Undergraduate Business
By Austin Curwen, Annapolis College Consulting
A big part of working with students as a college advisor is conversations about interests and where this may lead in terms of college majors and programs. Some things like nursing, engineering and science are pretty self-selecting. More of a catch-all major is Business. I often have conversations with students who will share that they have an interest in business. My follow-up questions are an attempt to clarify their interest in business.
Business? “Really? What interests you? Management? Finance? Marketing?” In some cases, I am met with blank stares.
Business is often a catch-all major
I take this to mean something along the lines of, “A degree in business will translate into a job in business, which equals a well-paying job. This seems to be the ticket to that path, so I am interested in studying business.” I certainly appreciate the interest and connection. This then opens the door to explore that basics of what it actually means to study business in college and the basics of what the different paths are. In the current college landscape, students interested in business have many, many choices. Both smaller liberal arts colleges and medium to larger schools have many options for study.
Business as a department or a separate school or college?
Smaller colleges are no longer restricted to just liberal arts. More and more, small schools have added business to their curriculums in the form of different departments. Examples include International Business and Management (Dickinson College), Business Administration and Management (St. Mary’s MD) and Accounting, Finance and Marketing programs (William & Mary). Finally, for students looking for a smaller college experience and also interested in business, Economics and Mathematics are common pathways.
Medium-siized to larger schools often have a separate School or College of Business. In these cases, most students will be asked to apply straight into the School/ College of Business. In some cases, schools will publish entrance requirements. These typically ask that incoming students have taken higher levels of math in high school, at a minimum, Trig/ Pre-Calculus and in other cases Calculus (or even AP). Students researching these schools and programs should look at the fine print.
What are the basics of most business programs
The basic threads of Business that most students will find include Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Management, and Marketing. These are very broad strokes. Other Business programs that are becoming more common include Business Information Systems, International Business and a variety of branches of the programs mentioned above. In all cases, cast a wide net in terms of research. Some schools have dedicated programs for Sports Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Data Analytics, and Supply Chain Management to name a few.
What about economics, international business or business technology?
As students start to think about their next steps, key to this is research. Given the variety of possible programs, it’s not unusual for students to come across a number of possibilities that interest them and tick multiple boxes: International Business (Language and Cultural studies and Business classes), Business Technology (IT or Computer Science and Business), or Marketing Analytics (Data Science, Psychology and Marketing) are all possibilities. In addition to academic offerings, also pay attention to the extras. Does a school have any connections with local businesses in terms of internships, job shadows or part-time work. Dig deep into the information the department pages share about outside opportunities and also the role (and we hope value) of the school’s Career Center.
For students interested in Business, there are so many great schools and programs out there waiting to be discovered. Check out websites, sign up for tours and information sessions and spend some time investigating schools, campuses and programs. From there, cast a thoughtful net and see what opportunities emerge.
Need help navigating the college landscape? We can help. www.annapoliscollegeconsulting.com