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The course work and career options of an undergraduate business major

Introduction

Just as it is choosing a marriage partner, choosing the area of study to specialize in is a very complex task. Both need careful consideration, time and efforts to be successful. For both, no matter where one goes in life, they will always be there to support you. The business major program is meant for students who have a desire in broad understanding of business that extends to all the features of the business enterprise and gives them a broad economical and physiological perspective on business operations. Business major is meant for business students that desire to gain a deep understanding in their undergraduate studies. This major is especially suitable for students that want to combine the business course with an extended coursework or a minor in a non-business field. It is also very important for students that wish to do a specialized masters degree in business, those that intent to attend a law school of other professional fields. This paper will in details explore the business major program to give the readers a deep understanding of the major.

Requirements to get to business major

There are several prerequisites for one to pursue a business major. These include: introduction to business, financial accounting and reporting, introduction to computing, introduction to macroeconomics, introduction to microeconomics, statistics for business, statistics for business and microeconomics theory. These prerequisites are very crucial to the business major as it creates a base for the major.

What is Business?

A career in business is more diverse than most people realize. This major can involve the obvious roles like marketing and management, however, there is increasing pressure on business majors to apply the skills they learn in international commerce, art, government, healthcare and nonprofit organizations. Business principles serve as the backbone for political, social and economic systems at all levels. A degree in business can be applied to nearly any industry and can also help one to start their one business. Most people start their own professional training companies with an undergraduate business degree. They go further to graduate school or masters of business administration. Most working adults undertake online courses virtually everything ranging from financial planning to business management. This makes it easy to change careers and advance even after one has started working (Whipple and Dominic, 675).

A degree in business provides one with a wide exposure to all the important elements that makes companies function well. Though it doesn’t give the specialization that are provided by more targeted degrees (like accounting and finance), it is very variable in its generalized approach. A major in business give one an overview of the various functions in the world of business and base ones studies on how the different functions interact.

One of the common questions that most students ask is what makes a good business major. Almost all business degree will obviously involve lots of numbers and statistical analysis. Therefore any one that is thinking of doing a business major should be good with math. They should also be able to see the big picture with regard to organizational structure, considering the goals of the organization, rough data or raw materials and the development of plans to propel the projects forward. A business student should be able to clearly communicate written and verbal information, work in groups and be able to work under sustained pressure.

Why Get a Business Degree?

With more than a million college graduates getting into the American workforce annually, the expectations of employers are constantly rising. Business is an area in which continuing education, even for professional who are established is important for one to remain competitive. For one to succeed in the increasingly global and technologically sophisticated business field, one has to have a result oriented business education that combines established theories with real life application.

A business degree is a very highly practical are of study as the curriculum gives students lots of real world experience and thus have a very smooth transition from college to career world. Nonetheless, students should be prepared for the very turbulent job market. Students should, instead of doing a course in a high demand field. Pursue a degree that corresponds to their own talents and interests. As there is no known way of predicting the ever changing job market, students should look at their education as a jumping off point but not a definite line to a particular industry or job title. One should take time to evaluate what they have to offer, their interests and their ultimate needs and goals. Depending on the area one specializes in, they may wear so many hats that could include confident pioneer, compulsive listener, innovative thinker and problem solver.

The other reason that one should pursue a degree in business is because a business major is a very practical major. Business, sometimes referred to as a “play it safe” major is the most practical choice that one can pursue. Each organization, irrespective of the industry relies on principles of business to prosper. People with a solid foundation in business are not just able to start their own businesses but they also possess the practical skills required to prosper in different positions in the industry of their choice (Carroll et al, 40).

Moreover, the demand for business majors is high and will always be high as there are endless career opportunities for people who have good education. Employers in all industries require people who have the knowledge to plan, manage, and organize in an organization. There are so many companies that rely on business schools to get new employees.

Lastly, there are so many opportunities for specialization when it comes to business major. Majoring in business, despite how people think, is not a straight forward course. Students have very many opportunities to specialize in than in other fields. For instance, business majors can specialize in finance, marketing, human recourse, real estate, management, nonprofit or any other path that is related to business and industry.

