What Can You Do with a Business Administration Degree?

Business administration involves supervising various aspects of an organization’s operations, including finance, IT, marketing and human resources. At DeVry, our Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) www.acbsp.org², has 11 specializations to choose from. Those specializations align with many of the functional areas in business administration, including accounting, analytics, health services management and human resources.³

A career in business administration can offer many potential pathways. The following are examples of business administration degree entry-level jobs, as well as more senior roles.

General and operations managers are responsible for overall operations within an organization, which can include formulating policies, managing day-to-day business activities and planning for the efficient use of both financial and human resources. These are often senior-level roles within a business and require strong communication skills, an analytical mind and the ability to be decisive while still aligning a team around a shared vision.

A sales manager is responsible for generating new business for an organization, with the goal of increasing revenue and profitability. Someone in this role will often manage other sales professionals and is responsible for setting sales goals, analyzing data and research regarding sales patterns and implementing sales training programs. The employment outlook for sales managers is projected to grow, on a national level, from 2019 to 2029.⁴

Administrative services managers are detail-oriented, “get-it-done” people in charge of planning, directing and coordinating the multitude of functions needed for a business to operate efficiently. An ability to multi-task is important for someone in this role, which can include directing administrative staff, recordkeeping and monitoring facilities. Employment of administrative services managers is projected, on a national level, to grow faster than the average for all occupations between 2019 and 2029.⁵

For those who love to see the tangible results of their work, a career as a construction manager can be quite satisfying. Construction managers are responsible for planning and supervising construction projects from beginning to end. Construction managers often split their time between working in an office and at a construction site. This role requires strong project management skills and the ability to make quick decisions to keep construction projects on schedule. It is also a growing field. Employment of construction managers is projected, on a national level, to grow 8 percent from 2019 to 2029 in anticipation of an expected increase in construction activity over the next decade.⁶

Looking to make a meaningful impact in your community? A career as a social and community service manager could be a gratifying choice. Working with a non-profit or human services organization, social and community service managers are responsible for coordinating and supervising a wide variety of social programs and initiatives. Examples include programming for at-risk youth, substance abuse treatment groups or initiatives to help those experiencing homelessness. A social and community service manager provides oversight to many of the functions that are critical to an organization’s ability to meet its mission, such as logistics, program implementation, budgeting and measuring organizational impact. Beyond potentially making a meaningful contribution to society, this field is also expected to experience strong demand over the next decade. Specifically, employment of social and community service managers is projected, on a national level, to grow 17 percent from 2019 to 2029, which is expected to be driven by the aging of the population and a need for more substance abuse treatment and mental health services.⁷

Management analysts take an organization’s performance data and look for ways to increase efficiency. Working either as a consultant or full-time employee, management analysts review processes and procedures and analyze data to better understand how a business is operating and if there are areas for improvement. This is a dynamic role that requires flexibility, ambition and the ability to think critically. As organizations strive to be more efficient and control costs, employment of management analysts is projected, on a national level, to grow 11 percent from 2019 to 2029, which is considerably faster than the average for all occupations.⁸