It is almost impossible to live your life without coming into contact with the business world on some level, from the clothes you wear to the food you eat, business is all around you. There are myriad opportunities within this world for your business career path; however, a key stepping-stone to success often starts with the obtaining of a business degree.
Business degrees are among the most popular fields of study at universities around the world. A degree in business can give you the skills that will enable you to start your own business, develop the next new idea to make the world a better place, make that climb up the corporate ladder a bit easier, and help you better understand the world around you. A business degree serves as a great educational foundation for almost any career path you may choose to pursue in the future.
In addition, given the global nature of business today, your degree may well be your ticket to tour the world. In fact, many business schools actively encourage their students to study abroad as part of their education. There are prestigious business schools located all around the world, many of which teach courses in English. Studying in a foreign country is a key step if you want to work abroad and build up a network of foreign contacts.
While to some people “business” may conjure up negative images of such figures as Gordon Gecko with his “Greed is good” mantra, it should not be forgotten that there is much more to business than that. People like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson are all “businessmen” too, and have had an arguably strongly positive effect upon the world. In fact, business is part of almost everything; no matter what career you may eventually choose.
Business Students. Pic: Universiti Sains Malaysia
What can I study?
There is a range of possibilities within the umbrella term of business degree. These types of degrees can focus on areas such as strategy, marketing, finance, computer sciences, economics, sociology, entrepreneurship, and much more. Some students even choose to pursue dual degrees, such as business and law. While the range of specializations is large, no matter what their choice, all business students will gain a strong grounding in finance, marketing, and human resource management.
Entrepreneurship is currently one of the hottest types of business degrees available. Students in this path learn how to identify new markets and come up with innovative solutions to difficult problems. For those hoping to be the next Steve Jobs, this specialization could well be the best first step to success.
Business can be studied at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The most common graduate business degree is the Masters in Business Administration (MBA), but there are many other types as well. There are even Executive MBA programs for those who already have significant professional experience and who are looking to further develop their professional skills.
Business degrees generally tend to include a high degree of collaborative work with your fellow students. There will be a huge amount of team building and group work on projects. This can make your school experience much more fun and interesting, rather than toiling away by yourself in the library. Alongside the teamwork, you will also develop into an effective leader who is skilled at expressing your thoughts and opinions in a variety of settings.
Your business studies will also be a good mix of theoretical and practical work, often including real hands-on experience with local businesses. Given that a business degree can cover such a range of subjects, there is often a high degree of choice and customization on offer for students who are keen to tailor their degree to a particular area of interest.
Some of the skills you are likely to develop during your studies include:
Critical thinking and problem solving
Strategic development
Data analysis
Communication skills
Project management
Knowledge of markets and the wider economy
An understanding of the operations of large organizations
Business Master students meet with Faculty. Pic: Lingnan University
Where can I work?
Like the wide range of business subjects available to study, business careers come in a diverse range of choices. Many of these careers are often highly paid and offer significant room for personal advancement. Business school graduates generally have little trouble finding a job and are usually employed within six months of leaving school.
Earning a business degree opens up doors throughout many industries, such as entertainment, fashion, banking, health, manufacturing, etc. Some of the careers that are available to business degree holders include management consultancy, banking, trading, advertising, marketing, and sales. However, there are a variety of different types of organizations, such as non-profits and charities, which could also benefit from having someone with the types of skills that you will have developed during your business studies.
With the wide skill set that a business degree provides to its students, it is clear that no matter what career path, or paths, a person finally choses, they can be confident in the knowledge that they have the skills needed to be successful.
To get your career in business off to the best start a solid education is imperative. Read on for more information on some of the leading institutions offering world-class business programmes:
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF BATH – UK
The University of Bath received its University status in 1966, following over 100 years of rich history as a renowned technical school & college, and is now firmly established as a top ten UK university for research and teaching excellence. The University of Bath School of Management is one of the UK’s leading business schools and proudly holds a number of high profile accolades & awards, including the rank of first place for student satisfaction in Business Studies (National Student Survey) and Accounting & Finance (The Complete University Guide 2015) in the UK. The MBA programme ranks 2nd in the UK and 20th in the world’s top 100 programmes (The Economist Which MBA? Executive MBA Ranking). The ethos behind The Bath MBA is to look beyond business processes and techniques to emphasize self-awareness, intuition, cross-cultural sensitivity and entrepreneurship skills as well as a socially responsible and ethical approach to business and management. Read the full profile.
FACULTY OF BUSINESS, LINGNAN UNIVERSITY – HONG KONG
Lingnan University, situated in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, is an internationally recognised liberal arts university, distinguished by its outstanding teaching, learning programmes, scholarship and community engagement. The Faculty of Business at Lingnan University provides a world class business education. Supported by the quality research of Lingnan’s faculty & their industry connections, students receive a cutting edge education in their chosen fields and are given opportunities to engage in real-life projects with business or community enterprises. The university offers a range of high quality business programmes including a Business MPhil and PhD at the postgraduate level, as well as specialist master’s programmes in Accountancy, Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour, and Marketing and International Business. The Faculty of Business will also be offering Master’s programmes in Finance, eCommerce and Supply Chain Management, starting in 2016. Read full profile.
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA – MALAYSIA
Universiti Sains Malaysia, situated in Penang, was established in 1969 as the second university in Malaysia. USM was the first university in Malaysia to be selected by the government to participate in the Accelerated Programme for Excellence (APEX), helping the institution towards achieving world-class status. USM Graduate School of Business (GSB) specialises in providing structured, supervised research across business related fields, applying theory to real business issues. This expertise, combined with the School’s strong links with business and commerce ensure that students graduate with the knowledge and skills required to be work ready for top careers in some of the world’s most exciting and challenging industries. Read the full profile.
ADAM SMITH BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW – UK
Hosting a diverse, lively student community of more than 17,000 postgraduates studying across 36 masters and 6 PhD programmes, Adam Smith Business School is dedicated to providing all those enrolled with the support they need to pursue prolific professional careers. The School, which is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), is home to world-class research facilities that make a significant contribution to academic and theoretical progression. Offering challenging courses across Accounting and Finance, Economics, and Management, Adam Smith is an excellent option for students keen to broaden their horizons and carve an innovative path through their chosen field.
FOX SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY – USA
Established in 1918, the Fox School of Business, Temple University has a distinguished tradition of preparing business leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs for successful careers. Today, it is the largest, most comprehensive business school in the greater Philadelphia region, and among the largest in the world with nearly 7,000 students, 200 full-time faculty and 60,000 alumni. Accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – the Fox School offers Bachelor’s of Business Administration, Master’s of Business Administration, Executive MBA, Master’s of Science, dual-degree MBA/MS, and PhD programs on campuses throughout the region and around the world.