What Can I Do With a Business Administration Degree?
A degree may open the door to a variety of opportunities and diverse career paths. The degree programs offered at CTU 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.
Business administration degree programs are meant to provide general knowledge of business principles and practices. Their breadth of coverage and focus on broadly applicable business skills and knowledge helps to explain why business administration degree holders can be found working in a number of different career paths in various industries.
If you have questions about what you might do with a business administration degree education, then this guide is for you. We explore what a business administration degree is, including the different types and how long it typically takes to earn one; discuss business administration certificate and certification programs; list potential career paths for those who hold a business administration degree; and answer some frequently asked questions.
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What Is a Business Administration Degree?
“Business” is a broad field of degree encompassing a number of concentrations or majors. Business administration is but one example falling under the business umbrella, along with marketing and marketing research, finance and accounting, for example.1 What sets business administration apart from these other areas of study, however, is its scope. Compared to a more specialized discipline such as accounting, learners in business administration degree programs study principles and concepts from multiple business disciplines. The interdisciplinary nature of business administration degree programs is what allows students to develop versatile and transferable business skills and knowledge.
Business administration degrees are offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels (from associate to doctorate). At each degree level, different degree types may be pursued—for example, at the bachelor’s level, there is the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA); at the master’s level, there is the Master of Science in Business Administration (MSBA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA). In general, an institution only offers one degree type per level—that is, it is unlikely you will find a BSBA and BBA degree program at the same school.
How Long Does It Take to Earn a Business Administration Degree?
How long it takes to earn a business administration degree depends on the level of degree being pursued, a learner’s unique personal circumstances and an institution’s policies.
- Level of Degree: Associate degree programs are designed to be completed in two years; bachelor’s degree programs in four; and master’s degree programs in two to three years. Doctoral degree programs tend to be more variable; median number of years from research doctoral program start to completion for business in 2024 was five years.2
- Full-time vs. Part-time Enrollment: Whether a student is full time or part time is another factor influencing how long it takes to earn a business administration degree. In general, the more courses a student successfully completes per session or per semester, the faster that student will earn the credits necessary to graduate. Along the same line, the less time off from school a student takes, the sooner that student should be able to graduate.
- Online vs. In-Person Attendance: Because online degree programs allow students more flexibility to complete coursework according to their own schedules, working adults may be able to manage a larger courseload in an online program compared to a traditional one.
- Transfer/Experience Credit: A student who has previously taken college courses may be able to receive course credit toward completion of their current degree program, which can potentially reduce the amount of time it takes to earn a degree. But there are other ways to earn college credit as well. For example, Colorado Technical University may award advanced standing for experiential learning gained through employment or other applicable learning experiences.
- Military Credit: At CTU, advanced standing may be available to students with military education and experience. Military credit may be granted for comparable lower-level courses, including Military Training Courses, Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) and Service Colleges.
- Professional Training/Certification Credit: Holding a professional training certificate or earning Continuing Education Units (CEUs) may count for purposes of receiving advanced standing.
- CTU Fast Track™: With CTU Fast Track™, students have an opportunity to earn proficiency (PR) credit toward their undergraduate degree program by passing a series of exams designed to test their knowledge of key course objectives. To earn PR credit, students must earn a score of 70% or greater on the exam.
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration: Skills & Knowledge
Business administration degree programs cover a broad range of subjects pulled from various business disciplines. For example, the curriculum for a bachelor’s-level degree program in business administration typically includes courses on accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, management and operations. It also typically covers additional topics, such as business law and ethics, business analytics and business strategy. The curriculum should be designed so that by the time a student completes their BSBA/BABA/BBA degree program, they have developed knowledge and skills that are applicable to virtually any business setting.
Examples of transferable skills and competencies that students typically work to develop over the course of a bachelor’s in business administration degree program may include::
- Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills
- Communication skills (e.g., writing, verbal and presentation skills)
- Leadership skills and teamwork
- Analytical skills
- Financial management skills
- Change management skills
- Business strategy development
- Ethical decision-making
- Time-management skills
Business Administration Skills Development: The Case Study Method
How do business administration degree programs help to ensure that students can actually apply business skills and concepts to real-life situations? Many programs, including those at CTU, use the case study method originally developed by Harvard Business School in the 1920s.3 The case study method requires students to solve actual business problems using the business principles they have studied in class, and in this way, the method serves as a bridge connecting theory and practice. Whether worked on individually or as a group, case studies can help students work to develop their critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and analytical skills. Group projects have the added benefit of allowing students to develop teamwork, delegation and leadership skills.
Business Administration Certificates and Certification
Although they sound very similar, business administration certificates and certification in business specialty are not the same.
A business administration certificate is a credential awarded by an institution after a learner successfully completes a focused course of study in business administration. It is not a degree program. Certificate programs comprise a fraction of the courses a student would take in a degree program. In the field of business administration, these programs tend to be advanced or graduate certificate programs, meaning that learners must hold a bachelor’s degree in order to enroll.
Learners may choose to pursue a business administration certificate program for different reasons. Some are drawn to these programs because they offer a way to “upskill” relatively quickly (often in a year or less) and at a lower cost compared to MBA programs. Others may opt for a certificate program because they do not hold a bachelor’s degree in a business field and want develop their business fundamentals before pursuing an MBA degree program.
