GptAdmin : Education : Business_Degrees

You can start a new career in the exciting world of business or enhance your current professional experience by completing a business degree. Your degree can focus on one of many business specialties like administration, communications, finance, or marketing. There are a wide variety of colleges and universities that offer these degree programs. Business degree programs are also available online, so that you can complete your degree at your own pace, even while maintaining your busy schedule. A business degree can provide you with the extra professional skills you need to maintain an edge in the competitive workplace or to secure a new position.

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» Business Degrees - Careers.Org -

Business Degrees

Business refers to at least three closely related commercial topics. The first is a commercial, professional or industrial organization or enterprise, generally referred to as "a business." The second is commercial, professional, and industrial activity generally, as in "business continues to evolve as markets change." Finally, business can be used to refer to a particular area of economic activity, such as the "record business" or the "computer business".

» Business Degrees in the UK - How to choose -

Business Degrees in the UK - How to choose

Capitalise on your future

So, you want to go into business and you believe that a business degree is a step in the right direction. The assumption is sound but now comes the difficult part, which degree, which University should you choose?

The vast majority of Universities and Colleges of Higher Education operate Business and Management degrees. Within some Universities you will also find courses that focus on particular aspects of business, such as Human Resource Management, Marketing and Accountancy.

An initial decision for you is to decide whether you want a specialist business degree or one that allows you to develop your area of interest as you progress on the course. The vast majority of business management students choose this second option.

What do Business Degrees involve?

What are the constituent elements of business degrees ? These elements are related to what are seen as the knowledge and skills relevant to a successful career in business.

Working in business means that you need to have knowledge of the environment within which organisations exist. Knowledge of the economic, political and legal environments, both at National and International, are fundamental to the understanding of an organisation's operation and strategic development.

Organisations are about people. Without an understanding of how people feel, what motivates them, how they work together and, generally, how to manage people it will be difficult to succeed in a business career.

Managers have to organise and measure the effectiveness of their businesses. To undertake these roles there is a need for all managers to have a grasp of the fundamentals of accounting, statistics and systems and information technology. The final element that makes up a business degree relates to your personal development; enhancing and developing your skills as a communicator, team member and leader.

The majority of business degrees will cover the elements discussed above but they will deliver these elements in different proportions and in different ways. Hence, the focus of the courses will differ. Some courses will focus on the development of your knowledge of the subjects or disciplines relevant to business, whilst others will give greater emphasis on the development of you as a manager and leader.

Hence, when choosing a course for yourself look at its aims, its structure and its curriculum. Try to find out the teaching and learning methods that are used.

But, what further factors should you consider when choosing a course? Today there are a number of external reviews of the quality of work at Universities. These include reviews undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Information on these is readily available through appropriate websites, for example, www.qaa.ac.uk.

However, I would suggest you consider two further factors when choosing your business degree. Firstly, employability of the graduates from the course. This type of information is available from Universities in terms of the percentage entering full time employment on graduation, the nature of the organisations they have joined and the types of roles they have entered.

Secondly, is the course recognised or accredited by Professional Bodies? Look for bodies such as the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)

Finally, visit the University, talk to the staff and, most importantly, talk to the current students, walk around the University, look at the library and IT facilities, visit the Student Union and decide whether you would be happy to be on the Business degree and at that University.

Dr Graham Worsdale

Head, Department of Management

Huddersfield University Business School.

» Business Degrees:unixl.com -

Business Degrees

Business Degrees are designed for students wanting a broad range of business skills rather than specialisation.

This course is designed to develop knowledge and skills accross a variety of areas in relation to the business environment. Bachelor of Business degrees help students to develop problem solving and decision making skills which can be applied for management in operational, tactical and strategic levels.

Business studies Areas

Marketing

HRM - Human Resource

Managment Management

Finance

Employement opportunities with a business degree Bachelor of Business degrees can lead to a variety of employment opportunities dependant on the focus of the area in relation to your major.

HRM can lead to employment as recruitment officer, OH&S and HR managment

Marketing opportunities can include marketing research consultancy, sales manager and product management.

Management can lead to opprortunities in management in public or private sector as a business or general manager.

Finance can lead to financial consultancy or working in the financial services sector including banking, insurance and superannuation.

» Business degrees:edu.au -

Business degrees

All our single and double majors blend business knowledge, practical skills and unique learning experiences to prepare you for success in today's business world.

Within the Bachelor of Commerce, you choose to specialise in one or two business areas. We offer one of the broadest ranges of business specialisation areas in Australia, so you're sure to find something that interests you.

See Bachelor of Commerce structure for an explanation of single and double majors and common core units.

» Fast Track Business Degrees -

Fast Track Business Degrees

BY GALEN GRUMAN

Advertisers

Many technology execs want entry-level IT employees to hit the ground running, with concrete skills for real IT work. And they often don't see that in college grads, who typically require on-the-job training or additional certification from vocational technical schools. "Colleges are doing a poor job of preparing workers,” says Coy Thorp, network systems architect at life-sciences database developer MDL Information Systems.

