Dual Degrees: Combining Business Administration with Another Field

Business administration degrees are one of the most popular degrees in the United States. This means there are plenty of opportunities for learning, but not nearly as many for pursuing a business career.

By combining business administration degrees with other programs, you can turn your degree into a unique, useful education that makes you a sought-after employee and leader in your industry of choice.

How can you combine degrees without spending more time and money than you have? By pursuing a dual degree program.

Make the Most of Your Business Administration Education

If you want to make the most of your time, effort, and money in getting a degree while also making the degree one that stands out among other college graduates, you need to look into dual degree programs for graduate students.

So here's everything you need to know about dual degrees and how to combine your business administration degree with another program to create the ultimate customized degree.

What is a Dual Degree?

A dual degree is obtained by studying two different academic areas at once. Unlike a double major, which involves studying two related subjects to earn one degree, a dual degree involves two separate subjects - such as business and psychology - and obtaining two different degrees for them.

A dual degree often includes two different types of degrees, such as a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Master of Arts (MA) and a Master of Science (MS), which requires you to apply and be accepted into two programs at once.

While there are some dual degree bachelor programs, more colleges offer dual master programs, so most participants in dual degree programs are graduate students.

Now that you know what a dual degree is, here are some reasons you may want to pursue one so you can combine your business administration degree with another subject.

Reasons to Pursue Dual Degrees

Here are some of the top reasons to pursue dual degrees, both in general and as someone pursuing a business administration degree.

Diversify Your Learning

Instead of having to focus on one particular subject of study throughout college, a dual degree will allow you to pursue multiple passions or study paths that can help you in your post-education career.

Increase Your Career Opportunities

If you have two higher education degrees instead of one, you're able to double your job prospects right out of college.

If your degrees are complementary, you'll also be better suited to certain jobs than the average new graduate, making you more likely to be hired for higher-level positions.

Customize Your Degree and Enhance Your Professional Worth

Just like an interdisciplinary program, a dual degree lets you customize your program and focus only on what you want to learn for your future.

By combining your business administration degree with a psychology, marketing, or law degree, you can increase your value and earnings as a corporate professional and open yourself up to more specialized job opportunities.

Save Time and Money

Compared to getting two separate degrees back to back, getting a dual degree can greatly reduce the amount of time and money you spend on schooling.

A dual master's degree, for example, can take as little as 2.5 years to complete compared to the four it would take to do two master's programs one after another.

Combining Business Administration Degrees to Help Your Business Career

While business administration degrees can take you far in a corporate career, the prevalence of this kind of degree makes it hard for you to stand out as a worthwhile candidate or entrepreneur.

What does help you stand out are specializations or other experiences and education you have. So, by completing a dual degree and combining your business administration degree with another program, you can guarantee you stand out in today's job market.

In addition, you can use a degree in marketing, accounting, or other business-complimenting programs to increase your earning and promotional potential in positions you'd already be getting into with a business administration degree.

More education can only help you - and getting a dual degree can save you time and money in getting that education.

Examples of Popular Dual Degree Business Administration Programs

Here are some examples of dual degree programs offered by accredited colleges in the United States:

• The University of Arizona has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a master's in accounting, marketing, business analytics, and finance programs.
• Both Columbia University and Northwestern University have a BA/BS in engineering.
• Weber State University has dual degree MBAs that also let you get a master's in health administration, executive nursing, computer science, and more.
• The University of Connecticut has dual degrees combining business administration degrees with master's degrees in financial risk management, engineering, Latin American studies, nursing, social work, and more.

Find a Degree Program That Works for You Today

Now you know about what dual degrees are, how combining business administration degrees with other programs can help you advance in your career, and what dual degrees are available to you in the U.S.

It's time to find the college and dual degree program that's best for you so you can start learning today and leading tomorrow.