According to Forbes, business is one of the most popular majors among high school students in 2024. It is a great choice for those planning to learn the basics of business, including the broad topics of project management, financial management and accounting, economics, international companies, and many more.
College students can make a decision about picking discrete fields of specialization at a later stage during their college years. This is a critical choice because it has a direct influence on their professional careers.
What are the top business majors you cannot afford to miss? Which ones are more likely to pave the way for a fulfilling and successful career? Which ones give you a competitive edge to tackle competition in a tightly contested market? Keep reading to find out.
Business administration
It makes every sense to opt for a generalist degree, providing that you can narrow down your focus at a later stage. Business administration provides an opportunity to get a handle on the foundational concepts and approaches in business planning and management.
A business administration major is broad enough to encompass all key modules and specific enough to lay a strong educational foundation. You will learn the basics of planning, accounting, human resources, IT, and other critical components of business management.
Organizational leadership
Leadership is both a skill and a personal attribute. It is indispensable in growing as a successful business leader or entrepreneur. Majors in organizational leadership are designed to bring the best out of you as a future leader.
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This major is an interdisciplinary one that teaches students how to become better communicators, enablers, facilitators, and managers. Leadership is not only about decision-making. More importantly, it is about creating conditions for the right decisions. Leading from behind and emotional intelligence are important competencies that you’ll be able to master.
Human resources management
HR management is a more specific field of expertise. You can choose an HR major if you are good at people management, resource planning, and optimization. No matter how fast AI-based solutions will be developing and replacing the human workforce, the need for experienced HR managers will not diminish in the near future.
People are the backbone of any strong company or organization. HR managers make sure employers are able to attract and retain talent. They are also responsible for creating incentives for qualified personnel and adhering to the principles of fair and unbiased treatment.
Communications
No company or organization can be successful without relevant, well-planned, and smart communication strategies. A degree in communications has multiple benefits. It helps students develop as effective communicators for themselves, their employers, or their business.
By developing your writing, listening, speaking, and presentation skills, you make a lifetime investment in your future with long-term benefits. The low-hanging fruit is your ability to formulate your thoughts and messages in a succinct, clear, and persuasive manner. In the long term, you can make a powerful communicator who can influence public opinion, customer behavior, and client decisions.
International business
With globalization continuing to erase borders and physical barriers to international business making, this could well be the major to pick. The fascinating thing about it is that it prepares students for work in culturally diverse and somewhat unpredictable or volatile contexts.
Students also learn how international capital and stock markets function and what kind of regulations and international agreements govern relationships between businesses. They also learn how to write the perfect business plan that meets international standards and expectations.
The need for adaptive management and resilience to changing circumstances is pronounced more strongly in international markets. Cultural diversity puts the competencies of business leaders to the test. Business majors in international business help students find sea legs in these challenging environments. They also equip them with both skills and knowledge that are easily adjustable to new conditions.
Marketing
A marketing degree is a popular one owing to its versatility and potential. No matter how good products and services are, they need to be sold and bought. It takes specific and specialized skills to master the craft of marketing them to customers.
Marketing is a multidisciplinary subject. A good marketing specialist is also a good psychologist, sociologist, communicator, and business administrator. The term has come to envelop a range of subcategories, including traditional marketing, digital marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and the list goes on.
Upon graduation, you’ll have a range of options to choose from. You can work for a successful marketing agency, or you can start up your own business too.
Finance and financial management
Majors in finance help students learn the ropes in banking, economics, and trading. How do capital markets, insurance companies, and investment firms operate? What makes them successful? What are the building blocks of their financial success? These are only a handful of questions you’ll be able to answer.
As you progress through your studies, you can make a decision to choose a more specific area of your specialization. These may include accounting, financial analysis, banking, and many more.
Final Considerations
Business majors top the list of the most popular majors. There is a reason for that. They offer a wide variety of options, interdisciplinary degrees, and continuously refined courses. You cannot make a mistake by choosing any of the top majors reviewed in this article. Pick one that suits your skills and interests, and start an exciting journey that will one day land a successful career.
