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Business Administration Vs Business Management: How Are They Different?
Business has recently become one of the most popular majors when it comes to college students. The main reason behind this is the versatility of the degree. It is also because business majors have more than average salaries post-graduation.
However, students may get confused between business administration and business management. The most common question they ask is how they can be different when they are centered around the same niche. While they may appear to be similar, there are major differences that one needs to learn in order to master in the area of business.
In this article, we shall discuss the core differences between business administration vs business management and understand how these correlated terms are actually pretty different from each other.
What Do You Mean By Business Administration?
Business administration offers a wide understanding of the business processes for those students who are willing to learn the everyday options that happen in a business. It teaches them the skills to run a business efficiently.
This degree also helps the students to specialize in areas like healthcare, human resource management, or hospitality and tourism.
It gives the students theoretical knowledge but also puts emphasis on a vast range of practical skills. They include strategic planning, analytical thinking, leadership, accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and human resources.
You may be wondering if business administration is a good career option to take. I particularly feel like it is one of the best fits for the people who are on the look for an entry-level career in business. It is also a good option for those individuals who are willing to pursue a career in a number of different settings. Business administration is yet another great option for people who want to go forward with their own business.
What Do You Mean By Business Management?
Business management is a degree that covers the whole process of organizing and managing the resources of a company. Resources include revenue, staff, information, and many others.
Business managers are absolute experts when it comes to making decisions for the business and focus more on monitoring and designing the whole business infrastructure and strategy. They do not deal with the everyday operations of the business.
This degree is more focused on general management and communication skills. It is because the graduates are going to be supervising both the large projects and the employees.
Business management could be a good major if you think you are good at communicating and are good at one-on-one interactions. If you wish to become a business manager, you need to be a master of diplomacy and conflict resolution.
Difference Between Business Administration Vs Business Management
From the top, business administration vs business management seem pretty similar. Both of these majors offer job skills that are necessary to efficiently run a business and are important for the success of the business.
However, when you take a closer look at it, you will be able to point out some of the key differences. You will realize that while both of these career options have identical goals, each of them has a well-distinct career path.
Business administration is a lot more focused on the nuts and bolts operations to run a business. On the other hand, business management is more like overall leadership and looking at a bigger economic plan.
If you wish to offer your leadership in any business of your choice, business management may be the best option for you. However, if you are more willing to specialize in any particular area, you may simply move ahead with business administration.
Let us now discuss the differences further and break them down further.
Education
When a student first starts with either a business administration or a business management degree, they realize that the core for both majors are identical. They both focus on offering the students fundamental courses to strengthen the basic foundation of their knowledge of business.
However, students in business administration may have to learn advanced accounting or economic courses, sales strategies, financial management, customer service, etc., due to their involvement in the everyday operations of a business.
On the other hand, business management will be more focused on teaching topics like leadership, human resource management, international business, business strategy, etc., along with the fundamentals.
Skills
By the time the students complete their graduation, they would know what qualification they need to grab which position. And they would also have the skills and education to master it.
A business administration graduate will have the skills of strategic planning. They should be organized and analytical and must be able to work in a fast-paced environment. They must be quick in solving problems, be empathetic, an active listener, and must be detail-oriented.
On the other hand, a business management graduate needs to be an innovative and creative thinker. They need to be an individual who can see the bigger picture. They should be able to motivate the employees and be able to delegate tasks in an effective manner.
Careers
Both of these choices in degree would help you become a business leader. However, the paths may vary depending on the degree you are pursuing. Choosing one major over the other would not limit any of your career prospects. You may also expect identical median salaries.
Careers in business administration may include:
- Business Analyst
- Accountants
- Marketing Specialists
- Financial Managers
- Human Resource Administrators
- Accounting, Bookkeeping, and Accounting Clerks
- Computer Service Representatives
Career options in business management include:
- Financial Reporting Managers
- Operations Managers
- Sales Managers
- Management Analysts
- Marketing Managers
- First-line Supervisors
- Account Managers
Business Administration Vs Business Management: Which Is The Best Fit For You?
Once you make sure that a business degree is the best fit for you, you need to decide which of the two majors you want to pursue. But how do you know which is the best option for you?
To make this decision, you need to consider your goals for the future, along with your skills and interests.
The best way is to ask yourself questions like:
- What are my interests, and would I enjoy doing that every day?
- What are my strengths and weaknesses?
- In which career do I see myself pursuing five years from this date?
The Bottom Line
While there are not many prominent differences between business administration vs business management, there are a couple few which are core differences that one needs to know.
While both majors are business-oriented, they have different career paths. You must only make a choice among the two when you feel like it is something you would want to do for the rest of your life without having a thought of quitting.
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