Small Business Tips
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), business degrees are among the most popular, and for good reason. What about Business Administration vs Business Management - what is the difference (if any)?
Business knowledge is required. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) *, business and financial occupations are projected to grow 7% from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations.
But which business degree is right for you? We compare business administration with business administration to determine similarities and differences.
What is business administration?
Business administration covers general business activities such as accounting, economics, human resources, management, marketing, and other business functions.
Business administration is primarily concerned with the mathematical planning, organization and presentation of company processes. Economics, on the other hand, is more concerned with the economic explanation of human action. Business administration is based on elements of these two topics, but its content is usually more closely related to economics. As a result, in contrast to business administration and purely management-related courses, it often has a rather theoretical effect. The increased focus on theoretical work becomes clear when you see that no internships or semesters abroad are required as part of the course.
Most business administration courses have certain admission restrictions, but these often only relate to the Numerus Clausus (NC) or a certain number of waiting semesters. In contrast to many other business-related courses, hardly any university requires a declaration of intent or an aptitude test for this course. As a rule, a corresponding university entrance qualification in a certain course is sufficient. This range is relatively broad at German universities, with an NC average between 2.0 and 3.5 on the German grading scale. In this sense, the admission hurdles for a business degree are among the lowest of all business-related degrees.
The WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, for example, offers a Bachelor of International Business Administration, which covers all areas of business administration and economics. Admission requirements include a university entrance qualification and an English exam. The focus is not on your school grades, but on your personal skills and motivation. In addition, you must have six weeks of professional experience that you have completed in the form of an internship or internship. Are you enthusiastic, communicative and goal-oriented? Then the WHU Bachelor’s degree might be right for you.
International students are also welcome at WHU, degrees such as IB and A-Level are recognized. The course can be completed bilingually or exclusively in English and is therefore open to all students. WHU sees this international exchange as having a positive effect on the personal and social skills of our students and stands for internationality and cosmopolitanism.
Business Administration
A business administration degree generally offers students a variety of courses covering basic business subjects such as business law and ethics, marketing, management, finance, economics, and accounting. Other topics may include strategic management, management information or decision support systems, organizational behavior, and operations research.
In Florida Tech's MBA program, students' organizational behavior often stands out as it covers real-world topics. Wade Phipps, MBA, says: “Organizational Behavior was my favorite course because it taught me how to navigate the corporate world, work with particular people, and make sure they have what they need to be successful. That ultimately helps you, as a leader and manager, become the best that you can be by providing and supporting them. I was able to see first-hand how some of the things I've learned, like how to take better care of your employees, can be applied to my job. "
Students often complete core subjects in these different subject areas and then choose a certain subject as their focus or specialization, such as accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, business informatics, or business administration. Students then complete additional course work in this field of study and develop a high level of specialized knowledge.
According to Dr. Christian Sonnenberg, associate dean of online and off-campus programs at Florida Tech, an MBA with a specialization allows students to tailor their MBA to a specific industry.