Certification is different. Those who hold a degree in business administration may want to enhance their résumé and strengthen their skills in a particular specialty area, and professional certification allows them to do just that. Obtaining certification usually involves paying a fee, meeting work and/or education prerequisites, and passing an exam; maintaining one’s certification usually involves taking continuing education courses. Some examples of professional certifications are:
- Project Management: Project Management Professional (PMP)® and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certifications, offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
- Business Data Analytics: Data+ certification, offered by CompTIA
- Human Resources: Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)® and Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)® certifications, offered by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
- Digital Marketing: Professional Certified Marketer (PCM)® and Certified Digital Marketing Professional, offered via a partnership between the American Marketing Association and the Digital Marketing Institute
Advancing Your Education: From BSBA to MBA and Beyond
Earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration is an accomplishment in its own right. However, pursuing a BSBA (or other type of bachelor’s degree) can also help to expand potential career opportunities (as employers may prefer or require candidates to hold a bachelor’s degree), aid in professional advancement (from entry-level roles to managerial/leadership roles), lead to higher earnings,4 or serve as a steppingstone for pursuing a graduate degree, such as an MBA.
Some business administration degree programs offer students the option to choose a concentration, which is essentially a group of pre-selected elective courses focused on a particular area of study within a student’s major field of study. A degree concentration could be a good introduction to a related field of study and help inform future decisions about pursuing a more advanced business degree. Concentrations may be available at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The CTU Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) online degree program offers concentrations in:
- Business Development
- Data Analytics
- Digital Marketing
- Finance
- Healthcare Management
- Human Resource Management
- Information Technology
- Logistics & Supply Chain Management
- Management
- Marketing
The CTU Master of Business Administration (MBA) online degree program offers concentrations in:
- Accounting
- Data Analytics
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Healthcare Management
- Human Resource Management
- Marketing
- Operations Supply Chain Management
- Project Management
If your current or desired career path requires specialized business knowledge, a specialized business degree program might be a better fit for you. For instance, a Bachelor of Science in Accounting or Bachelor of Science in Project Management degree program should still cover important general business skills and could help you work to develop a foundation upon which to pursue a graduate degree, whether it be an MBA or a specialized master’s degree.
Potential Business Administration Career Paths
Business administration degree programs are designed to help students develop general business skills that are transferable to different industries and roles. Here are just two examples of potential business administration-related career paths:*
Human Resources (HR) Specialist
Possible job titles: Corporate Recruiter, Employment Representative, HR Analyst (Human Resources Analyst), HR Coordinator (Human Resources Coordinator), HR Generalist (Human Resources Generalist), Human Resources Representative (HR Rep), Human Resources Specialist (HR Specialist), Personnel Analyst, Personnel Officer, Recruiter.5
Human resources specialists recruit, hire and train employees. They are often trained to handle tasks in all areas of an HR department. Their duties typically include: 6
- Consulting with employers to identify hiring needs
- Interviewing candidates and conducting reference and background checks
- Hiring or referring qualified applicants
- Conducting or assisting with new employee orientation and training
Education/Experience: Human resources specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, communications or a related field. Some employers or positions may also require relevant work experience.6
Job Outlook: The BLS indicates that employment of human resoures specialists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034.6
Management Analyst
Possible job titles: Administrative Analyst, Business Analyst, Business Consultant, Employment Programs Analyst, Management Analyst, Management Consultant, Organizational Development Consultant, Performance Management Analyst, Program Management Analyst.7
Management analysts make recommendations to organizations on how to improve their efficiency. Their duties typically include:8
- Gathering and organizing information on problems or procedures in question
- Interviewing personnel and conducting onsite observations to determine the methods, equipment and personnel needed
- Analyzing financial and other data
- Developing solutions or alternative practices, making recommendations to management and conferring with managers to ensure that recommended changes are working
Education/Experience: Management analysts typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and several years of work xperience. While a bachelor’s degree is typically required for entry-level roles, some employers prefer candidates who hold an MBA.8
Job Outlook: The BLS indicates that employment of management analysts is projected to grow 9 percent from 2024 to 2034.8
*CTU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. The list of career paths related to this program is based on a subset from the Bureau of Labor Statistics CIP to SOC Crosswalk. Some career paths listed above may require further education or job experience.
Why Choose a BSBA from CTU Online?
There are many reasons to pursue a BSBA at CTU. Our online degree programs offer flexible learning and 24/7 access through CTU Mobile and the Virtual Classroom. Our curricula are designed to help students prepare themselves for the real world, and many of our instructors have direct industry experience in the fields they teach. Access to career resources and academic advisors helps to ensure that students have the support they need. And our integration of technology into the learning experience helps students stay connected and engaged—live chats and discussion boards foster collaboration and encourage the sharing of knowledge, while the CTU intellipath® adaptive learning tool enables students to study more effectively and efficiently. All of these advantages combine to enhance the overall learning experience.
FAQs
CTU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The business degree programs offered by CTU are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) (https://acbsp.org/).
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Field of degree: Business,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/business/business-field-of-degree.htm (last visited Dec. 3, 2025).
2 National Science Foundation (NSF), “Median years to research doctorate, by trend broad field of doctorate: Selected years, 1974–2024, Table 1-12,” https://ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/earned-doctorates/2024#data (last visited Dec. 3, 2025).
3 Mark Thomas, Harvard Business School and a Short History of the Case Study Method, GLOBAL ED: INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS IN HIGHER EDUCATION (2013), https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268197434_Harvard_Business_School_and_a_short_history_of_the_Case_Study_Method.
4 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Projections, “Education Pays,” https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm (last visited Dec. 3, 2025).
5 National Center for O*NET Development, O*NET Online, “13-1071.00—Human Resources Specialists,” https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1071.00 (last visited Dec. 3, 2025).
6 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 Dec. 3, 2025).
7 National Center for O*NET Development, O*NET Online, “13-1111.00—Management Analysts,” https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1111.00 (last visited Dec. 3, 2025).
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 Dec. 3, 2025).
9 Higher Learning Commission (HLC), “How Accreditation Works for You,” https://www.hlcommission.org/for-students/how-accreditation-works-for-you/ (last visited Dec. 3, 2025).
CTU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. REQ2181651 12/2025