That's because a combination of current technical skills and business-oriented thinking is in demand. IT managers want employees who can communicate well, think critically and work in a multicultural world, says Don Miklas, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) director of continuing education. Businesses have a strong need for employees who can "apply all technology to solve business problems,” says Margaret Asida, IBM's director of corporate university relations. IBM hires several thousand new graduates each year for jobs such as testing and code development but finds that most don't have any business skills, she notes.

To fill the skills gap, enter Northface University (which also owns the business-oriented Morrison University in Reno, Nev.), one of the latest organizations to try to offer both real-world IT experience and a liberal arts context that enterprises are increasingly demanding. Accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, which tends to validate smaller business and trade schools, Northface began offering classes this past winter for a bachelor of science degree in computer science that students can earn in 28 months,

saving them at least a year compared to traditional degree programs. That cuts students' tuition costs considerably versus the costs of other private universities, and it gets them into the job market faster. For example, Northface charges approximately $60,000 for a program that lasts slightly more than two years. Compare that to Boston-based Northeastern University's nearly $134,000 price tag for its five-year program. To help keep on schedule, all Northface students take the same set of computer science and certification classes, electing only a few general education classes.

Northface is not alone in trying to merge the real IT world with the world at large. Northeastern's five-year course of study includes paid internships at local enterprises, where students do work on real IT projects. The Georgia Institute of Technology offers a similar five-year program as an option to its traditional four-year computer science degree. And the recently established Olin College of Engineering requires its computer science and engineering students to take business and marketing classes, and to work on real IT projects.

But in the drive to focus their curricula on more technical and business skills, educators need to be careful not to throw out the liberal arts side. "[Liberal arts] education is broader; it helps you adapt and be more flexible. You need to blend both things,” says Rob Carter, executive vice president and CIO of FedEx. Furthermore, recent studies show a strong link between productivity and level of education, the IEEE's Miklas notes.

Does everyone need a liberal arts education to gain communications, flexible-thinking and problem-solving skills? Not necessarily. "Some people can be fairly well-rounded without taking liberal arts classes,” says Phil Skinner, director of enterprise services at the Ohio State University Medical Center. For those who need classes that teach communication, problem-solving and other in-demand skills, Northface aims to fill that educational void. University CEO H. Scott McKinley hopes to replicate his fast-track computer-science program by creating a network of similar schools.

» Joint-Degree Programs: Undergraduate Business Degrees -

Wharton and Penn Offer More Than Undergraduate Business Degrees

Wharton offers specialized programs with three other undergraduate schools at the University of Pennsylvania. This provides unique opportunities for students to pursue other academic and career interests along with their undergraduate business degrees. With a curriculum integrated across two schools, students can earn two degrees.

The following joint-degree programs combine in-depth business studies and undergraduate business degrees from Wharton with a second intensive academic discipline in an Ivy League learning environment:

The Huntsman Program in International Studies & Business

The Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology

Nursing and Health Care Management

Students can also design a dual-degree program by combining undergraduate business degrees from Wharton with degrees in more than 50 areas of study through Penn's three other undergraduate schools.

» New Program Integrates Engineering and Business Degrees -

New Program Integrates Engineering and Business Degrees

Carnegie Mellon will offer a new integrated engineering and business program culminating in a bachelor of science degree in engineering and a master's degree in business administration. The program, the only one of its kind among the top-ranked engineering programs nationwide, is scheduled to begin next fall.

The program will admit up to 20 students who are interested in completing an integrated five-year program leading to a bachelor's degree in one of five engineering majors from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, and a master's degree from the business school.

"We foresee these students becoming leaders in technology, planning and investment management," said John Anderson, dean of the College of Engineering. "This new integrated double degree program relies on the excellence of our faculty in both our business and engineering programs."

"The real advantage here is for focused and motivated students who know what they want and don't want to wait to get their MBA," said Kenneth B. Dunn, dean of the business school. "This is a very exciting program because it allows them to get their career on a better trajectory in a shorter amount of time."

The integrated program requires students to take their normal engineering program through six semesters with the remaining four semesters consisting of MBA courses and engineering courses. Internships complement the program's depth, with the students completing three internships in engineering and business for practical experience.

Philip L. Dowd, who received his undergraduate engineering degree in 1963, said he went into an MBA program right after graduation.

"I found that the addition of an MBA to my engineering degree changed the way employers looked at me," said Dowd, a member of Carnegie Mellon's Board of Trustees and a managing director of Sherick Enterprises LLC, a financial services company.

"This new integrated degree program is a great deal because it gives our students the ability to showcase engineering skills as well as essential business practices in marketing and accounting," Dowd said.

Trustee Kears Pollock, who received his bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering in 1962 and 1964, said the new integrated program gives Carnegie Mellon an excellent new market niche and plays on the school's tradition of innovative education. Pollock is a retired executive vice president of PPG Industries.

