4 reasons to study business in college

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, enrollment at four-year schools for undergraduate business degrees and related specializations was up 0.6% in spring 2022 and up 2.4% for two-year schools.

What’s driving this growth? Why study business in college? We sat down with Harika Rao, assistant dean of the Lynn University College of Business and Management, to learn more.

1. Demand for workers with business degrees is high

Nearly 1 million business and finance jobs will be added to the economy over the next eight years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Business and finance occupations are expected to grow 7% from 2021 to 2031, resulting in about 715,100 new jobs. The BLS projects that another 265,100 jobs will be added to replace those who leave their occupations permanently.

Jobs under the BLS’s “business, management, and sales” umbrella typically require a bachelor’s degree.

“Companies need to be more defensive with their strategies to sustain the dynamic consumer and market changes,” Rao says. “A business degree offers a holistic skill set for employees to help businesses remain successful.”

2. A business degree offers varied career paths

Although many business majors start their own businesses, the degree is useful across career paths.

“A business degree gives you the basic foundation,” Rao says. “Even if you don't want to open your own business, when you earn a business degree, you will understand what the economy is and how it works.”

There are a number of job opportunities for people who get business degrees, including:

• Business administration
• Data analytics
• Entrepreneurship
• Healthcare management
• Human resource management
• International business management
• Investment management
• Marketing

“The spectrum is unlimited. We have students who become data scientists. We have students who work in search engine optimization. Others provide analysis on banking or as consultants. It really depends on where you're passionate as a student.”

>> Read: Business Career Guide

3. The skills you learn are valuable and transferable

The skills you learn in an undergraduate business program can help you in other fields.

“A business school gives you the platform to flourish in other areas as well,” Rao says. “You may be a psychology student, but if you're opening your own practice, where do you start? How do you actually run it? Having a business degree as a backdrop is beneficial because you will be making business decisions every day.”

Here’s an overview of what you may learn in a business program:

• Management and decision-making skills
• E-commerce fundamentals and trends, including email marketing, social media, mobile marketing and search engine optimization (SEO)
• How to develop a brand and grow your business
• How to use spreadsheets and business analytics tools to advance your business
• The principles of marketing, including buyer behavior, product planning, pricing and promotions
• How to understand a complex investment environment and how it affects workers, consumers, managers, investors and citizens

4. Your networking opportunities increase

As you earn a business degree, you are also building your professional network.

“You will foster relationships with faculty and peers, and that opens doors for networking opportunities,” Rao says. “Your connections could lead to an internship or job opportunity down the line.”

Rao says that students who are unclear on how a business degree could help them should talk to a faculty member or an adviser for clarity.

“If a student walks in and says they love social media and sports, we can counsel them,” Rao says. “Maybe they could be a sports manager or handle social media for a team.

“Making that connection and having conversations with faculty or an advisor can really open doors to what you want to do.”

Reach your career goals with an online business degree from Lynn University

“A business degree gives you the leverage to take off and flourish in your own career,” Rao says. “The skills you learn will help you be successful with whatever you want to do.”

Lynn University offers a number of online degree programs that offer a solid foundation in business, enhance your credibility and advance your career. These include Bachelor of Science degrees in:

• Business Administration
• Data Analytics
• Entrepreneurship
• Healthcare Management
• Human Resource Management
• International Business Management
• Investment Management
• Marketing

Ready to learn more? Contact us for more information.