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What Business Major Should I Choose?

By Steve Smith

The information presented here is true and accurate as of the date of publication. DeVry’s programmatic offerings and their accreditations are subject to change. Please refer to the current academic catalog for details.

March 13, 2023
8 min read

 

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in business, you may be asking yourself: What business major should I choose? You also may be wondering: Is a business degree hard to complete? It’s important to know that any educational journey, regardless of the major or degree program, requires commitment, discipline and old-fashioned, roll-up-your-sleeves work. If you’re determined to make your mark in business, earning a business degree and exploring the broad variety of career opportunities that it can present is a good way to get started.


In this article, we’ll define what a business major is and look at the projected career outlook for the business world. We’ll also look at some of the different types of business majors, consider how you can determine which is right for you and explore some of the career options you might want to consider once you’ve earned a business degree.

Types of Business Majors

At DeVry, you can earn bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration, Management, Accounting or Technical Management, gaining hands-on experience  along the way.

Some of our programs even allow you to customize your degree to line up with your personal and professional goals. When you enroll in our Bachelor’s in Business Administration program, for example, you can choose one of 11 specializations1.

Which Business Degree Is Right for You?

Considering the variety of business majors and specializations that are available, you may be wondering how to decide which is right for you. When you consider several factors, the choice may be easier than you think.

Explore Different Career Paths

Begin by thinking about the career path you’d like to pursue. Think about the industry or job titles that interest you most and look for the majors that match what employers ask for in their job listings.

Think About What Interests You

Consider pursuing a career that fits your personal interests. You may find it easier to keep your motivation up while you earn your degree if you’re passionate about what you’re studying.

Evaluate Your Skillset

You may have developed certain abilities and strengths through previous education, occupational experience, hobbies or through volunteer work. Certain skills may help you as you work toward success in different majors. For example, if you have always excelled in math or have strong analytical skills, you may find a major like accounting or finance could be a good path for you.

Identify How You Want to Learn

Lifestyle and work-life balance are not only important factors to consider when choosing a career but can be just as impactful the educational path you pick to help you get there. The flexibility of online learning lets you learn on your schedule, and can make it easier for you to balance your education with work, family and other aspects of your busy life.

At DeVry, you can earn a business degree 100% online, with access to the same tools and resources that our on-campus students have, including 24/7 tutoring, an extensive digital library and one-on-one academic advising. 

Career Options You Can Pursue with a Business Degree

A degree in business administration or business management can help you prepare to pursue careers in many different roles in a broad variety of industries from banking and finance, to hospitality and tourism, technology, government and even nonprofits.

Many graduates with business degrees may find themselves wanting to pursue careers in accounting and finance, or sales and marketing – two major areas of business administration that can be found across virtually all industries.

As we mentioned, DeVry’s Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration can be paired with a variety of specializations that can help you gain skills and knowledge to pursue business administration roles that are aligned with your interests and goals. Here are a few examples of specializations and some of the corresponding roles for each of them:

  • Our Accounting specialization may enable you to explore roles such as Accountant, Budget Analyst, Cost Accountant, General Ledger Accountant or Payroll Manager.

  • Our Business Intelligence and Analytics Management specialization may help you build a pathway to pursue roles such as Business Analyst or Business Analysis Manager, Business Intelligence Administrator, Business Intelligence Analyst, Financial Analyst or Marketing Analyst.

  • If you choose our Health Services Management specialization, you may prepare to pursue roles in medical office supervision, patient accounting and billing systems, managed care coordination, medical computer sales, or management of provider networks.

  • With our Sales and Marketing degree specialization, you may consider a career as an Account Manager, Advertising or Brand Manager, Customer Service Representative, Digital Marketing Manager, Email Marketing Specialist or Marketing Analyst consultant.

It’s important to note, however, that jobs may vary depending on the company you’re applying to. Job titles and requirements are not standardized across the wider business industry, so while you may meet the application requirements for a position at one company, it doesn’t mean that you will meet those requirements for the same job at another.

Graduate business degrees, such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) can help you further advance your knowledge and skills in corporate management and cross-functional business leadership, and may help you prepare to pursue more senior-level career opportunities. At DeVry, we offer MBA degree specializations in several areas of business, including entrepreneurship, global supply chain management, business intelligence and analytics management, human resource management, information systems, marketing and more.

FAQs

Is a Business Major Hard?

The degree of difficulty for any academic major is a highly subjective experience. Some may find business to be a challenging  major, while others may not. If you have a passion to learn about the many different aspects of business and are willing to apply yourself diligently to the coursework using good study habits, student resources and time management skills, you’ll likely find yourself making good strides in this major.

Is a Business Degree Good for Entrepreneurs?

Whether you plan to use your entrepreneurial skills and knowledge to launch your own ventures or help others develop new enterprises, earning a business degree can be beneficial.

Our Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Specialization, which can be earned as a part of our Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Management or Technical Management, features coursework in customer relations, budgeting and forecasting, e-commerce and other topics that are useful to entrepreneurs and small business owners. 

What Are the Benefits of Majoring in Business?

Some of the key benefits to majoring in business include the acquisition of skills that are transferable between many different industries, and the potential for career advancement.

Since the application of skills and knowledge learned in this kind of program are so fluid, having a business degree could also become a useful tool in navigating situations like an economic recession.

Is a Lot of Math Required in a Business Major?

Business programs generally require students to demonstrate proficiency in algebra and business statistics. Courses in subjects like accounting, statistics, business law and others will require you to analyze and interpret data, graphs, figures and other information. Subjects involving the principles of accounting, microeconomics and macroeconomics will involve analyses of lots of facts and figures but aren’t necessarily math heavy. For details on what math is required for business programs at DeVry, check out our Academic Catalogs.

Prepare to Pursue a Business Career at DeVry

Whether you’re working toward a role in accounting, sales and marketing, human resources or another aspect of business, DeVry can help you channel your passion into a career. Our 100% online bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration, Management, Technical Management and Accounting are built for the way the world does business today, and your choice of more than a dozen different specializations can help you tailor your focus on the business area that aligns best with your career goals.

Let’s talk about how we can help you get started in our next session. Classes start every 8 weeks.

1Students may start this program as "Undeclared," but must select a specialization after earning 30 semester-credit hours 

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