» ONLINE BUSINESS DEGREE PROGRAMS -

ONLINE BUSINESS DEGREE PROGRAMS

Online degree and certificate programs in business with specializations in business management, communication, marketing and sales, applied management, professional development, human resource management and more.

» Students' business degrees pack new surprise: poetry - Students' business degrees pack new surprise: poetry

By Elizabeth Lund | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

Tarek Salem had quite a shock in his first semester at Babson College. Mr. Salem had left Egypt to pursue a master's degree at the prestigious business school in Wellesley, Mass. But no one had told him that in addition to crunching numbers, he would also be required to start penning poems. Salem, like all Babson MBA candidates, had to take a five-week creativity workshop early in his program. Students were randomly assigned to one of seven art seminars: poetry, puppetry, improvisation, painting, fiction, rhythmic movement, or nontraditional music.

Salem ended up in the poetry class, which introduced him to the basics of writing and the creative process – but this was no low-key diversion. In just over a month, the class would have to give a 20-minute presentation about what they had learned and produced. That would be followed by 10 minutes of questions. And, yes, the presentation would be open to the whole campus.

Creative writing and business might not seem like a natural combination. But business schools, where the norm has been classes in administration and analysis, are finding that students need more than that to succeed. They must also be able to think imaginatively and adapt quickly to new situations.

In fact, Babson administrators believed so strongly in the need for flexible business thinkers that they redesigned the MBA program in the early 1990s with creativity in mind. Other colleges have also begun to see how the arts can lend themselves in surprising ways to the world of finance.

Still, none of this was much comfort to Salem. He enjoys poetry, but he wasn't thrilled about having to write it – especially since his first language is Arabic. "It would be very difficult to force myself to express sensitive feelings in a foreign language," he remembers thinking. But despite Salem's best efforts, instructor Mary Pinard refused to drop him from her roster.

"There is a lot of ambiguity in the creative process, and that's hard for people who want answers," she says. "Business students like to decide on the first day what they are going to do for their presentation on the last day."

Yet successful entrepreneurs, she says, are people who can stay open to possibilities, take risks, and find new solutions to problems. "The nature of what entrepreneurs do is very close to what poets do."

Ms. Pinard and Salem made a deal: He would stay in the poetry workshop, and she would allow him to write in his native tongue.

"I want students to understand that poetry is expressive as language," says Pinard, "but it is also expressive as sound, as music."

Still, the class wasn't easy for Salem. "I had another difficulty to find the subject to write about," Salem says. "It's impossible to force yourself to write...; it comes like inspiration ... or magic."

Salem's dilemma was solved by the calendar. His wedding anniversary rolled around, and he missed his wife, who was back in Egypt. "I found myself writing to her. This became my poetry! And it was wonderful." But some of his peers, he says, may not have been won over as much as he was.

That's all right with Pinard, who uses a pass/fail system and gives extensive written evaluations. Her goal is not to produce poets, but to remind students of the importance of teamworkand crafting a vision.

Pinard brings these same values to the semester-long workshops she teaches for undergraduates. She also runs a reading series at Babson, which brings a prominent poet to the campus each February. Occasionally, she even presents poetry workshops at Babson's executive training center.

"Business people are perceived as being linear, which is not always the case," Pinard says. "But if someone is not willing to be open to surprise, not a lot will happen that's fresh."

Brigid Wood, who took the undergraduate class last semester, agrees. She enrolled in the class because she needed a mental rest from her business classes. "At the beginning it was a chore," she says, but over time, she realized that "creative work is very liberating.... I think it helped me recognize that feelings and deep-seeded thoughts have a place in the business world."

But Wood adds that some of her fellow students will never take poetry seriously. "The mentality at Babson is very 'don't waste my time with stuff that's either not business-related or not fun for five minutes.' "

At least they can take heart that Babson is not the only business-oriented school where poetry is part of the curriculum. Tom Chandler, the poet laureate of Rhode Island, is a full-time professor at Bryant College in Smithfield, R.I. Bryant, which began as a secretarial/business school, now offers degrees in both business and liberal arts. Mr. Chandler teaches literature classes and a poetry workshop for undergraduates.

"Business school promotes a very conformist culture," Chandler says, "but I want students to take that coat off while they are in my class. Individuality is contagious," he continues, "just as conformity is contagious. I see these two at war."

Chandler suspects that what is happening at Bryant and Babson may be the beginning of a trend.

Business schools, after all, must look at their own bottom line, which, at Bryant, means satisfying a student body that is increasingly female and may not gravitate toward business the way previous generations did.

Indeed, he cites the fact that 51 percent of courses offered at Bryant are now in the liberal arts.

The value of poetry is not limited to just making students more creative thinkers, Chandler says. It also makes them more well-rounded people, which is important in an economy that is increasingly global and often uncertain.

By the end of the semester, he explains, most of his poetry students have "seen something in themselves that they didn't know was there. You can't get that by taking 500 accounting classes."

Last Updated: 2005-10-28 12:41:20