Business management is a popular choice for undergraduate and graduate students throughout the U.S. who have an interest in commerce. As a business management student, you can tailor your studies toward a multitude of careers across an array of fields, including accounting, finance and marketing.
Pursuing a degree in business management can be a good starting point for careers across a range of business-related fields, such as accounting, banking, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales. If you're interested in studying business management, the length of your education likely will depend on your personal interests and career goals. It can take as little as two years to complete an associate's degree in business management program or more than eight years (including pursuing your bachelor's degree) to obtain a doctoral degree in business.
Many business management majors go on to work in financial management, a field that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projected would grow by eight percent over the 2008-2018 decade (www.bls.gov). Other career options in business management include banking, which the BLS also expected to grow by eight percent, and marketing and sales management, which was expected to see a 14% percent increase in jobs in the same period.
As a business student, you'll take a range of courses, covering everything from communication skills to financial principles. Specific courses will vary by degree level and specialization but may include public speaking, business law and ethics, organizational behavior, financial analysis, information technology and managerial accounting. Many schools offer degree programs that allow students to choose an area of concentration, such as general management, health systems or accounting.
Additionally, business students sometimes choose to complete diploma or certificate programs in complementary fields like marketing, communications or international relations. Additional training in related fields can help you gain career-specific knowledge and skills. For example, a marketing certificate program might help prepare you to work in jobs like marketing account executive, sales associate or brand manager. Meanwhile, earning a certificate in accounting could help prepare you for positions with banks, accounting firms or other financial institutions.