Career Education in Business major

Regardless of whether one studies online or on campus, courses in business can lead them to them directly to fact track positions. A business degree will develop ones leadership skills and train them to approach challenges with working methods and innovative solutions. Degrees in business field include courses in finance, accounting quantitative analysis, computer application, human recourse management, marketing and management (Kim, David et al, 30). One will also study change management, ethics, organizational behavior, business based research and social interactions. To decide the degree one wants to undertake, they consider their personal interests, goals and qualifications. From associate degrees all the way to Ph Ds, there are so many degree courses that one can choose. Most degrees in business have more emphasis on particular functions such as communication, e-commerce or management.

Associate Degrees and certificates in Business

When one commits him/herself to a full business degree or business administration degree, associate degrees give them a solid foundation for future coursework. They will enhance their career options and have applicable credits for bachelors degree should they decide to pursue them in the future. A good example of an associate certificate in the business field is certified public accountant certificate. This certificate gives one a basis to pursue a degree in business. It gives one an added advantage when they want to major in business.

Bachelor's Degrees in Business

A business bachelor’s degree is usually the minimum requirement for entry in business career. As a graduate in bachelor’s degree in business, one will be well prepared to pursue a number of entry level positions in various fields for instance: finance, accounting, economics, and human recourse management, marketing and sales. In instances where one is already working in one of these fields and considers changing careers or advance his/ her career, they can consider an online business degree, most of which are customized towards the needs of working adults. Some colleges give college credits towards one degree according to their previous coursework or/and work experience (Malgwi et al, 276).

If one is already a working professional and has industry certification in financial planning, banking industries, insurance, an online business bachelors degree will allow one to combine that official certification with a course that they need to get their bachelors degree in business. Professional certifications usually involve very rigorous exams after extensive academic training; however they do not provide one with actual bachelor’s degree. Instead from beginning from scratch, these programs recognize ones accomplishment and tailor their curriculum to fill the course they need a degree in.

What Can You Do With a College Degree in Business?

If one thinks of a degree in business as a general foundation instead of a specialized training program, then they are in a position to visualize the numerous careers that they are open to. For instance; in sales, the focus is usually to connect and have a relationship with their customers. The job description for one in sales range from advertising to point of sale work (dealing directly with customers), marketing management, realty, travel and hospitality, product representation and career counseling.

When it comes to the nonprofit sector, one all find so many of the same types of job Description and titles though the motivating factor here is quite different from regular business and the economic constraints here are quite unique. Non profit firms just like other regular businesses require qualified business professionals to run their programs, to uphold responsible financial management practices, and service investors and consumers (Gault et al, 50).

Business managers will have a business bachelor’s degree with a specialization that will assist them in their industry. Their job description is to oversee, organize, lead, direct and control operations in organizations. Operation manager’s have the responsibility of overseeing the profitability of operations where goods are sold. They are responsible of hiring and training staff, managing inventory, maintaining sales floor displays, and uphold customer relation policies.

Buyers and purchasers are responsible for choosing appropriate services, goods, suppliers, negotiate for good prices, and award contracts that ensure that the organization receive the correct quantities of products and on time. A good understanding of consumer purchasing trends when it comes to distribution, production, and merchandising will assist one venture into purchasing and buying. With this understanding one will be in a position to make sound purchasing and buying decisions

Moreover, a business major will give one the skills require to trade. Courses in business major equips the student with skills to enable them understand the markets in terms of demand and supply. With this knowledge, one will be able make sound decision when it come to trading in terms of prices and quantities needed.

A degree in business also enables one to become a hospital administrator. Hospital administrators ensure that clinics and hospitals are running efficiently through a balance between compassionate in providing healthcare and the need to ensure that operation budgets are followed to the later. An undergraduate can work in a hospital to gain experience before they think of proceeding to doing a master’s degree in business.

Lastly, the skills acquires in business major assists one to begin their own businesses. These skills enable them to effectively run their business into success. With a degree in business, a young entrepreneur will not need to hire professional as they already have the expertise required to run the business. Courses under business major

A degree in business major offers so many opportunities for the students. One will be prepared to work in so many settings in business, nonprofit organization, government and many more. Whatever one’s interests, a major any of the following areas will give one the skills and knowledge to work in an industry or setting that’s right for them. Below are examples of courses that one can pursue in business major.

