Business Administration vs. Business Management: Which is Right for Me?

Business administration refers to a range of roles that are crucial to the day-to-day operations of any business, from a small enterprise with less than 100 employees to a giant corporation with multiple layers of administration.

Administration is a high-level activity carried out by a group of people who formulate organization-wide policies, plans, rules and regulations, supervise and foster a company’s growth, and keep company culture focused on its goals.

Regardless of the its size or business model, the objective of a company’s business management team is to ensure it's an efficient, profitable and sustainable operation. 

Professionals in business management are tasked with carrying out the policies that the administrators set. Managers may set objectives, organize and motivate their teams while devising systems to measure their performance and help them reach their full potential.

As you compare business management vs. business administration, the common thread running between them is the management of resources. This can encompass human capital, finances or equipment. With solid business administration fundamentals in place, businesses stand a better chance of achieving their goals and doing so efficiently. 

Administration revolves around decision-making function, involving decisions that affect the entire organization, while management represents an executive function as it is applied to implementing decisions, resources working with teams to maximize their potential and reach their goals.  

Students who are considering administration or management will need to be mindful when it comes to selecting their course of study. 

Academically, business management and business administration degrees are related in that they include core courses that can introduce you to some basic business disciplines like accounting, ethics, business law, and both micro and macroeconomics, but a bachelor’s degree in business management will concentrate more on performance improvement, management theory, budgeting, forecasting and other operational disciplines than administration will. 

Another key difference between a bachelor’s in business administration vs. business management lies in the level of prior business experience students might typically have. Business management students often already have some experience in the workforces or may have completed some college education, while students pursuing a business administration degree tend to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program directly out of high school.

When determining which degree is right for you, it’s a good idea to look at where you’ve been and where you’re going. First, look at how much business education or experience you already have under your belt, then take stock of your career goals. Do you want to advance in your current career, or start down a whole new path? Another consideration is knowing what you want to focus your education on. What new skills will you need to work toward opportunities that lie ahead? 

Bachelor’s degrees in business administration and business management both explore topics like statistical and financial analyses, solutions for daily business operations and strategies for managing both people and projects, but here is a breakdown of what you’ll study in each degree program respectively:

In a bachelor’s degree in business administration program, the emphasis is on building an understanding of core business concepts. You’ll learn how to analyze business opportunities and risks by working with statistical and financial data, and how to produce financial statements, apply marketing strategies and leverage technology to develop solutions for smooth and efficient day-to-day operations.

Here at DeVry, our Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration program can help you focus your degree to fit your goals and the industry you’re considering by choosing from 11 degree specializations in accounting, healthcare, marketing and small business management and entrepreneurship to name a few.

A bachelor’s degree in business management prioritizes planning and organization. It focuses on strategies for managing people and achieving business goals. This degree program will delve into management theory and deliver concepts like business intelligence and analytics management, project management and finance. At DeVry, our Bachelor’s Degree in Management program can also be aligned with your career goals in 10 specialized areas that include global supply chain management, accounting, hospitality management, finance, project management and more.

Both business administration and business management professionals need skills to help them collaborate well with others while staying focused on accomplishing their goals. 

Here are a few of the ways business administrators and managers apply these skills to their chosen area:

Coursework in a bachelor’s in business administration program like the one offered at DeVry covers the concepts related to conventional business practices like accounting, marketing, management and the analytical skills that form the basis of sound decision-making. 

Critical thinking, mathematical reasoning, judgment and decision-making, and leadership skills are explored, as are communication skills. Opportunities to analyze business opportunities and risks, examine statistical and financial data, and produce financial statements using GAAP accounting guidelines are introduced. The application of marketing strategies and how to leverage technology to solve problems is also covered.

The coursework in a bachelor’s of business management degree program spans a range of topics related to daily business operations, such as finance management practices and business analytics. At DeVry, our curriculum is focused on hands-on learning and infused with the technology that enables today’s businesses to keep moving forward in competitive markets and amid rapid technological change. 

The management skills explored include fundamental management theories, leadership, project management and planning, and resource management. Judgment and decision-making skills allow you to sharpen your ability to consider the costs and benefits of actions to make the most appropriate choices.

What does the job growth look like for business administration and management degree holders? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), overall employment across the broad category of business and financial occupations is projected to grow faster than the national average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032, with about 911,400 openings projected each year, on average, over the decade.¹  

The BLS also projects faster than average employment growth for management occupations during the same period, with about 1.1 million openings projected each year, on average, over the decade.² 

This growth is projected on a national level and local growth will vary by location. BLS projections are not specific to DeVry University students or graduates and may include earners at all stages of their careers and not just entry level.

Whether earning a degree in business administration or management, the career options you explore should be aligned with the degree specialization you choose and your personal goals.

Earning a business administration degree may give you the opportunity to explore a wide range of careers in a variety of industries, including but not limited to management positions like these:

A business management degree can prepare you to purse a variety of roles in business, in areas like human resources, marketing, project management and more:

You want to be confident that you’re choosing the education path that will best align with your goals, so it might be helpful to ask yourself some questions:

DeVry can help you gain a skills-focused, technology-infused education through degree programs like our Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or Bachelor’s Degree in Management. Both undergraduate programs feature hands-on learning from experienced faculty in core business essentials, interpersonal skills and offer avenues for personal and professional development. You can also enhance your education in either degree program by choosing a specialization that aligns with your career goals.  

Both our Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and our Bachelor’s of Science in Management are accredited⁴ by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) www.acbsp.org.