What can you do with a business management degree?

A business management degree can elevate your leadership potential in a variety of fields, including: sales, operations, management, and account supervision.

Here, Jennifer Herrera, MBA, core faculty member in Capella University’s School of Business and Technology, discusses how a bachelor’s degree in business management degree can support success in today’s job market.

Q. What makes a business management degree different from a general business administration degree?

A. Generally speaking, business administration is the process of organizing a company’s people and resources to ensure that objectives are achieved.

A business management degree focuses on the skills that may be able to support business professionals’ move into a managerial or leadership position. These skills include the ability to:

• Assess market and corporate needs and drive transformative change.
• Build consensus among key contributors and influence others.
• Devise and implement an effective strategy for the business’s success.

Capella offers a BS in Business with a Management and Leadership specialization, and the end goal for many students who seek this degree is to acquire leadership know-how.

Q. Is there a difference between management and leadership in the business world?

A. The two skills sets—management and leadership—are closely related but involve different attitudes, skills, and behaviors.

The basic functions of management include the day-to-day planning, organizing, and executing of business tasks. Most managers have some degree of leadership involved in their work. For instance, motivating a team to accomplish business goals definitely requires leadership skills.

Those who rise to the higher levels of corporate leadership have demonstrated the ability to broadly communicate a vision and inspire others to realize it. This takes self-confidence, positivity, and being able to see and share the larger picture with co-workers.

Management covers these basic functions:

• Planning. Strategizing for the future of the business.
• Organizing. Grouping resources for maximal utilization and productivity.
• Directing. Troubleshooting problems and motivating staff.
• Controlling. Monitoring the execution of plans and ensuring accountability.

Leadership covers these basic functions:

• Vision. Selecting and achieving organizational goals.
• Inspiration. Motivating key contributors to realize the vision.
• Decision-making. Deciding effectively and quickly on a course of action.
• Negotiation. Acquiring resources to achieve goals with optimal results.

Q. What kind of business courses do students take in a management and leadership program?

A. Students in Capella’s business management and leadership program study the application of current issues in the market, such as transformative change, ethics in leadership, and creating sustainability in the business environment.

Specialization courses include:

• Fundamentals of Management
• Fundamentals of Leadership
• Leadership in Organizations
• Organizational Structure, Learning, and Performance
• Strategic Planning and Implementation

Q. What are related job titles for an individual with a business management degree?

A. Related job titles to explore* include:

• Business manager
• Sales manager
• Account supervisor
• Operations manager
• General manager
• Management trainee

 

Q. What business graduate programs come after a BS in management and leadership?

A. A graduate with no management experience might move into training at a major corporation for an entry-level managerial position.

When it comes to further education, the next step could be to earn an MBA.

If someone wants to continue their education beyond an MBA and stay focused on management and leadership, Capella offers a PhD in Leadership or Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Leadership. A doctoral degree may be able to help prepare graduates to teach at the graduate level.

Learn more about Capella’s onlineBachelor’s in Management and Leadership.

*These are examples intended to serve as a general guide. Because many factors determine what position an individual may attain, Capella cannot guarantee that a graduate will secure any specific job title.