What to Do with a Business Degree When You’re Interested in Everything
From healthcare to creative fields, nearly every industry runs on business. A Business Administration degree opens doors into almost every field imaginable, and the skills it builds — leadership, financial literacy, strategy, and operations — are useful in each one. It’s one of the most practical paths you can take through college.
But what if you’re also passionate about something else entirely?
At Champlain, you don’t need to choose between your passions. Double majoring is an option baked into our curriculum, allowing you to combine Business Administration with other interests and pave the way for even more opportunities.
This article explores what’s possible when you bring business together with another interest: what careers emerge and why double majoring in two areas of expertise can set you apart.
Business Opportunities in Every Field
What Is Business Administration?
In short, business administration is about understanding how organizations work and how to make them work better. Business administration professionals are strong communicators and collaborators who manage all the components needed to run a successful business: strategic planning, resources, operations, people, finances, and goals, while also providing support where needed on a day-to-day basis.
Key Skills Include:
Management
Lead teams, manage resources, and keep projects moving while knowing what to prioritize and when.
Marketing and Sales
Understand your audience, build demand, and create strategies that hold up against market data.
Finance and Accounting
Read the numbers in budgets, forecasts, and financial statements and use them to make informed decisions.
Operations and Analytics
Interpret data, implement and streamline processes, manage resources, and find ways to do things better.
Why Pursue a Business Administration Degree?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, business and financial positions are projected to generate over 900,000 job openings annually between 2024 and 2034. In most professional roles — especially those with real growth potential — a bachelor’s degree is expected.
A Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) is one of the most versatile degrees you can earn. You’ll see how organizations work, how decisions are made, and how to turn ideas into trackable results while building foundations in leadership, marketing, and operations along the way.
For entry-level positions, a degree isn’t always a hard requirement — transferable skills and hands-on experience can go a long way. But a BSBA gives you both: the credential employers recognize and the practical experience to back it up, along with the self-knowledge that comes from actually trying things before you’re out in the workforce.
Wondering what you can do with a business degree on its own? Think of it as your all-in-one toolkit to get you ready for whatever’s next.
Common jobs include:
- Sales Administration Manager
- Procurement Officer
- Human Resource Specialist
- Business Analyst
- Marketing Coordinator
- Supply Chain Specialist
Business Is Broad. Your Degree Should Be, Too.
Not every student fits the same mold — and your degree doesn’t have to, either. Take Champlain’s BSBA, for example. Students don’t just pick a major here — they build it. Literally. Through flexible credits and career-focused advising, you can shape your education around what actually interests you. Want to pair business with environmental policy? You can. Interested in combining leadership and tech? Go for it. Your degree evolves with you, allowing you to forge a completely unique path that includes the skills you want to build, not the other way around.
Interested in more than one thing? Consider a double major.
A double major is a pathway students can choose to complete the requirements for two areas of study within the time it takes to complete one degree. Double majoring means you’ll graduate with two distinct disciplines on your diploma, opening doors that a single field of study might not. Working with your advisors, you’ll plan out electives and courses that meet all the requirements of each major to ensure you graduate within your original timeframe — no extra time needed.
Examples of double majors include:
- Business + Psychology
- Graphic Design + Marketing
- Computer Science & Innovation + Education
Check out Hula’s Innovation Campus
Partnered with Champlain since 2022, Hula’s Innovation Campus is home to professionals, workspaces, and support for Champlain students and 100+ start-ups. Just a short walk from the Lakeside Campus, Hula is a great resource for business and entrepreneurship students.
Learn More About Hula
Business + Your Choice.
Business, on its own, is interesting, but applying it to other disciplines is what drives innovative ideas and helps find solutions to our most pressing challenges. What you can do with a business degree depends on what you pair it with. Use your degree as a base and layer on skills and disciplines in areas you want to explore. Here’s a look at some of the most common pairings and where they can take you.
Business + Sustainability
Business and sustainability are a natural fit for students who want to drive environmental or social change but know that real impact requires understanding finance, operations, and organizational structure too.
Potential career avenues:
- Sustainability Consultant
- ESG Analyst
- B Corp Advisor
- Corporate Sustainability Manager
- Environmental Nonprofit Director
You care about the environment — and you also know that it takes more than just good intentions to get things done. Pairing business with sustainability means you graduate as the person who can do both: make the case and implement the plan. More and more companies are prioritizing environmental responsibility, and they need people who understand both the company’s mission and the steps required to operate responsibly.
Business + Social Work or Nonprofits
Passion drives people to the nonprofit world, but it’s business skills that help them lead in it. For students who want to do more than support a cause, business and social work, or a nonprofit-focused track, is a powerful combination.
Potential career avenues:
- Nonprofit Operations Director
- Social Enterprise Manager
- Community Development Coordinator
- Program Director
- Grant Administrator
You don’t want to just work for a cause, you want to run one. Combining business and social work gives you the skills and understanding to lead organizations from the inside out and turn your passion for philanthropy and community impact into something that makes a difference.
Study Abroad Opportunities Abound
Interested in studying abroad? Through Champlain’s partnership with Temple University, students can study in Japan, Spain, and Italy — or explore locations worldwide through third-party providers. And for students looking beyond the classroom entirely, the Freeman Grant offers funded international internship opportunities in Asia available as early as your second year.
Temple Partnership Freeman FoundationBusiness + Technology
Tech companies need engineers and people who understand both the technical aspects and business strategies behind it. This pairing is for students who want to work in tech and understand the full picture — not just how it’s built, but how it’s managed, protected, and scaled.
