Business

Business is the driving force of the American economy and as such any job in the business field will be full of high expectations. There is a long list of business degrees individuals can pursue, all of which can lead to different tracks in the business world and help individuals climb to different levels of the corporate ladder. Knowing what you are getting involved in is the most important thing for an individual to consider before starting off down a path toward the business world.

Those still in high school and dreaming of a career in business should think carefully about pursuing a business degree. Business schools can be very challenging to get into and once a student is accepted they should be prepared for a stressful course load that will test them in several subject areas to ensure they can succeed in the world of business. The first step for any individual should be to consider their own mental capacity and which degree would be the best fit for them while still allowing them to maximize their potential. There are a wide variety of degrees designed to enable people to enter into the business world. The following are just a few examples of business degrees available from universities and colleges in the United States:

• Associate’s Degree: Associate of Applied Business, Associate of Business Administration

• Bachelor’s Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Communication, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Accountancy, Bachelor of Business Science

• Master’s Degree: Master of Business Administration, Masters in Business and Management, Master of Management, Master of Accountancy, Master of Marketing Research

• Doctorate: Doctor of Business Administration, Doctor of Management, Doctor of Philosophy in Management

These represent just a few varying levels of a business degree that students can aim for, each with their own benefits and disadvantages. The majority of the degrees listed above represent specialized areas of study. Individuals can also enter the business world with a more generalized business degree: Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, and Master of Arts.

In the United States, students will have three types of business schools to choose from in their pursuit of a business degree. Some schools operate as a department or school within a larger university. Other schools operate as independent schools offering graduate programs with a close association to a larger institution. The last type of school is run more as a business and tends to only offer Associate’s degrees. Gaining admission to a business school can be very difficult as many of them receive far more applications than they have open spots to fill, allowing them to choose only the top candidates. Students will need to submit not only high school transcripts and results from relevant college coursework, but admissions essays and even results of their GMAT (General Management Admission Test). While the latter, a successful GMAT score, only applies to graduate programs, bachelor programs can be just as tough to get into.

Before applying to any business school individuals should consider what, if any specialization they are interested in studying. Business schools offer a wide range of specializations including:

• Accounting
• Economics
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Public Relations