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Why a BBA Degree? Paths to Success and Careers in Business

Introduction

An undergraduate business degree can be an excellent launchpad to grow your career and pursue a range of exciting career options. One of the most comprehensive—a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree—provides several possible majors, including marketing, management, and finance. Each major provides a solid foundation in business fundamentals and varied opportunities to enhance your credentials.

career-developmentWhether you are interested in a career change or want to expand your skills to go further in your existing field, a BBA can provide the career jump start you have been seeking.

Keep scrolling to read "Why a BBA Degree? Paths to Success and Careers in Business" or complete the form to download a PDF of the E-Book! 

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Chapter 1

Why Pursue a BBA Degree?

Given the required investment of time and money, it makes sense to choose a program that aligns with your career goals and future plans. After all, selecting an educational degree program isn’t just about taking classes that interest you. You also want to be able to apply what you learn in your career

Fortunately, a BBA degree program can help you do both. It offers challenging coursework to help you understand the complexities of modern business management and provides practical lessons and tools for building your desired career.

Here are some key reasons a Bachelor of Business Administration may be an excellent choice for you:

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Prepares You for a Career Change

Regardless of where you started or what you studied in the past, there’s no rule requiring you to stick to the same career path for your entire life. According to the Pew Research Center, more than half of individuals (53 percent) who quit their jobs in 2021 found a position in a different field. If you're considering such a move, a BBA will help you acquire the knowledge and skills to make it happen. 

With a BBA, you can go in many directions with your career, both inside and outside your current field. For example, whether you’re a teacher or a medical assistant, a BBA can provide the foundational knowledge necessary to begin a career in HR, management, marketing, or many other areas of business. A BBA degree can also help you to transition from one area of business to another. For example, you can move from human resources to project management or marketing to finance.

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Supports Your Promotion Aspirations

Earning a BBA degree isn’t just for those who want a new career path. Maybe you want to build your skills to reach the next level in your company. Or perhaps your manager suggested you need additional coursework before rising up the ranks. There could also be a specific degree requirement for some positions in your company. Regardless, a BBA provides a range of courses to expand your knowledge in your current field so you can better position yourself for advancement.

After earning your BBA, you may have more confidence in your skills and abilities, which can go a long way in supporting your goals for promotion. Even if your company doesn’t automatically offer you a promotion, having a new degree may give you the courage to ask for one.

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Improves Career Stability

Perhaps you stepped away from college at some point but now want to return to school and complete your degree. If so, you’re not alone. A recent study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation revealed that among young adults who had not attended college or not completed their college studies, 46 percent said they planned on getting or completing their degree. 

Earning a BBA doesn’t just make for a more impressive resume. Doing so can help you transition from taking on a series of jobs to building a career in a business discipline that matches your aspirations. Furthermore, completing a BBA degree demonstrates to current and future employers that you are serious about your career and willing to get the education to back up that commitment.

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Provides In-Demand Knowledge and Skills

A BBA program is a great option for growing your career because it offers diverse coursework and projects that provide practical value in the real world. In addition to the business basics in economics, accounting, and marketing, a BBA also teaches transferable lessons in strategic planning, leadership, and ethics.

Moreover, a BBA expands your career prospects and opens the door to a wealth of job opportunities. You can find individuals with a BBA degree in just about any company and industry, from financial services and technology to government and the nonprofit sector.

Chapter 2

Top BBA Majors to Consider

One of the key benefits of a BBA degree is its versatility. In addition to core classes in economics, leadership, and strategic planning, the BBA offers opportunities to major in specific areas, including management, marketing, and finance. The broad applicability of undergraduate business degrees is why they have historically been so popular. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), business has been the most common field of undergraduate study every year since the NCES began tracking it in 2009.

With a BBA degree, you won’t be confined to a single career path you have to stick to for life. Instead, you open the door to many paths that match your knowledge and interests. And depending on the path you pursue, you also stand to benefit from competitive earnings. 

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for business and financial occupations in 2021 was $76,570—much higher than the median wage for all occupations ($45,760). For some occupations, the median was even higher, such as $95,570 for financial analysts and $94,500 for project management specialists.

Earning your undergraduate business degree can help you become a business generalist or specialist. Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) offers the option of pursuing an online BBA degree as a standalone option or enhancing it with one of six majors. Each major accepts transfer credits and provides the flexibility to begin your program when it works for you. MVNU’s business degree programs are also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Here are the following BBA majors you can pursue at MVNU Online:

1. Digital Marketing

The digital marketing major within the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program teaches the fundamentals of internet marketing, including how to use social media, search engine optimization, paid search, and content to reach a targeted audience. The degree takes a data-driven approach to traditional marketing and teaches you about the digital tools brands use to increase competitiveness and drive buyer behavior.

