the business world.

Once admitted to a four-year institution, the business student will choose a specific major within the business college. Most universities offer business degrees in Accounting, general Business Administration, Business Information Systems, Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing. In addition, many colleges offer programs of study in Real Estate, Risk Management & Insurance, and International Business. There are even some business programs in specialty areas, such as Hospitality Administration (hotel and restaurant management), Health Administration, and Entrepreneurship. Some strong local business programs available to Atlanta students include those offered by Georgia State University, The University of Georgia, The Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Kennesaw State University, State University of West Georgia, Morehouse College, and Clayton College & State University. A small amount of research into those university programs will likely identify the right business degree to prepare for a successful career.

Editorial provided by Erin E. McGoff, J.D., Instructor of Legal Environment of Business, Georgia Perimeter College and Linda S. Mullins, MBA, Instructor of Accounting, Georgia Perimeter College.