Business Administration vs Business Management: Which one is right for you?

The field of business has a wide variety of degree options, from entrepreneurship to marketing, accounting to facility and event management, business administration to business management. If you’re interested in getting a business degree, you may be wondering what these options will prepare you for and how to choose which one is best for you. Take Business Administration vs Business Management, for example. These degrees have very similar names, but what exactly do they mean? What careers will they prepare you for? How do you choose between them?

We’ll cover all of this and more as we dive into the difference between business administration and business management. 

What is business administration?

According to U.S. & World Report News, business administration is focused on skills such as finance, accounting, and marketing to gain a basic understanding of everything there is to know about the mechanics of business. Skills for this major include problem solving with data, managerial skills, and the ethics of making business decisions. This degree field opens the door for jobs in accounting, finance, marketing, public relations, and technology. Students can also earn additional credentials in project management, among other things.

Grace College offers business administration for traditional undergraduate students as well as for online students who are seeking degree completion. The residential bachelor of business administration allows students to choose seven courses (21 credits) that most interest them. Because of this, the major can be designed to cater to your career goals and aspirations. The bulk of the credits (42) are common professional components (CPC’s), which provide the student a basic understanding of the fundamentals of business: accounting, economics, management, etc. All business students of any major are required to take these. 

According to the Dean of the School of Business, Dr. Jeff Fawcett, “The Business Administration degree is a general degree that requires a student to take the CPC’s of the Business School and the 21 hours of upper level courses can be any course from the Business School meaning that they do not have a specialization (like management, marketing, accounting, etc.). Only the Business Administration major allows the student to choose all 21 hours beyond the CPC’s. The Business Administration major allows students to customize a program suited to their desired outcomes when they do not line up with one of the other majors.”

What is business management?

According to U.S. & World Report News, business management focuses on how to run a business and manage people within the business. The skills required for this job include creativity to come up with business ideas and foresight to know what could potentially harm the company. Intentional goal setting and inspiring others in their work is also part of the job. This field of study can lead to jobs in accounting, banking, financial analysis, managing a nonprofit, human resources, and talent acquisition.

At Grace College, business management is offered as both a major and a minor. The course list includes 21 credits of management-specific courses, including courses on leadership, communication, innovation, and human resources. These courses have more of an emphasis on the relational components of business operations. Business management students are also required to take 42 credits of CPCs. 

Fawcett sums up this degree, saying, “It is a management degree designed to teach students how to manage their companies and the efforts of the employees within those organizations.”

Choosing between business administration vs business management

Now that you are familiar with the difference between business administration and business management, you may be wondering, how do I choose between business administration vs business management? It is important to know yourself: your likes, dislikes, and your goals for the future.

Here are some questions to consider if you are choosing between administration and management:

1. Do I enjoy giving people assignments and tracking their progress?
2. Do I find joy in leading new causes, organizations and groups of people? 
3. Am I gifted in implementing and overseeing systems and processes?
4. Do I seek out opportunities to help others with their plans? Is my first instinct to offer advice about the best way to go about something?

If your answer to all of these questions is yes, business management might be the best choice for you. We recommend you look into jobs in operations management, financial management or management analysis

Now consider these questions: 

1. Do I enjoy diving into the details more than the big picture?
2. Does maintaining organized systems bring me joy?
3. Do I want to have the freedom to take a variety of courses that most interest me?
4. Do I have a knack for helping others and making their lives easier? 

If you answered yes more to this set of questions, your best option is probably business administration vs business management. A role as an office administrator, executive assistant, or health services manager could be in your future!

Ultimately, we want you to go with the degree that sparks your interest and provides opportunities for personal and professional growth. The School of Business at Grace College is dedicated to creating an experiential learning environment that inspires students to embrace biblically based ethical character, develop professional competence, and demonstrate active service where they live and work.

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