With a BBA in Digital Marketing, you can take advantage of some of the newest careers available in business today. Possible positions include:

  • Social media manager
  • Market researcher
  • Marketing specialist
  • Digital marketing manager

Additionally, a BBA can be the perfect launchpad for an MBA in marketing. With an MBA, you can pursue more senior roles such as Chief Marketing Officer, Digital Marketing Director, and Manager of Strategic Marketing.

2. Finance 

With a BBA in Finance, you’ll take courses and do projects that prepare you for a career in areas such as accounting, banking, auditing, or tax preparation. In addition to financial analysis coursework, you will also cover risk, insurance, financial markets, and financial planning. You can also determine whether you want to pursue your Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.

A BBA in Finance also provides a solid foundation for an MBA in Finance. In the MBA program, you can learn more advanced management and mathematical concepts. From there, you can pursue senior finance manager roles and more advanced technical roles.

Pursuing a BBA in Finance not only teaches the necessary technical skills to open up new career paths, but also provides the fundamental soft skills you need for success, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. With this powerful combination of skills, you will be prepared to pursue any of the following roles:

  • Accountant
  • Financial analyst
  • Budget analyst 
  • Actuary
  • Auditor

3. Human Resources (HR) Management 

Whether you aspire to work as a generalist or prefer to specialize in areas such as benefits, diversity, or compensation, a BBA in Human Resource (HR) Management can prepare you for a range of career paths. The degree program delivers relevant coursework in areas of HR, including learning and development, employee reward systems, diversity, strategy and compliance, and employee relations.

A BBA in HR Management also gives you the foundation to pursue the certifications many companies look for in HR candidates, such as the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certifications offered by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Possible career path options for individuals with a BBA in HR Management include: 

  • Human resources specialist
  • Training and development specialist
  • Human resources manager
  • Compensation and benefits manager
  • Director of employee experience & communications
  • Employee relations manager

4. Management

A BBA in Management is ideal when you seek a general management or leadership role in a corporation, government, or nonprofit organization. With this degree program, you’ll get a solid foundation in business and management fundamentals with classes in project management, business law, and operations management, among many other topics.

Like the other BBA majors, a management major can be an excellent springboard for an MBA program. Alternatively, you could pursue a Master of Science in Management (MSM), which builds on the BBA and offers advanced coursework in budgeting and forecasting.

Another key benefit of the BBA in Management is the broad applicability of the knowledge and skills you will acquire. By gaining a comprehensive view of management concepts in today’s evolving business landscape, you’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned across a diverse range of settings, including corporate and small business environments, government, and entrepreneurial settings.

With a BBA in Management, you can pursue many career paths, including: 

  • Management analyst
  • Sales manager
  • Administrative service manager
  • Operations manager
  • Supply chain manager

5. Marketing 

If you are interested in helping companies communicate the value of their products and services to prospective and existing customers, a marketing major is an excellent option to consider. A BBA in Marketing covers traditional marketing fundamentals, including advertising and promotion, marketing strategies, market research, and selling. The degree also helps you to see how each marketing concept fits into today’s increasingly digital world.

With a BBA in Marketing, you can pursue a range of career paths, including:

  • Market research analyst
  • Public relations (PR) specialist
  • Advertising manager
  • Marketing manager

6. Project Management

Regardless of the industry, every project requires a professional with the expertise to set appropriate timelines, assign and track tasks, and manage the budget through to the project’s completion. This is why project manager roles often make LinkedIn’s “most in-demand jobs” lists. With a BBA in Project Management, you’ll take courses that teach you the necessary skills to get any project off the ground, including how to set project goals, create a plan, and keep team members on track.

A BBA in Project Management doesn’t just prepare you to take on roles such as project manager, implementation specialist, or logistics manager. It can also help you prepare for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) exam, enabling you to stand out to employers seeking highly knowledgeable project management professionals. 

A CAPM certification requires a solid knowledge of project management terminology and processes, which is precisely what MVNU Online’s BBA in Project Management offers. After completing the degree and pursuing your certification, you’ll have a solid foundation on which to build additional work experience.

Chapter 3

Ready to Pursue Your BBA? Consider MVNU Online

Whether you’re starting a bachelor's degree program for the first time or returning to school to make a career change, MVNU Online offers several online degree options for you. Regardless of your location or work hours, an online degree program at MVNU Online allows you to keep working while you study. In addition to affordable tuition, you can enjoy the flexibility of taking online classes that fit into your busy schedule. 

MVNU Online’s online programs offer a challenging college experience designed specifically for adult learners. Completing a BBA degree online means you don’t have to worry about commuting to classes or missing work to pursue your education. You can manage your other responsibilities while you complete your degree. Furthermore, when you select one of our six BBA majors, you can get the education that matches the career path you envision for yourself.

If you’re ready to experience all that a BBA degree offers, now may be a great time to get started. To take the next step in your educational journey, learn more about applying to our BBA program.

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Complete the form to download the E-Book "Why a BBA Degree? Paths to Success and Careers in Business." 

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