The first course in business major is accounting. Accounting, despite the thoughts of many, is more than just bookkeeping. It involves learning how to report businesses or an individual’s financial activities and knowing how to make sense of numbers. Accountants study the language of money and translate that knowledge so as to give stakeholders valuable information to make decisions. Though one can work with a bachelor’s degree, for them to become certified public accountants they have to pass specialized examinations. Most countries require extra credits before one can take the exam (Pritchard et al, 154).

Moreover, a student interested in a business major can chose to pursue finance. Majors in finance are responsible of interpreting financial data. They normally make use of their skills to assist companies, individuals and nonprofit organizations to plan for the future. Math skills are essential whether one is planning investments or creating budgets. If one wants to work in the finance field as a stockbroker, they will need some professional experience and pass specialized examinations.

In addition, one can specialize in business management and administration. Business administrators, owners and business managers are people that are charged with the responsibility of keeping organizations on track. Whether small or large, corporation managers use the same skills. If one chooses to specialize in this field, they learn the following tasks:

· Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of a business

· Figuring out the best way to make profits

· How to steer the company through challenging situations

Furthermore, one can specialize in marketing under business major. The fact that a company has great products, this doesn’t guarantee them of success in business. Companies need to create awareness of their products to the consumers through marketing. Marketing is a factor that can make the difference between an organizations success and failure. Those that specialize in marketing figure out the following things.

· Pricing of the products

· Where to sell the goods or services

· How to promote and advertize products

Having the right marketing plans ensures that businesses make maximum profits out of their products. It also enables consumers to get what they want and at the prices they want.

Sales is another specialty under business major. Though sales and distribution is almost similar to marketing, they have quite a number of differences. Sales and distribution involve the following:

· Entrepreneurship

· Business economics

· Selling skills

Besides, under business major, one can specialize in international business. If a product works well in one country, that doesn’t guarantee that it will work well in another country. When a company is thinking of producing or selling their products internationally, they require international business knowledge. When one pursues a degree in international business, they gain skills in how to do business internationally.

Lastly, a major in business is a road to masters in business administration. After one earns a bachelors degree, some students choose to pursue a master’s degree in business administration. An undergraduate degree in business is a good preparation for pursuing an MBA and will enable one to complete the program quickly (Kolvereid, Lars, and OAystein Moen, 158)

After completion what next

After one is through with a business major degree, they don’t only acquire the skills to work for large corporations. The students finish the degrees with life changing skills that they can apply in their day to day lives. For instance, they gain decision making skills that are needed by each and everyone regardless of the field of study. Budgeting skills are also taught under business major. This gives the graduated great skills to manage their own finances well. One also gains worthwhile knowledge on making wise investment decisions.

Conclusion

Business major, unlike many other majors opens the students to a lot of opportunities. It gives one more than just expertise in business but it opens the whole world to them. One also gets worthwhile skills that assist them in their daily life such as decision making, controlling, directing, leading, just but to mention a few.

References

Pritchard, Robert E., Gregory C. Potter, and Michael S. Saccucci. "The selection of a business major: Elements influencing student choice and implications for outcomes assessment." Journal of Education for Business79.3 (2004): 152-156.

Kim, David, F. Scott Markham, and Joseph D. Cangelosi. "Why students pursue the business degree: A comparison of business majors across universities." Journal of Education for Business 78.1 (2002): 28-32.

Malgwi, Charles A., Martha A. Howe, and Priscilla A. Burnaby. "Influences on students' choice of college major." Journal of Education for Business 80.5 (2005): 275-282.

Carroll, Craig E., and Maxwell McCombs. "Agenda-setting effects of business news on the public's images and opinions about major corporations." Corporate reputation review 6.1 (2003): 36-46.

Kolvereid, Lars, and Oystein Moen. "Entrepreneurship among business graduates: does a major in entrepreneurship make a difference?." Journal of European industrial training 21.4 (1997): 154-160.

Gault, Jack, John Redington, and Tammy Schlager. "Undergraduate business internships and career success: are they related?." Journal of marketing education 22.1 (2000): 45-53.

Whipple, Thomas W., and Dominic F. Swords. "Business ethics judgments: A cross-cultural comparison." Journal of Business Ethics 11.9 (1992): 671-678.