What Could You Do with a Business Degree?

What Could You Do with a Business Degree? A Guide to Potential Career Path Options

Business is among the most popular fields of degree . In 2021-22 (the most recent data available), there were 2 million bachelor's degrees conferred-and 375,400, or nearly 19%, of those were in business.¹ During this same time period, 205,800, or roughly 23%, of master's degrees conferred were in business.²

So, what is it that might make business administration degrees attractive to students? While not everyone has the same motivations for choosing to pursue one, there are certain potential benefits of earning a business administration degree that stand out-particularly their applicability to a range of career paths. Let's explore.

Why Business Administration Degrees Have Value

You may have heard others describe business administration degrees as "versatile." That's because students in business administration degree programs study general business principles and practices that can be applied in various roles across a wide range of industries. Business administration degree holders aren't typically "boxed in"-rather, they can become outside-the-box, adaptable thinkers and doers. This versatility is part of what makes business administration degrees desirable.

By studying an array of business topics, from marketing to finance to operations and beyond, business students work to develop their understanding of how different business functions work, how they fit together and why they are important. They work to develop "hard" skills-e.g., data analysis, financial accounting and operations management-but they also study "soft" skills-e.g., how to think critically, solve problems and communicate effectively. Upon successful completion of their degree program, graduates of business administration degree programs should know what it takes to accomplish an organization's or department's goals and objectives. It is perhaps for this reason that, as you will see in our discussion of individual career paths below, employers may prefer or require job candidates who hold at least a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).

Top Skills for Business and Management 2024-2034 Employment Projections

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (last modified Aug. 28, 2025), https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/top-skills-by-major-occupational-group.htm.

Potential Career Paths with a BBA, MBA or DBA

What you study in a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program may help you prepare to pursue a number of entry-level business roles. BBA courses cover both theoretical business concepts and practical applications that can be utilized in virtually any business setting-in large corporations or small family businesses, in established institutions or recent startups. Moreover, a BBA degree program may serve as a launching point for more advanced study in an MBA or DBA degree program.

Below is a list of career paths you may be able to pursue with a bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree in business administration.

Project Management Specialist

Overview: Project management specialists manage a project's budget, schedule, and other details and assign duties and responsibilities to staff once a project is underway. Their typical duties include developing and/or modifying project plans; researching and choosing vendors; monitoring a project's progress; and serving as a point of contact for the client.³

Minimum Entry Requirements: Bachelor's degree in business, project management or relevant technical field. Certification may also be required.³

Projected Job Growth (2024-2034): 6%³

Human Resources (HR) Specialist

Overview: Human resources specialists are trained to carry out all HR department functions, including employee recruitment, compensation and benefits, employee training and employee relations. They also ensure awareness of and provide information about HR policies, procedures and programs.⁴

Minimum Entry Requirements: Bachelor's degree in business, human resources or communications.⁴

Projected Job Growth (2024-2034): 6%⁴

General or Operations Manager

Overview: General or operations managers is a broad category that spans many functional areas of management or administration. These managers oversee multiple departments or locations and typically manage through subordinate supervisors. Their typical duties and responsibilities may include policy development, daily operations management, and utilization of material and human resources.⁵

Minimum Entry Requirements: Typically a bachelor's degree along with several years of work-related experience.⁵

Projected Job Growth (2024-2034): 4%⁶

Cost Estimator

Overview: Cost estimators utilize data to determine the resources (e.g., time, money, materials and labor) necessary to manufacture a product, construct a building or provide a service. Managers then use this information to create contract bids and price products. The typical duties of a cost estimator may include reading blueprints or technical documents; collaborating with engineers, architects, contractors, etc.; recommending cost-cutting measures; collaborating with the sales team to create bids or estimates; and tracking estimated and actual costs.⁷

Minimum Entry Requirements: Manufacturing cost estimators typically need a bachelor's degree in business administration or finance.⁷

Projected Job Growth (2024-2034): Declining 4%⁷

Management Analyst

Overview: Management analysts (sometimes referred to as business analysts) identify ways to improve a company's efficiency in order to make them more profitable. They may specialize by industry (e.g., healthcare or information technology), function (e.g., inventory control or manufacturing processes) or type of government agency (e.g., defense or public services). Their typical duties may include collecting and analyzing information/data on the business problem they are tasked with solving, proposing solutions or making other recommendations to the client, and tracking whether their proposed changes are working.⁸

Minimum Entry Requirements: Bachelor's degree , often in business or social sciences, plus several years of relevant work experience. MBA sometimes preferred.⁸

Projected Job Growth (2024-2034): 9%⁸

Entrepreneur

Overview: "Entrepreneur" has a couple of connotations. It can mean someone who undertakes the risk of starting and running a new business, but it can also carry a "connotation of far-sightedness and innovation."⁹ An entrepreneur in the second sense could be someone who develops a ground-breaking technology or designs an entirely novel product or process. An entrepreneur who becomes widely recognized as an expert or innovator in their particular field may be referred to as a "thought-leader."

