Business Administration & Operations

Business Administration & Operations

Get the career training you need to be a key player in the business world with an associate degree, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in business administration & operations. Business Administration degrees can put you on the career path to an executive position. You’ll learn about finance, leadership, legal issues, operations management, marketing and sales, and special topics such as e-business and global business. If you’re intrigued by a management career in information technology, healthcare, hospitality, or government, you might even find a special program that meets your interests.

In an Operations Management degree program, you might learn about business planning, global sourcing, procurement, distribution, production, and supply chain management. When combined with a general business program, you’ll also learn about management theory, best practices, organization behavior, research and evaluation, as well as critical thinking and problem solving skills.

A Master’s in Business Administration, or MBA, is a key education credential if you’re hoping to get promoted to an upper management or leadership role in business. MBA programs usually require a bachelor’s degree and a reasonable amount of prior real-world work experience. Certain MBA programs may require significant work experience in a business setting.

Job Opportunities in Business Administration & Operations

Large organizations need managers at many levels. Top executives identify a company’s objectives and establish the strategies and policies to meet them. Administrative services managers coordinate support services such as secretarial services, data processing, and buildings and grounds. Project managers lead teams of people assembled to solve specific problems. Office managers are the direct supervisors of support staff.

Management positions can be stressful, but the reward for making hard decisions is the satisfaction of seeing your ideas implemented successfully. Managers who work their way up to the top of the pyramid can make very high incomes. Managing operations is a top executive function. The competition for these positions is intense, and the pay is excellent.

There are always opportunities for MBA graduates in our 21st-century knowledge economy. Nearly 70% of employers who participated in the Graduate Management Admissions Council’s 2008 recruitment survey reported that they will or probably will hire new MBAs in 2009, offering starting salaries similar to those offered to 2008 MBA grads. However, most nonprofit and government organizations, as well as energy and utility firms, plan to increase average annual base salaries for new MBAs in 2009. Opportunities in new MBA specializations such as green energy, green business, sustainability, and socially responsible financial management are on the rise.

Source: The Graduate Management Admissions Council, www.gmac.com