Whether you’re an aspiring CEO or a budding entrepreneur, a business degree can prove extremely useful for anyone in the business world. However, choosing what kind of business degree to pursue can prove incredibly tricky. With such a wide selection of specializations to choose from, knowing the right one for you and your goals is achieved by familiarizing yourself with your options.
To facilitate your decision-making process, let’s take a look at three different kinds of business degree specializations you can pursue.
- Business Analytics
Business analytics refers to the process through which businesses use statistical techniques and technologies to analyze historical data. By completing this process, business specialists are able to gain new insights and ameliorate their strategic decision-making. Business analytics are often categorized into quantitative and qualitative. Typical responsibilities within this specialization of business include:
- Data mining
- Text mining
- Predictive analysis
- Forecasting
- Optimization
There are various levels at which you can specialize in business analytics. For instance, if you’re seeking a shorter time commitment, you can consider a graduate certificate, such as the RMIT Business Analytics graduate certificate. In this online course, you can gain the business analytics skills you need from anywhere, all within one year.
- Finance
If you have skill with numbers, a business degree with a finance specialization could be the perfect avenue for you. Finance degrees cover several areas, including investment, international finance, capital planning, and financial analysis. Typical responsibilities within this specialization of business include:
- Applying finance and accounting principles
- Use quantitative tools to assess business practices and functions
- Increase the efficiency and productivity of a company’s financial practices
- Influence the business’ financial decision-making processes
- Advising startups on their financing options
Several post-secondary institutions (from colleges to universities) offer business programs with finance specializations. Whether you’re hoping to study at a diploma or graduate certificate level all the way up to a PhD level, you should have no trouble finding a program to suit your passions.
- Marketing
Marketing is the practice of promoting and selling products or services. This field overlaps closely with the fields of sales and advertising. Marketing is about engaging consumers in a way that they feel motivated to buy. Typical responsibilities within this specialization of business include:
- Conducting market research to assess market gaps, competitor products or services, consumer behavior
- Planning, implementing, controlling, and evaluating the marketing strategies required to attain organizational objectives
- Completing sales forecasting
- Managing the product and brand image, the company’s distribution channels, as well as pricing and promotion
Universities and colleges all around the world offer marketing degrees at all levels (including graduate certificates and diplomas, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees). Within marketing, you can explore an array of sub-specializations as you progress in your education and your career. Some of these sub-specializations include:
- Content marketing
- Digital marketing
- Social media marketing
- SEO marketing
- Email marketing
- Marketing management
- Marketing research and analytics
Regardless of your unique ambitions in the business world, a business degree can be integral in helping you reach them. Whether you decide to pursue a degree specialization in business analytics, finance, marketing, or another field, the skills and knowledge you acquire in these programs will provide infinite value in your professional future.