Potential career avenues:
- Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Specialist
- IT Security Manager
- Cybersecurity Operations Analyst
- Business Information Security Officer
- Business Systems Analyst
You’re drawn to technology and everything that surrounds it — the security, the strategy, the systems, and the decisions that tie them all together. Combining business with a computer science, digital forensics, or cybersecurity degree positions you as the person who can bridge the gap between technical teams and company leadership to ensure organizations are protected, compliant, and ready for what’s next.
Business + Creative Media
From entertainment and media to design, fashion, and content creation, these industries run on creativity but are built on business. For students with a creative passion and the ambition to match it, pairing business with a creative field opens doors that neither would on its own.
Potential career avenues:
- Creative Project Manager
- Creative Entrepreneur
- Digital Marketing Manager
- Entertainment Marketing Manager
- Content Studio Director
- Brand Manager
You’ve always had a creative vision and the drive to make something with it. Pairing business with a creative degree in media or the arts gives you the skills to turn that vision into something real. From running a studio to managing client relationships, you’ll have the foundation to launch something entirely your own or bring your energy to an established studio, agency, or brand.
Business + Game Design
The games industry is a multi-billion-dollar business built on equal parts creativity and commerce. Students who combine business with game design are equipped to work across the full production pipeline — from creative development and SCRUM-driven workflows to studio management and commercial launch strategy.
Potential career avenues:
- Game Producer
- Studio Operations Manager
- Game Project Management/Studio Management
- Publishing and Licensing Coordinator
- Marketing and Community Manager
- Indie Studio/Studio Founder
You love games, and you want to be a part of making them — not just creatively, but strategically. Business and game degrees put you on the production side of the industry, where a successful launch takes more than just finishing the project. You’ll keep projects moving forward, budgets in check, and keep timelines on track so the game reaches the players it’s made for.
Interested in studying in Champlain’s Game Studio? Check out our Business-related game majors, Game Production Management, and Game Business & Publishing to see if they are the right fit for you and your ambitions.
Business + Healthcare or Public Service
Hospitals, government agencies, and public service organizations operate in complex environments, and they need people who understand the mission and the mechanics of day-to-day operations to do so effectively. This pairing combines business foundations such as budgeting, workforce planning, and organizational management with field-specific knowledge in areas like healthcare systems, compliance, or public policy.
Potential career avenues:
- Healthcare Administrator
- Public sector Operations Manager
- Hospital Operations Manager
- Nonprofit Administrator
- Government Program Coordinator
- Health Services Director
You’ve always been driven by a desire to help — and you know that behind every great hospital, agency, or public service organization is someone making sure it all works. Combining business with healthcare or public service puts you in the rooms where the decisions that affect people’s lives actually get made.
Business + Entrepreneurship Careers
Entrepreneurship is about more than starting a company; it’s about seeing opportunity where others don’t and having the skills to act on it. This pairing is a natural fit for students who want to launch their own venture, consult for growing businesses, join startups, or bring innovative thinking to existing organizations.
Potential career avenues:
- Management Consultant
- Startup Founder
- Innovation Strategist
- Venture Capital Associate
- Business Development Manager
- Business Development Associate
You see problems and immediately start thinking about solutions. Combining business with entrepreneurship gives you the skills to act on that instinct, whether you’re pitching to investors, consulting for startups, or building something entirely your own. Whatever that looks like for you, you’ll have the skills to pull it off.
Not sure which pairing fits yet?
It’s okay not to know exactly what you want yet. Business administration is a strong starting point on its own — and as you take classes, pursue internships, and get involved on campus, the direction will start to become clearer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does double-majoring add extra time to your degree?
Not necessarily. It depends on the credit requirements for each major, the number of credits that count toward both degrees, how many credits you enter college with, and what other experiences you want to have in college, like a semester abroad. This is definitely a question worth asking at any college you’re considering as a double major. At Champlain, the BSBA includes 30 flexible credits built into the major, giving students the room to add a second major without pushing back their graduation date. Here, the flexibility is already built in, and your advising team is there to help you map it out so everything stays on track.
Can you double major and still choose a minor?
Yes — double majoring doesn’t have to mean giving up a minor. Many students choose to add a minor alongside their major areas of study to round out their skill set or explore an additional area of interest. At Champlain, your advisor team will help you map out a plan that fits everything in without adding extra time to your degree. Check out our list of available majors and minors.
Is a business degree worth it if I don’t know my specialty yet?
Absolutely. Not knowing your specialty yet is more common than you think — and a business degree is one of the best places to figure it out. The skills you build in a BSBA program, communication, leadership, analytics, and operations, apply across almost every industry, which means you’re never painting yourself into a corner. Through electives, internships, and hands-on coursework, you’ll naturally start to discover what clicks.
Pick Your Passion. We’ll Help you Build the Rest.
At Champlain, the BSBA is a launchpad for your success. From day one, you’re in major-specific classes with hands-on coursework that includes real-world collaborations with Vermont businesses like Ben & Jerry’s, Burton, and Seventh Generation.
With advisors and staff in your corner, you can use those flex credits to study or intern abroad, pursue a co-op and earn while you learn, earn a graduate certificate through Champlain College Online, or double major without pushing back your graduation date.
Business administration opens more doors than most students expect, and at Champlain, you don’t have to walk through them alone. If you’re ready to explore what a BSBA could look like for you, we’d love to show you around.
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