8 Types of Business Degree Specializations You Can Pursue

A degree may open the door to a variety of opportunities and diverse career paths. The degree programs offered at AIU will not necessarily lead to the featured careers. This collection of articles is intended to help inform and guide you through the process of determining which level of degree and types of certifications align with your desired career path.

A business degree is one of the most flexible and broadly applicable types of qualification available, whether you choose to pursue a traditional campus program or an online business degree. Earning your diploma in this field can help boost your career opportunities, as it is applicable to nearly every sector of industry and commerce.

But did you know that you can specialize from the very start of your program and match your chosen degree with your main area of interest, whether your passion lies in entrepreneurship, marketing, finance or another field?

Here is a guide to eight different types of business degrees, each grounded in essential core business values, that may help lead you down a broad a variety of career paths:

1. Business Management Degree Specialization

   Understanding the core values of business is the first step toward opportunities in management, and if this is of interest to you, then a business administration degree in management may be an option to consider. This degree is designed to provide students with a b foundation in business fundamentals and a focused study of business management principles and their application in real-world work environments. In this curriculum, students explore current operations and marketing management practices and principles to create efficient, productive systems; evaluate the various methods of personnel selection; implement standards for performance evaluation; and analyze cases that focus on key marketing management tasks, such as marketing research, sales forecasting, product and brand management, distribution channels, pricing, promotion and branding strategies.

2. Finance Degree Specialization

   For those who are numbers-minded, there is an opportunity to take this route into business with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a specialization in Finance. Such programs cover relevant areas in finance, including investment, capital planning, international finance and financial analysis. Courses also may explore how to assess and solve issues in a business environment by applying the principles of finance and accounting, use quantitative tools to analyze contemporary business functions and practices, recognize the connection between financial concepts and their use in the global markets, and use current marketing management practices and principles to increase efficiency and productivity.

3. Marketing Degree Specialization

   Marketing is a dynamic area of business, and a marketing degree specialization may be an obvious choice for those interested in the field. The key principles of marketing are covered, focused around planning, implementation, controlling and evaluating marketing strategies to achieve an organization's goals. Students also can study how to measure market demand and segment the market effectively to achieve competitive advantage, as well as analyzing cases that focus on key marketing management tasks, such as marketing research, sales forecasting, product and brand management, distribution channels, pricing and promotion.

4. Entrepreneurship Degree Specialization

   If you have the drive to start a business or are leading your own already, then a business degree focusing on entrepreneurship could be for you. In this type of program, students can become familiar with real-world issues relevant to entrepreneurs, such as employment law and budgeting, as well as develop key managerial skills such as team leadership and management tactics. Classes also may focus on examining the legal environment and the various challenges of managing modern organizations, employing negotiation tactics and strategy, knowing the factors that ensure legal compliance, and understanding contracting and procurement.

5. International Business Degree Specialization

   International business specializations can take you across the world and open up global opportunities. These programs explore how international trade and finance policies and relations affect business decisions and analyze the real-world practices of international marketing, global financial markets, international trade operations and many other relevant areas. Students also can study how to adapt marketing strategies for international markets, construct management practices and processes in an international environment while recognizing global differences, and manage operations and production on a global scale.

6. Human Resource Management Degree Specialization

   Nearly every industry includes human resource management, and this specialization offers a different path for those who want to work in business. The BBA with a Specialization in Human Resource Management is designed to provide industry-focused courses on topics from human asset management to conflict resolution. The curriculum also may include learning how to develop a personnel selection process for a specific position, establish performance standards for a job and select methods of performance appraisal, evaluate the relative worth of a set of jobs and determine a compensation structure, as well as covering disciplinary actions and change strategies.

7. Operations Management Degree Specialization

   Operations management quite simply means following the transformation processes involved in the creation of goods and services in today's modern business and managing supply chain networks and personnel. A Business degree with a specialization in operations management can equip students with the skills to do this through coursework focusing on the various real-world factors that affect the success of operations, from cost-control management to industrial labor relations. Analyzing the behavior of supply chain networks and drivers and identifying methods for improving work design may also be covered.

8. Project Management Degree Specialization

   Are you interested in leading and managing diverse teams within an organization and understanding all the steps and processes necessary to successfully completing projects on time and on budget in real-world business environments? If this area of business appeals to you, then a Business degree with a specialization in project management could be the right choice. The degree typically covers how to develop and use Gantt Charts, CPM and PERT techniques as well as create project plans that include cost, scheduling and risk assessment.

These eight types of business degrees specializations illustrate how diverse and ever-evolving this field can be for the professionals who work within it. Each option is quite different, but all are built around the common theme of core business values and principles. Which one could be for you?

For important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended these programs, go to www.aiuniv.edu/disclosures. Not all programs are available to residents of all states.
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