What is Business Administration?
Business administration is a catchall college major that can suit all industries. Since the goal of any business is to provide goods or services to customers or clients, businesses need people to run them. Therefore, getting a degree in business administration is a logical step to get a foot in the door of business, especially if moving into management positions is a person’s ultimate goal.
Because it is such a broad field, there are a lot of people employed in it. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are almost 700,000 employed people in the state of New Hampshire, which has a population of 1.3 million. Out of those employees, 44,000 are in management positions and earn a median salary of $124,000. The state’s biggest industries are business and finance, real estate, and education, so that surely fuels the need for business professionals, but, as we mentioned, all businesses regardless of the industry need business professionals to run them. Whether you want to work in human resources, marketing, accounting, the fishing industry, the retail industry, the food service industry, or even a government position, there are business administration positions that need to be filled.
A business administrator is typically a manager or supervisor of some sort for an organization. All businesses in every industry have administrators, albeit that might not be the title the organization uses. Managers, supervisors, team leads, or senior are also titles used for business administrators. These people supervise a group of workers or are in charge of a specific part of an organization. For example, a team lead in a call center might supervise a team of customer service reps, while a full-charge bookkeeper might not have employees to watch over but does have the responsibility of maintaining the accounting records for a business. Both do completely different things, but both are considered administrators.
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Online Business Administration Education in New Hampshire
If you have the desire to enter management in your chosen area of interest, then a degree in business administration can help you reach your goals. Having at least a base knowledge of business management, marketing, and accounting can put you ahead of others in your profession. For example, a musician with a business background can better determine if offered deals are good or not. Artists can better understand their contracts. It’s never a bad idea to have some business education. So, if this is of interest to you, keep reading. Below you will find information on the kinds of degrees you can get in business and some of the careers you could pursue once you have the education under your belt.
There are many successful business professionals who started out with little to no formal education. However, it’s becoming more and more difficult to make it as a business professional without some form of education, especially as E-commerce and globalization grows. Below are the four levels of education a person can achieve in the area of business. As with most things, the more education you have, the higher you can rise in the business arena, but that doesn’t mean a person with a two-year degree can’t become CEO, it’s just a longer journey that involves earning a lot more experience.
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Online Associates (AS)
An associate degree is a good place to start for people who might not be sure if pursuing a business degree is a good idea. If they decide that this is the path they want to follow, then this degree is a good starting point for a bachelor’s degree. If they decide it’s not where they want to go, then the courses are still good to have regardless of the direction the person takes. Associate degrees take two years to complete, which is generally four semesters, though some people finish sooner while others need more time.
While enrolled in a business administration program, students will take courses such as:
- Accounting I & II
- Intro to Management
- Intro to Marketing
- Business Law
- Business Ethics
- Micro- and Macroeconomics
- Data Analytics
Online Bachelors (BS)
Students working to earn bachelor’s degrees in business administration spend most of their time focused on business basics, though they will have the opportunity to complete elective courses, through which they may choose to focus on a specialization, such as marketing or human resources.
For example, someone who aspires to work as a financial analyst might take the general business courses such as:
- Accounting I & II
- Business Law
- Financial Management
- Marketing Management
- Payroll Accounting
- And more
But these students may also take finance classes such as:
- Corporate Finance
- Financial Strategies
- Personal Financial Management
- Quantitative Business Analysis
Online Masters (MS)
For those who want a chance to progress into senior management positions in a company, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is often a requirement. A bachelor’s degree will be enough to start a career in finance or other areas of business, but managers need additional education to effectively manage people and companies, and some roles require higher levels of education or certification, such as a CPA which requires that you take at least some master’s level courses. MBA programs build on what was taught at the undergraduate level but add additional critical thinking and analytical courses into the mix.
