The prospect of pursuing a college degree can be a daunting one. There is no doubt you must put in the time, money, and work to earn a degree, but there are several accessible ways to reach your educational goals. If you are interested in a degree that can prepare you for a wide expanse of roles — like those in management, human resources, logistics, supervisory positions, property management, or supply chain — you’ll want to consider a Bachelor of Science in Administration.
Barry University’s online B.S. in Administration program is an affordable option for those looking to earn a versatile degree. Barry’s accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges signals a quality degree program that prepares students for careers in many sectors, including business, technology, human resources, and project management.
The B.S. in Administration program is fully online, and the core courses can be completed in as few as 12 months. The total completion time for a student will depend on the number of transfer credits, with Barry University allowing the transfer of up to 90 credits.
Why Is a College Degree Important?
While an advanced degree in administration can set you up for success, a college degree, in general, has notable benefits for one’s professional and personal life:
- More job prospects: College graduates are more likely to have higher earnings, lower unemployment and poverty rates, retirement investments, and networking opportunities. The National Center for Education Statistics placed 2018 median earnings for bachelor’s graduates at nearly $55,000 a year, whereas high school graduates made around $35,000.
A college degree will also make you more appealing to employers, and one report notes that “the average graduate is 24 percent more likely to be employed than high school graduates.” A college education will also help individuals develop important life and career skills like analytical and critical thinking as well as organization and self-discipline.
- Better health: Research has shown that college graduates are also more likely to have healthier lifestyles. With access to higher salaries, healthcare benefits, and opportunities for career advancement, college graduates can more easily incorporate activities like exercise and traveling into their lives.
- Greater community involvement: Professionals with bachelor’s degrees are also more likely to give back to their communities than non-college graduates, according to The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). Bachelor’s grads are twice as likely to volunteer, and they contribute over three times as much money to charity. APLU also notes that “75 percent of bachelor’s degree completers vote in presidential election years, compared with about 52 percent of high school graduates.”
College graduates are also better placed to weather an economic recession like the COVID-19 pandemic. Harvard Business Review notes that the pandemic’s unemployment rates and economic downturn are unlike other recessions’ job markets: “the common narrative focuses on the fact that unemployment rates are at unprecedented high levels. However, a more important conclusion for job seekers might be that, given an economic crash, job openings have remained at unprecedented high levels.” Essentially, employers are looking to fill more and more new positions, meaning college graduates’ employability is still high despite recent economic struggles.
Is a BS in Administration Right for Me?
Deciding what type of bachelor’s degree to pursue might be another challenge. An advanced degree in administration equips you with skills you can apply to a handful of sectors, including operations management; software development and information technology (IT); human resources (HR); supply chain management; facilities management; client support and sales; transportation and city management, to name a few.
These fields have particularly promising job outlooks in the southeastern region of the United States. Information sourced in May 2021 from Burning Glass Technologies, a labor market data firm, is proof: In states like Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, 34.7% of bachelor’s-educated professionals make between $50,000 and $75,000 each year, and 30.6% make more than $75,000 annually. The average salary for college-educated professionals in the region is $64,048 annually.
According to national data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median weekly earnings for those who hold at least a bachelor’s degree is $1,426. Other BLS data notes that in 2019, the median annual wage for general and operations managers with a college degree and five years of experience was $100,780 annually, which hints at the salary potential for bachelor’s degree holders with a few years under their belt.
Barry University’s program covers many facets of administration and management, and students even participate in a capstone course to learn and implement business administration skills. Courses covering continuous improvement, organizational change, and team motivation and productivity make graduates valuable and well-trained professionals. Because the B.S. in Administration is a fully online program, students can continue working and earning income while obtaining their degree at an affordable price.
There is no doubt that a bachelor’s degree can help hone some of the specialized skills most valued in the job market, like project management, budgeting, scheduling, customer service, and staff management. Knowing the benefits of a college education and the versatility of a degree in administration, why wait?
Learn more about Barry University’s online Bachelor of Science in Administration program.
