What Can You Do with a Business Management Degree? Understanding Your Options
By Brianna Flavin on 03/28/2024
Business education seems like one of those perennial good choices. Like investing in your health or in a retirement account—you don't think you're likely to regret the extra effort in the long run.
And business management is a pretty appealing degree option. It's a little more focused and defined than a general business degree, but it's still very versatile, leaving you lots of room to imagine where you could apply it.
Besides, if you already know you'd like to rise into management positions or (ahem) get recognized for the managing and training work you already do, this degree is spot on. It's right there in the name.
Still, education is a real investment of time and money. You want to know that this degree is a good choice for your career goals. And you don't want to be boxed in.
Good news on that front! Business management degree graduates work in all kinds of roles. Read on to see if this type of education will work for you. Maybe you're wondering, is business management is a good major? Read more here.
Careers you can pursue with a business management degree
Many business management programs come in both associate and bachelor’s degree options. Deciding between these two types of degrees is the first step since the career options can vary greatly depending which degree you hold.
The careers listed below came from a Burning Glass Institute analysis of online job postings in 2019 searching for applicants with a degree in business management. They are not necessarily programmatic outcomes for Rasmussen’s business management program. Read more about the difference between a BA vs. BS in business administration.
Business management degree jobs utilizing an associate's degree1
An associate-level degree is typically the fastest degree option. These programs can be completed in as few as 18 months.2
1. Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks
Professionals in these realms monitor and optimize a company's financial records.
Duties typically include coding documents according to procedure, recording and summarizing numerical data on behalf of the company and reconciling any other financial statements or discrepancies found all while complying with federal, state and company policies.
With an associate's business management degree, you can sometimes progress to roles in business administration such as financial managers or analysts.
This career is not listed as an explicit programmatic outcome of the business management program in Rasmussen University’s catalog.
2. Sales manager
Sales representatives work in a wide range of industries—if there's a product or service—businesses need someone to help sell it.
They offer expertise on merchandise, answer customer questions and process transactions. Many of these positions have the potential to earn commission, which can give you a nice boost to your earning potential if you find the right situation and pay structure.
3. Customer service representative
Whether it's listening to a customer or business consultant's questions, placing orders or providing information about products and services, these business professionals make sure clients are satisfied.
Patience and understanding go far in this position, because customer service representatives are often listening to customer complaints and working to solve them.
Some representatives work in a call center, fielding problems and inquiries from an organization's clientele. Some work through digital means, like online chats and emails. Some work in-person. Some work with other business representatives instead of the end-user of a product.
Health insurance companies, airlines, office equipment manufacturers, software companies...almost any large organization you can imagine has customer service representatives. If you have a cool head under pressure and are good at managing people, this career can take you many places.
4. Personal banker
If you walk into a bank and try to open an account, you will likely sit down with a personal banker. These professionals handle a client's entire relationship with a retail bank. From loans and personal accounts to trust funds and investments, these bankers have a wide range of knowledge about the products and services a bank offers.
They can provide great customer service by answering clients' questions and helping them make the right decision for their finances.
This career is not listed as an explicit programmatic outcome of the business management program in Rasmussen University’s catalog.
Business management degree jobs utilizing a bachelor's degree3
The career opportunities may be higher for those with a business management bachelor's degree. While a bachelor's degree is traditionally a four-year investment, there are options available to earn your Bachelor's degree at an accelerated pace.2
Since job opportunity and salaries tend to be higher with a business management bachelor's degree, this option is a great choice if you can invest the time in your education upfront.
A job posting analysis by the Burning Glass Institute found more than 1.3 million job postings that called for a Business Management Bachelor's degree.3
1. Marketing manager
Marketing managers estimate the demand for products and services that an organization (and its competitors) offer. They identify potential markets for the organization's products and oversee market research for a team that develops strategies to maximize profits. Additionally, marketing managers often interact with operations managers as well as a company's human resources manager.
This career is not listed as an explicit programmatic outcome of the business management program in Rasmussen University’s catalog.
2. Sales manager
Sales managers are the professionals responsible for setting the strategy behind sales initiatives, business strategies and goals.
A sales manager often resolves customer complaints, prepares budgets, monitors customer preferences to determine the focus of sales efforts and analyzes sales statistics.
Most sales managers direct the distribution of goods and services by assigning sales territories, setting sales goals and establishing training programs for the organization's sales representatives.
This may also involve recruiting more project managers or business managers and hiring new sales staff and evaluating their performances.
This career is not listed as an explicit programmatic outcome of the business management program in Rasmussen University’s catalog.
3. Business analyst
Business analysts—sometimes referred to as management analysts—spend their work days gathering data concerning problems or procedures within a company.
