What Is Business Administration?

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 is a program of study that focuses on general business practices and principles. Business administration degree programs offer an opportunity to work on developing versatile and fundamental business skills and knowledge relevant to a range of roles, fields and industries that can be applied in organizations large and small, as well as in entrepreneurial endeavors.

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Business administration is a program of study that focuses on general business practices and principles. Business administration degree programs offer an opportunity to work on developing versatile and fundamental business skills and knowledge relevant to a range of roles, fields and industries that can be applied in organizations large and small, as well as in entrepreneurial endeavors.

Business Administration Career Paths

What could you do with a business administration degree? As already mentioned, pursuing a degree program in business administration or management could help you prepare for a number of different business-oriented career paths. People with a background in business administration can be found working in health care, information technology, computer science, education and more. That’s because, with courses on accounting, finance, business ethics, management, human resources and marketing, a bachelor’s in business administration or management degree program could provide an opportunity to develop well-rounded business knowledge. Here are some examples of a few business administration career paths:

  • General and Operations Managers
  • Sales Managers
  • Administrative Services Managers
  • Industrial Production Managers
  • Transportation Managers
  • Storage and Distribution Managers
  • Construction Managers
  • Social and Community Service Managers
  • Regulatory Affairs Managers
  • Compliance Managers
  • Investment Fund Managers
  • Supply Chain Managers
  • Security Managers
  • Loss Prevention Managers
  • Wind Energy Operations Managers
  • Wind Energy Project Managers
  • Cost Estimators
  • Management Analysts

Pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration

A bachelor’s in business administration may be conferred as a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), depending upon the academic institution. In a bachelor’s-level business administration degree program, students can expect take a number of general education courses in addition to core business courses. These core courses cover subjects such as:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Business ethics
  • Business communication
  • Management
  • Human resources
  • Marketing
  • Operations management
  • Project management

Many schools, Colorado Technical University (CTU) included, offer business administration degree concentrations that address a particular field of interest—for example, business analytics, data analytics, marketing, human resources, finance, etc. Students who choose the generalist track can choose their own electives, but those who choose a particular concentration will instead take a collection of elective courses specifically chosen for that concentration.

Although bachelor’s in business administration degree programs are typically designed to be completed in four years, it’s not always possible for students to do so, for instance if they are working or raising a family while pursuing their academic ambitions. An online business administration degree program like CTU’s BSBA degree program could make it a little bit easier to fit classes and coursework into an existing schedule. We also offer an online associate in business administration program for those who aren’t yet ready to commit to a four-year degree program. And one of the great things about the Associate of Science in Business Administration degree program is that the courses in this program align with the first two years of the BSBA program, making the transition from associate to bachelor’s more seamless.

After earning your bachelor’s degree, whether in business administration, management or even another area of study, you might choose to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Like the BSBA program, CTU’s one-year online MBA program is offered in a number of different concentrations and a generalist track so that you can focus your studies on whatever area of business interests you—from global leadership to logistics management and beyond.

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Explore Online Business Degree Programs At Colorado Technical University

Where Do Business Administration Professionals Work?

When you think of various career paths in business administration and management, one of the first images likely to come to mind is that of people working in office environments. And while many business career paths may be office-based, not all necessarily are, which means that depending on your desired career path, it may be possible to find a role beyond the office. For example, a business administration career path in health care could potentially mean working in a hospital environment. Construction managers may have a primary office but still spend the majority of their time in an onsite field office—and those who manage more than one site may be required to travel for work, sometimes out of state and sometimes for extended periods of time.1 And sales managers often have to travel—sometimes locally or regionally and sometimes nationally,2 depending on what their role requires.

Projected Growth in Business and Financial Occupations

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment in business and financial occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2023 to 2033.*,3 The BLS also projects that management occupations will grow faster than the average in this same time period.*,4 New jobs for both sets of occupations are expected to result from both growth and replacement of workers who permanently exit their occupations.3,4 Here are just a few examples of projected growth from 2023 to 2033 for individual occupations falling under these broad categories:*

  • Financial Managers: 17 percent5
  • Logisticians: 19 percent6
  • Sales Managers: 6 percent2
  • Administrative Services and Facilities Managers: 6 percent7
  • Industrial Production Managers: 3 percent8
  • Construction Managers: 9 percent1
  • Social and Community Service Managers: 8 percent9
  • Management Analysts: 11 percent10

Is a Business Administration Degree Program Right for You?

Whether you’re interested in changing career paths, pursuing a more advanced role in your current field or starting your own business, choosing to pursue a degree in business administration or management could help you work to develop the skills and knowledge relevant to the day-to-day running of a business.

Check out CTU’s full array of business and management degree programs today, or apply now.

* This data represents national figures and is not based on school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.
** Colorado Technical University 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.

1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Construction Managers,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/construction-managers.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).
2 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Sales Managers,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/sales-managers.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).
3 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Business and Financial Occupations,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/home.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).
4 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Management Occupations,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/home.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).
5 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Financial Managers,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/financial-managers.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).
6 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Logisticians,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/logisticians.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).
7 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Administrative Services and Facilities Managers,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/administrative-services-managers.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).
8 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Industrial Production Managers,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/industrial-production-managers.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).
9 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Social and Community Service Managers,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).
10 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Management Analysts,” http://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/management-analysts.htm (last visited 10/28/2024).

REQ2080872 10/2024

Feb 11