Minimum Entry Requirements: Various

Projected Job Growth: N/A

Business Professor

Overview: University professors teach undergraduate or graduate level courses, conduct research and publish scholarly works based on their research. Full-time tenured professors often spend a significant amount of time on conducting original research and publishing their findings, whereas part-time professors (known as adjunct professors) spend the bulk of their time teaching.¹⁰

Minimum Entry Requirements: Tenured faculty typically must hold a doctorate in their field. For full-time business professors, this could mean a doctorate in business administration, management or a related field (finance, accounting, economics, etc.). For some adjunct professor positions, a master's degree , such as an MBA, could be sufficient.¹⁰

Projected Job Growth (2024-2034): 7%¹⁰

Summary of Potential Business Career Paths, Requirements and Job Titles

Data Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ (last viewed Feb. 9, 2026); National Center for O*NET Development, O*NET Online, https://www.onetonline.org/ (last viewed Feb. 9, 2026).

The CalSouthern Experience

There are several characteristics you should look for in an online business administration degree program. California Southern University degree programs include:

Accreditation: California Southern University is a member of the American InterContinental University System. The System is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. CalSouthern's Bachelor, Master and Doctor of Business Administration degree programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) www.acbsp.org.

Flexible Online Learning: Our online business administration degree programs, like all of our degree programs, are designed to provide working adults with flexibility to pursue their academic goals while continuing to balance their professional and personal obligations. Our programs are designed for asynchronous learning, where students can access course materials and complete assignments on their own schedule, when it is most convenient for them.

Knowledgeable Instructors: Our instructors are subject-matter experts with experience in the fields they teach. CalSouthern full-time and administrative faculty are appointed by the program dean, possess a terminal degree in their field of study and have student advising responsibilities. Part-time instructors not only teach but also take a leadership position in review and training.

Student Support Services: CalSouthern Student Support Services includes academic advising, support service referrals and disability services. CalSouthern students also receive access to helpful resources, including complimentary access to Office 365; an extensive online library containing tools and resources to assist you in your academic research and writing; and free, on-demand, 24/7 access to qualified tutors through Tutor.com.

Transfer Credit Prior Learning^*: CalSouthern's transfer-friendly policy means that it is possible to earn credit toward your degree program for previously completed college coursework from an accredited or approved institution, or for military training and experience. Awards of transfer credit can help to reduce overall time-to-degree and tuition costs. An Admissions Advisor can provide an unofficial transfer review at no cost.

^* Transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis. Not all credits are eligible to transfer. See the University Catalog for transfer credit policies.

Begin Your Education at CalSouthern

Earning an undergraduate or graduate business degree could help to open new and exciting opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in business and financial occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2024 to 2034.¹¹ With so many potential options, perhaps the question isn't what you can do with a business degree . Perhaps the better question is, what can't you do?

CalSouthern offers the following accredited online degree programs in business administration:

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Explore what CalSouthern's School of Business and Management has to offer, or apply now.

CalSouthern cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. REQ2196960 3/2026

The list of career paths related to this program is based on a subset from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to SOC Crosswalk. Some career paths listed above may require further education or job experience.

¹ National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), "Undergraduate Degree Fields" (updated May 2024), https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cta.

² National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), "Graduate Degree Fields" (updated May 2024), https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ctb/graduate-degree -fields.

³ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Project Management Specialists, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/project-management-specialists.htm (last visited Feb. 9, 2026).

⁴ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Human Resources Specialists, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/human-resources-specialists.htm (last visited Feb. 9, 2026).

⁵ National Center for O*NET Development, O*NET Online, 11-1021.00General and Operations Managers, https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-1021.00 (last visited Feb. 9, 2026).

⁶ National Center for O*NET Development, O*NET Online, National Employment Trends, 11-1021.00General and Operations Managers, https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/11-1021.00?utm_source (last visited Feb. 9, 2026).

⁷ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Cost Estimators, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/cost-estimators.htm (last visited Mar. 18, 2026).

⁸ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Management Analysts, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/management-analysts.htm (last visited Feb. 9, 2026).

⁹ Merriam-Webster, Entrepreneur: Did You Know? The Characteristics of an Entrepreneur, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrepreneur (last visited Feb. 9, 2026).

¹⁰ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Teachers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm (last visited Feb. 9, 2026).

¹¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Business and Financial Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/ (last visited Feb. 9, 2026).