They then analyze the collected information to conclude possible solutions or alterations. New procedures are designed based on interviews conducted with employees, on-site observation and close study of company documents.
This career is not listed as an explicit programmatic outcome of the business management program in Rasmussen University’s catalog.
4. Financial analyst
Financial analysts conduct qualitative analyses concerning the market trends and a company's finances and investments.
They compose charts, graphs and spreadsheets; forecasting business, financial management industry and economic conditions through analysis of financial information.
They also determine the prices at which a company should offer its product to the public market and prepare investment plans that capitalize on their financial analysis.
This career is not listed as an explicit programmatic outcome of the business management program in Rasmussen University’s catalog.
5. Account manager
Account managers act as organization's personal representative to a client. They foster client relationships, work with sales and marketing teams to find new clients, prepare presentations and sales pitches and communicate client agendas to the rest of the company.
Depending on their employers, these professionals may work with individual customers or clients who represent an entire company. Monitoring budgets and explaining cost factors to clients are also part of this role.
This career is not listed as an explicit programmatic outcome of the business management program in Rasmussen University’s catalog.
Business management degrees are versatile
One of the best things about a business management degree is its versatility. Business students—and ultimately, business management graduates—may end up pursuing careers in nearly every sector.
- Finance
- Human resources
- Sports management
- Technology
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Manufacturing
- Education
- Healthcare
This adaptability makes a degree in business management one of those things you can take with you pretty much anywhere you go.
Take a closer look at what you can expect as a business management major.
Choosing between an associates and bachelor's business management degree
Different degree levels will also play a role in which careers you can pursue once you have a degree in business management.
Business management degrees encompass a wide range of subjects, such as accounting, finance, marketing, strategic planning, customer satisfaction, project management, organizational behavior, human resources, operations management and other management positions within the domestic and international business world.
How deep you go into these subjects (and how much time you have to wrap your head around them) depends on which type of program you choose.
What you'll learn in a business management associate degree program
An associate degree program will teach you the fundamentals of business management as well as some general education courses to refine your critical thinking skills and professionalism.
Common business management associate's degree courses:
- Principles of Financial Accounting for Managers
- Business Analysis and Intelligence
- Introduction to Human Resource Management
- Introduction to Functional and Project Management
Business management careers all start somewhere. With this type of business management degree program, you can expect to get the basics, preparing you for entry-level business management jobs.
It's a good way to get started in the field so you can gain some experience.
Note: if you are interested in gaining industry certifications, like a certification in project management, some certifying bodies require a 4 year college/university degree and 36 months of experience leading projects within the past eight years and 35 hours of project management education/training or CAPM® certification.
What you'll learn in a business management bachelor's degree program
A bachelor's degree program will also include general education courses, but will then go much deeper into business management topics.
Common business management bachelor's degree courses:
- Accounting for Business Managers
- Business Law and Ethical Behavior
- Financial Decision Making and Risk Management
- Dynamic Team Development
- Organizational Behavior Analysis
The Bachelor's in Business Management program at Rasmussen also offers specializations you can choose—giving you the chance to further refine the curriculum you'll work through.
- Business Management Degree (no specialization)
- Business Intelligence Specialization
- IT Project Management Specialization
- Logistics and Operations Specialization
If one of these specialization options catches your eye, head over to the Business Management Bachelor's degree page to read more about what it will cover and what it prepares you for.
Where will a business management degree take you?
It's obvious that a degree program on your resume is a positive addition. But what can you do with a business management degree? What potential will you gain toward a possible business management career? It goes way beyond the generic job title of "business manager."
Business management degree programs were made for people who know they want to hone their leadership skills and take on more responsibility in a business.
Maybe someday you will use your education and experience to open a business of your own. Maybe you'll be your own boss and work as a consultant. Maybe you will fall in love with a company's ethos and environment. Maybe you'll create that ethos and environment yourself if you rise into a position of more influence.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to use this education. It all depends on your personal interests and which degree level in business management you can commit to.
Business administration is a perpetual career, and our business management program offerings might be a great match for you.
Get more details like the cost of tuition, length of program time and more on our Business Management program page.
Or if you'd rather skip the generic stuff, request more information to hear directly from a Rasmussen University admissions advisor who can answer questions and guide you through the best option for your specific needs.
1Burning-Glass.com (analysis of 155,856 job postings preferring candidates with an Associate's degree in Business Management Jan. 01, 2019 – Dec. 31, 2019).
2Completion time is dependent on transfer credit accepted and the number of courses completed each term
3Burning-Glass.com https://www.burningglassinstitute.org/research/tag/Higher+Education (analysis of 1,371,906 job postings preferring candidates with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management Jan. 01, 2019 – Dec. 31, 2019).
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2024.
