What Can you Do with a Business Degree?
A degree in business is an essential tool for anyone looking to pursue a career in the business world. It provides students with the necessary foundation and skills needed to understand and navigate the complexities of running a successful organization or company.
Business degrees equip students with many important skills that can be used in various professional settings. These include being able to analyze financial statements, create budgets, assess risk levels, develop strategies for long-term success, lead teams towards achieving objectives, read and interpret data as well as motivate employees through effective leadership skills. Furthermore, these programs provide graduates with strong communication and problem-solving abilities which are essential for any successful leader.
Business administration and management is an incredibly versatile field, giving graduates an understanding of organizational principles that can be applied across different industries. With a business degree, graduates can leverage their knowledge and skills to work in areas such as finance, accounting, marketing, operations management, hospitality, human resources and more.
Gain career-relevant business knowledge by choosing a business program at APU. Whether you're looking to enter the industry or advance within your organization, our programs can help you achieve your dream.
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What's the Difference between Business Administration and Business Management?
Business administration and business management are two closely related fields, but there are some distinct differences between them.
While there are differences between these two disciplines, both require individuals to have knowledge of core business competencies such as problem solving, decision making, communication, and critical thinking.
Business administration and management degrees help equip graduates with the skills to become successful leaders in their chosen field. Students can expect to gain a high-level understanding of financial planning, human resources, operations management, organizational behavior, and marketing strategy. Learn more about each degree path below.
Our BBA program is 120 credits. The BBA is designed to be completed in 4 years for full-time students. American Public University also offers up to 90 transfer credits*, which may help students complete their BBA in less time.
Our MBA program is 30 credits. The MBA is designed to be completed in 2 years for full-time students. APU also offers up to 15 transfer credits*, which may help students complete their MBA in even less time.
- Accounting
- Analytics
- Information Technology Management
- Marketing
- Sports Management
- Cybersecurity
- Healthcare Administration
- Government Contracting and Acquisition
- Business Project Management
- DoD Project Management
- Event Planning and Management
- Leading the Digital Workplace
- Operational Crisis Management
- Operational Technology Management
The faculty at American Public University's MBA program brings a wide breadth of knowledge and professional experience. Faculty have worked in everything from Fortune 500 companies to government agencies to corporate intelligence and beyond. Our MBA degree aims to teach students how to:
- Compare different managerial approaches to understand their effect on the individual, group, and organization
- Analyze legal, regulatory, and compliance issues impacting managers
- Evaluate advanced analytic methods and techniques to address current and future business needs
- Learn how to make business decisions using analytical financial tools
- Examine business strategies and approaches to win and retain customer segments and increase growth
- Compare strategies used to plan for current and future customer needs
Why Should I Choose Business Management?
Business management students are often more interested in contributing to the management of an organization's day-to-day operations. Business managers may oversee daily operations with a focus on efficiency and cost effectiveness by effectively allocating resources where they are needed most.
Furthermore, business professionals who pursue business management must be able to motivate employees through effective leadership skills, so that everyone works together to achieve organizational objectives. They also work closely with staff members to ensure tasks are completed according to plan and that deadlines are met on time.
What Skills Will I Gain from a Business Management Degree?
Business management requires a variety of skills and abilities to effectively lead an organization. For example, it's important for business managers to think strategically, as it allows them to see both the big picture as well as the small details needed for everyday business operations.
Business management requires individuals to have a range of different skills to be successful. Through a business management program, students will learn to:
- Think analytically and critically
- Make data-driven decisions
- Communicate effectively with colleagues and customers
- Lead teams towards achieving organizational objectives
- Allocate resources where needed most efficiently
- Motivate employees through effective leadership skills
Additionally, business managers must understand their industry’s competitive environment as well as industry trends that could affect the organization's success. They should also have strong problem-solving abilities so they can quickly identify issues in operations or processes and devise creative solutions. Finally, business managers must possess good financial acumen to create budgets and assess risk levels for their organization.
The online Bachelor of Arts in Management program is 120 credits. The business management program is designed to be completed in 4 years for full-time students. APU also offers up to 90 transfer credits*, which may help students earn their BA in even less time.
The online Master f Arts in Management program is 36 credits. The program is designed to be completed in 2 years for full-time students. APU also offers up to 15 transfer credits*, which may help students earn their MA in even less time.
- Human Resource Management
- Public Administration
- Organizational Leadership
- Entrepreneurship
- Strategic Consulting
- Organizational Crisis Management
- Business Project Management
- IT Project Management
Most courses in this program use Open Educational Resources (OER). These teaching, learning, and research materials are made available to you at no cost, meaning there are minimal book costs associated with earning this degree.
The MA in Management aims to teach students how to:
- Conduct research on a business management problem, collect and analyze data, and communicate findings using qualitative and quantitative methods
- Develop a strategic business plan
- Evaluate management issues considering ethical, technological, structural, cultural, human, and environmental factors
- Apply leadership and management concepts and practices to address the challenges of a global organization
- Prepare an ePortfolio to demonstrate your learning
Business Career Resources
The Business World and the Future Post-COVID-19 Environment
Competent workforce planning around significant changes in the operating environment is critical to the success of all businesses. In this article, we'll review how COVID-19 has impacted the business world.
How to Create and Improve Cybersecurity for Small Businesses
Significant media attention is often given to the large data breaches of multinational corporations that have become increasingly common in today’s digital age. These breaches have significant consequences for large organizations, such as fines, lawsuits and devastating damages to their business brands.
Building Economic Equality by Launching Black Entrepreneurs
In this episode, Dr. Aikyna Finch, faculty member at American Public University, talks to Will Acuff about his non-profit and how he’s helping to launch Black entrepreneurs.
Additional Business and Management Resources
See a full list of resources for business professionals.