Online Business Degrees

Is a Business Degree Right for You?

Business degrees provide students with insight into the development and function of successful corporations and organizations. Business majors take classes on finance, organizational structure, and human resources, all of which hone skills that come into play when establishing a career within the field. To be successful in the field, business majors must also have strong communication skills, as professionals will often be required to work as part of a team. Good writing skills are also very important, as electronic communication is very common within the business field. Employers seek candidates that can work well under pressure and who are motivated to fulfill their responsibilities. The field is competitive; graduates that have work experience in addition to a degree will have the best job prospects.

Advice for Earning Your Business Degree Online

There are many advantages of enrolling in an online degree program for your business education Chief among them is that classes usually begin every few weeks, which means you can begin your education at any time and set your own pace. For example, you may have to learn some complex topics, such as accounting or business theories. If a certain subject is difficult for you, an online education allows you to spend more time on that course. You can also cut down on your workload by enrolling in just one or two courses per session, whether your school splits them into semesters, quarters, or something else. Unlike online science or math degrees, which require tons of expensive laboratory equipment, a business degree doesn't require you to rack up many extraneous expenses. However, be sure to find an online program that is accredited. If you are planning on transferring to a brick-and-mortar school, you need to see which types of credits can be transferred. If you plan to pursue the whole degree online, be sure to check employers' education requirements in your area.

Required Courses

For a business degree, you will need to complete some courses outside the major. These courses usually include calculus, psychology, economics, statistics, writing, communications, and accounting. After that, you can move to your degree-specific courses. Universities expect students to get a broad understanding of business undertakings. The courses that are usually required include finance, marketing, organizational behavior, operations, operations management, and upper level accounting. After you finish the basic major courses, you can take special course related to your interests. For example, if you are interested in finance, you can take upper-level finance courses. If you are interested in upper management, you may take theoretical courses relating to management. Other specializations include: small business management, e-business, marketing, leadership, economics, international business, information technology, real estate, banking, human behavior, and administration.

Common Career Paths

You can work in a variety of organizations or companies after obtaining a business degree. Some popular jobs for business majors include (but are not limited to):

• Human Resources Specialist

  If you work well with people and would like to work on hiring and recruiting for an organization, consider a career as a human resource specialist. If you are a business major with an interest in this field, it is important to take at least a few courses regarding organizational development and human resources during your undergraduate education. Once you are hired, most companies will train you in their specific processes and hiring requirements. Most human resources specialists are required to keep track of employee records and performance. They usually need to make sure employees and management are in compliance with organizations like the United States Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.

  Human resources specialists are also the go-to people for any payment or general problems employees have. They work with managers to record results from performance reviews as well. Lastly, human resources specialists are involved in the hiring process. They keep track of new resumes sent to the company for open positions. According to PayScale.com, entry-level human resources specialists make anywhere from $29,603 to $44,201.

• Systems Analyst

  A systems analyst conducts research and provides solutions regarding software and systems. They need to know about different types of computer programming languages and operation systems, and they may need to research which type of software is most useful for solving a financial problem. The tasks will not be solely technical, though. Systems analysts often have to explain to others why they should use a certain program and write briefs requesting certain technical needs. Therefore, communication and writing skills are vital to success in this position. Systems analysts are the mediators between IT employees and finance/business employees as well. They also have to perform a mix of other tasks like writing user requests, developing cost spreadsheets, and setting deadlines for software implementations.

  According to PayScale.com, entry-level systems analysts can make anywhere from $39,422 to $50,726.

• Market Researcher

  As a market researcher, you will conduct research regarding business strategy in a very organized manner, which will help your company gain a competitive advantage in the market in which it operates. There are four different areas of a market you may have to conduct research on: market information, market segmentation, market trends, and market effectiveness. When you are evaluating market trends, you need to see how an industry has evolved over time in the market. Market effectiveness looks at how a company's competitors have performed over a certain period of time.

  According to PayScale.com, entry-level market researchers make around $42,000.