Career Outlook

Management, business, and financial occupations:

Workers in management, business, and financial occupations plan and direct the activities of business, government, and other organizations. Employment is expected to increase by 2.1 million, or 13.6 percent, by 2010. Among managers, the numbers of computer and information systems managers and of public relations managers will grow the fastest, by 47.9 and 36.3 percent, respectively.

General and operations managers will add the most new jobs, 363,000 by 2010. Agricultural managers and purchasing managers are the only workers in this group whose numbers are expected to decline, losing 325,000 jobs combined. Among business and financial occupations, accountants and auditors and management analysts will add the most jobs, 326,000 combined.

Management analysts also will be one of the fastest growing occupations in this group, along with personal financial advisors, with job increases of 28.9 and 34 percent, respectively.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Outlook Handbook 2003

Related Business Degrees

Master's of Business Administration

Earning a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree, can provide you with management skills and business expertise that open new career opportunities to you. If you are working in business and are looking to move up the ladder or to move from your current area of expertise to a new one, an MBA program can help you achieve your goals.

An MBA program will also launch you into the much higher pay range that upper level managers and executives enjoy. Furthermore, in the high-level positions an MBA degree will allow you to hold, your work will often be more interesting and rewarding.

Now, more and more MBA programs provide training that goes beyond general business management to provide subject area expertise. So, for example, if your career interests are in the field of e-commerce, you can find MBA programs with a strong focus in that area. In addition, many MBA programs will allow you to earn joint degrees, so you can combine business administration training with training in another field, like law, health, or even social work.

Select a Business Administration Degree

University of Phoenix

Degrees in Business Administration

Training for the field of Business Administration involves the study of a broad range of subjects including economics, financial analysis, organizational behavior, accounting, information technology, marketing, public relations and a variety of other subjects pertinent to the successful operation of a business enterprise. An associate degree provides the basic knowledge and background to launch a business career. In many cases employers require a more in-depth knowledge provided by a bachelor degree and in some cases employers may require the MBA (Master of Business Administration).

Two year MBA programs normally take place over two academic years (i.e. approximately 18 months of term time). Students enter with a reasonable amount of prior real-world work experience and take classes during weekdays like other university students.

Accelerated MBA programs are a variation of the two year programs. They involve a higher course load with more intense class and examination schedules. They usually have less "down time" during the program and between semesters. For example, there is no three to four month summer break, and between semesters there might be seven to ten days off rather than three to five weeks vacation.

Part-time MBA programs normally hold classes on weekday evenings, after normal working hours. Part-time programs normally last three years or more. The students in these programs typically consist of working professionals, who take a light course load for a longer period of time until the graduation requirements are met.

Executive MBA (EMBA) programs developed to meet the educational needs of managers and executives, allowing students to earn an MBA or another business-related graduate degree in two years or less while working full time. Participants come from every type and size of organization - profit, nonprofit, government - representing a variety of industries. EMBA students typically have a higher level of work experience, often 10 years or more, compared to other MBA students. In response to the increasing number of EMBA programs offered, The Executive MBA Council was formed in 1981 to advance executive education.