Management vs Business Administration

The business world is a colossal giant. It has a hand in every organization from Apple to your neighborhood lemonade stand, and it’s not just sales and retail. Everything from entertainment to healthcare has an inherent business aspect to it. Planning a career in business can feel a little overwhelming, and what you want to do may seem like it falls under multiple sectors. One way you can narrow down your path, is knowing the difference between two of the main routes you can take: Management vs Business Administration.

These two programs have to understand how a business works, and some people even use them interchangeably when they talk about business administration or general management. But rather than muddy the waters with how these two degrees are similar, let’s try to answer some questions you may have regarding how they are different.

What is a business administration degree?

A business administration degree prepares students to enter the business world by building a solid core knowledge to help you discover a path in which to specialize. There are plenty of options to consider when choosing a specialty such as accounting, marketing, revenue management, finance, economics, IT, and plenty of others.

The reason for this specialty is that business administrators typically focus on the day-to-day aspect of companies where they work. The degree plan is structured so that administrators have the knowledge of how the individual pieces of the business operate. It is the administrator’s job to ensure the company is function efficiently, and knowing how specific aspects work will help you make sure everything works together.

What do you do with a management degree?

There are a few ways a business management degree differs from business administration. While they also receive a complete core of classes to prepare them, management majors take classes in logistics, communication, performance management, decision making, and recruiting and retention strategies among others.

Management professionals focus heavily on the people of the company. These upper level employees also focus on bigger issues like business expansion, new products, and distribution channels. Management professions generally focus on the big picture aspects of the business. They put the best people in place, and develop new ways for the company to thrive.

What happens after graduation?

If you’re worried that you chose the wrong path as you head toward graduation, you can rest easy. As long as you have a passion for business, your degree will help you get where you want to be in your career. Something to consider, though, is how you can move up in your career. If you have a job, you’re already on the right path. You’re gaining experience, and with an online degree from Southern Miss, you can do more with a degree in business administration or management without interrupting your work schedule.

If you’re already in your career or if you’ve already acquired your business administration or management degree, you can always make yourself better prepared to move up by going back to school for a Master’s in Business Administration. Southern Miss also offers an online MBA so you can keep climbing through the ranks while getting an education that will enhance your skills.