Do you dream of owning your own business one day? Or would you rather keep your options open to various roles across different industries?
Regardless of your answer, you’ve likely looked at majoring in business and, even more specifically, majoring in business administration or entrepreneurship.
Both have their unique differences and strengths. Hence, students must consider business administration and entrepreneurship differences to decide on their interests and career goals.
Let’s look at a Bachelor’s in Business Administration versus a Bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship to better understand these two degrees and their distinct career paths.
What is a Business Administration Degree?
A Business Administration degree is a professional and generalized degree that focuses on the day-to-day operations of how businesses work and operate.
This degree is designed to teach students fundamental skills and concepts of business management through a wide range of topics. Typical business administration topics and courses include:
- Principles of Accounting
- Business Law
- Statistics
- Principles of Macro and Micro Economics
- Finance
- Business Policy and Strategy
- Organizational Behavior or Operations Management
- Principles of Marketing
It is also common for students in Business Administration degree programs to choose an area of emphasis that aligns with their career goals. For example, students can use their electives to take additional courses in accounting, finance, economics, international business, etc. They can also pursue a practicum or internship in a specific field to further their skills and start growing their network of business professionals.
Ultimately, a Bachelor’s in Business Administration degree ensures students develop and strengthen their communication, technology, and detail skills to handle a breadth of business applications and scenarios.
What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s in Business Administration?
Upon earning a Business Administration degree, graduates enter the job market with many career opportunities, generous salaries, and high levels of job stability, as business administrators often work for already established companies.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage of people with business degrees is $65,000, and the median yearly salary for those working in business and financial occupations is $76,570. Add in a seven percent employment growth rate by 2031, and it’s easy to see why students pursue this degree and career path.
With a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, candidates can go on to work in industries such as accounting, computer information systems, finance, and marketing, as well as for small and larger companies like:
- Apple
- ESPN
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Microsoft
- Pitney Bowes
Learn more about the internship opportunities you could take advantage of at UB’s Ernest C. Trefz School of Business!
What is an Entrepreneurship Degree?
Considered more of a creative degree, an Entrepreneurship degree and entrepreneurship focus on starting and growing a business from scratch.
It is a more targeted and narrower degree than a Business Administration degree, and courses are aimed at innovation, creation, and generating of business and business ideas. As such, many entrepreneurial students will focus on business foundations, development, accounting, marketing, and management.
Students earning a Bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship learn to perform market research, legally register their business, and identify the opportunities and risks of starting a new business.
What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurs identify a need or opportunity and take on the risk of starting a new business venture to fulfill that need. In turn, they are often solely responsible for every aspect of their business, from business plan development and strategy to marketing and managing operations.
This career path requires creativity, innovation, confident decision-making, and a willingness to take risks. While less structured of a career path than students with Business Administration degrees, many candidates with Entrepreneurship degrees can open themselves up to a wide range of careers, depending on the type of company they want to make.
Career paths and occupations include:
- Chief executive officers (CEO)
- Real estate brokers
- Sales representatives
- Advertising agents
- Marketing managers
- Personal financial advisors
Business Administration vs. Entrepreneurship: Which One Is Right For Me?
Choosing between a Bachelor’s in Business Administration or a Bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship is an extremely personal decision. Students should consider their interests, skills, strengths, and career goals.
For example, suppose you are interested and passionate about a wide variety of topics in the business field. In that case, the array of courses in a Business Administration degree program might be more beneficial. Students also gravitate towards this degree because they want to invest their energy, time, and resources into an existing company.
On the other hand, an Entrepreneurship degree would be the best option for students looking to invest their energy, time, and resources into building a company from the ground up. Remember that while entrepreneurs have more control and independence starting their own companies, they tend to have more responsibilities ensuring the company is successful.
At University of Bridgeport, we offer both a Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in Business Administration and an accelerated online Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration, ensuring candidates earn their degree on their timeline and schedule and pursue various career paths working for large companies or entrepreneurs.
Applications are open and financial aid is available. Contact us to learn more about our Business Administration programs and start your future today!