Students traditionally opt for courses that appeal to their interests with the expectation that they will stimulate and challenge them. But increasingly in a hard-nosed world where worthwhile and rewarding jobs are difficult to come by, more young people are also looking for a degree with strong vocational links with the hope that it will lead to a greater likelihood of employment when they graduate. Business degrees whether studied separately or combined with another discipline have grown in popularity as a result.
You might have heard the expressions, 'strictly business', 'business is business' but when it comes to business studies degrees there is a bewildering choice on offer. Furthermore, degrees can differ markedly in the emphasis they place on different aspects of business. Some degrees might have large amounts of marketing and finance, for example, but these same two subjects might only be treated lightly elsewhere.
Increasingly degree courses tend to be modular in structure. This means more choice, but it also means more decisions to be made.
When choosing a business studies degree, your preference might be for a more structured approach, where the courses is already designed for you. Alternatively, you might want the freedom to make your own decisions.
A business studies course might include all or some of these subjects; economics, finance, law, marketing, information technology, operations management, strategic management, human resource management and organisational behaviour which includes psychology and sociology.
You will also see these disciplines treated as courses in their own right for example, there are quite a number of straight economics or law degrees.
Is a business course for you, won't it be rather stuffy, and will you match up?
If you opt for a business career you need to be good at handling both precise, qualitative issues and more abstract and open-ended problems. Or to put it another way just as capable of dealing with people as numbers.
A structured business course is likely to combine elements of all the disciplines that come under the umbrella of 'business studies'. This might suit you perfectly, crafting you into the all rounder, with a broad range of knowledge, suited to developing in a wide range of directions.
If you want to specialise and have more control over the balance between the different subjects then a modular course is more likely to allow you to do just this. This will give you the choice of emphasising people related subjects or more clear-cut subjects like finance or information technology.
When you look at courses like this check the number and range of subjects covered, the degree choice offered, and the balance between compulsory and optional subjects.
Business degrees are just as much about practising new skills as well as new knowledge, for example, the application of problem solving, innovation, creativity and risk taking applied to business scenarios.
Business degrees are just as much about practising new skills as well as new knowledge, for example, the application of problem solving, innovation, creativity and risk taking applied to business scenarios.
There is also the opportunity to combine business studies with other subjects some of whom have strong vocational links, like leisure, tourism and computing. Alternatively there is no reason why business should not be studied alongside English, History or Psychology.
Choose you courses with care, make sure thou get as much information as possible and talk to a range of people, don't rely on one option. There are no right answers and what is suitable for you will not appeal to everybody else. As for job opportunities when you graduate there are no guarantees with any degree its what you make yourself an interesting and irresistible applicant to prospective employers that counts.
All human endeavours has to be more business-like to survive in an increasingly competitive world, therefore all types of employers are looking for graduates with some business skills and knowledge to help them solve their problems.
Choose you courses with care, make sure thou get as much information as possible and talk to a range of people, don't rely on one option. There are no right answers and what is suitable for you will not appeal to everybody else. As for job opportunities when you graduate there are no guarantees with any degree its what you make yourself an interesting and irresistible applicant to prospective employers that counts.
All human endeavours has to be more business-like to survive in an increasingly competitive world, therefore all types of employers are looking for graduates with some business skills and knowledge to help them solve their problems.