So, in addition to the classes mentioned above, graduate students will take courses such as:
- Business Analytics
- Financial Projections
- Quantitative Business Analysis
- Managerial Accounting
- Marketing Analytics
- Business Statistics
- Advanced Business Communication
With an MBA and several years of work experience, a person could be tapped for middle-management positions and, in some cases, may even make their way into upper-level management or C-suite positions.
Online Doctorate (PhD)
A doctorate in business administration (DBA) is an option, but the need for this degree is rather specialized. Many people who earn a doctorate in business are seeking to become tenured professors for a college or university. These degrees are also helpful in a business settings, but their main focus and use is in academia.
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Those who pursue this degree will study the following subjects:
- Accounting
- Economics
- Ethics
- Finance
- Human Development (in an organization)
- Information Systems
- Management
- Marketing
- Operational Management
- Organizational Leadership
Become a Business Administrator in New Hampshire
As was mentioned above, anyone who works in a business is technically a business professional, so getting started is as simple as landing your first job. This will let you get your foot in the door and allow you to explore areas in business that might interest you. You might not be able to work in every department of a business, but you can get an idea of what each area does and whether it is something you might want to pursue. You may work for a retail store during the summer or even a fast food restaurant. While you may not spend much time learning about human resources in these positions, you can learn about the power structure of businesses as a whole and, if you let your manager know you are interested in business, you may be able to help with higher-level duties such as helping to count the drawers at the end of the night and other small managerial tasks.
The majority of business professionals who want to progress into managerial positions seek bachelor’s degrees and, if that’s your goal, then this is a good time to start working toward that. You work experience will help with your education because you’ll have some practical application to match with what you are learning in class. This is also a good time to decide what area of business you want to pursue and, if possible, find work in that area. For example, if you want to major in accounting, getting a job working in the accounting department of a business is a good idea. You can also investigate possibilities of interning in an accounting department as well.
Once you have completed your bachelor’s degree, you can start looking for a job in your desired field. Many people find employment where they are currently working, while others transition into a new position at a new company. In the latter case, if you’ve been a good employee, your employer should be willing to give you a glowing reference, which is very helpful.
Careers for Business Administration Graduates
- Administrative Coordinator
This position may have the title administrative assistant. The coordinator takes care of schedules, appointments, travel plans, and other daily activities for one of more people on the management team. A coordinator might also be tasked with keeping the daily operations of the business in order such as making sure office supplies are always stocked, organizing company functions, or greeting visitors and guests when they arrive on-site. - Maintenance Manager
Every business needs a person to ensure that the physical structure remains in working order, and that’s the job of the maintenance manager. This person is not only tasked with keeping the facilities looking pristine, but also with making sure that it has everything it needs to function properly. From the proper lighting to the right desk chairs, the manager ensures that the maintenance crews respond to all calls for service as they arise, and that they have the materials to complete their tasks quickly and correctly.
- Branch Manager, Banking
A bank branch manager is the person who runs a particular branch of a bank. For example, if a bank has five branches, there is a manager for each branch, hence branch manager. This person oversees all the other employees of that particular bank location. They may report to the main branches management team or a regional manager, and they have to account for everything to occurs at that location. Some manager started out as tellers and worked their way up, while others earn banking degrees instead. Great attention to detail and desire to work with the public is a must. - Team Supervisor, Call Center
Team supervisors in a call center are part manager and part cheerleader. Most team supervisors started out as call center representatives, so they have first-hand experience working as a rep. Leading a team can be a challenge, especially for a person who has never taken a call, but for those who have risen from the pool, it is often a much easier challenge. Team supervisors report to higher level supervisors, either for the department or for the whole call center and they train, supervise, and advise the other representatives. - Project Manager
Project managers oversee the implementation of projects for a business. Almost every department has someone who performs these duties. Managers create teams to execute the various projects that an organization requires. They create the implementation plan, assign team members to different parts of the project, and oversee the execution of the plan. In some organizations, the project manager might oversee several other project managers who are working on smaller projects. This means a person has to be comfortable with juggling several ideas and projects at once. Multitasking is a must.
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