If you are interested in working as a manager or running a business, you have a few options to select from. Each major focuses on a different way to study business, management, and markets:
- Supply Chain Management
- Business Management
- Business Analytics
The Core Toolkit: What the Degrees Have in Common
These three degrees all start with the same foundation. No matter which one you pick, you will learn these core principles:
- Business Fundamentals: The foundational principles of marketing, management, and corporate structure.
- Operations Management: Design processes, plan strategies, and measure productivity.
- Principles of Accounting: Read, build, and analyze financial statements with data modeling, formulas, and business calculations.
- Financial Management: The time value of money, budgeting, and allocation decisions.
Your Future Career: High-Impact Roles for Any Major
You can land some of the same high-paying jobs with any of these three degrees:
Operations Analyst: You look at the day-to-day activities and productivity of a company, strategizing how to reduce inefficiencies, interpret data, streamline workflows, and increase profits.
Business Analyst: You bridge the gap between IT and business by creating actionable goals that help business goals. You propose solutions based on the data.
Procurement / Sourcing Analyst: You handle and evaluate purchasing data, vendor performance, and market trends that help companies buy goods and sell services.
Project Manager: You take ownership of a specific project such as a new corporate initiative (like launching a new product, upgrading a software system, or opening a new facility).
Finding Your Fit: Which Major Fits Your Goals?
These degrees use similar tools, but they study different things. Whichever major you choose depends on whether you want to focus on big-picture ideas, market trends, or business leadership.
Business Management: The Human & Strategic Emphasis
Your training heavily emphasizes leadership psychology, human resources, business law, and corporate strategy, preparing you to manage the moving parts of an organization rather than diving deep into technical calculations or logistics.
A Good fit for you if: you want to organize people into teams and execute a high-level strategy.
Business Analytics: The Data & Technical Emphasis
You learn programming languages, data wrangling, advanced statistics, and database management to build predictive models and use technology to translate millions of rows of data into actionable business stories.
A Good fit for you if: you are interested in writing code and building mathematical models to extract insight from raw data.
Supply Chain Management: The Physical & Operational Emphasis
You focus heavily on the mathematics of logistics, inventory management, global sourcing, and manufacturing quality, looking at how that data translates to trucks, warehouses, supplier contracts, and factory floor efficiency.
A Good fit for you if: optimizing the physical movement of goods and streamline global processes.
Still Deciding? How to Start Your Journey
If you like one of these degrees, you’ll probably like them all. Here is how to find the right fit:
- Compare Classes: Look at the specific courses for each major to see what sounds most exciting.
- Mix and Match: If a class you want isn't in your major, you can often take it as a minor or a cluster. These degrees are very flexible.
You don't have to figure it out today. Pick the major that interests you right now. You can always adjust as you learn.
You have three great paths to choose from. No matter which one you pick, you'll be ready for a successful future.
Citations
BYU–Idaho — Accounting (B.S.)
BYU–Idaho Academic Catalog — Accounting Program
Wikipedia — Bloomberg Terminal
Bloomberg Professional Services — Bloomberg Terminal
CFA Institute — CFA Program Curriculum
BYU–Idaho — Department of Accounting
BYU–Idaho — Department of Economics
BYU–Idaho — Department of Finance
BYU–Idaho — Economics Student Resources
BYU–Idaho — Financial Economics (B.S.)
Wikipedia — Financial Economics
BYU–Idaho — Grad Planner
Investopedia — What Is a Bloomberg Terminal? Features, Costs & Competitors
BYU–Idaho Learning and Teaching — Bloomberg: A Teaching Innovation
Investopedia — Economy: What It Is, Types of Economies, Economic Indicators
Wall Street Oasis — Financial Economics
Investopedia — Financial Economics Definition
BYU–Idaho — Finance Student Resources