What can you do with a business degree?

Studying business can enable you to have a varied, interesting and successful career. There are no limits to what you can do with a business degree and that’s what makes it so exciting. You can equip yourself with all the tools for success in a wide variety of industries while developing a range of skills from interpersonal to accounting. What does a business degree involve? Which areas can you study? And what types of jobs could you work in?

Find out all you need to know in this guide.

Warwick Business School is a sought-after destination for those who are committed to professional success after graduation. With our world-leading teaching and learning, students gain the know-how and practical experience to become business leaders, managers and finance professionals. Explore our courses to learn about our comprehensive programmes, or download a course information brochure to find out more.

What does a business degree involve?

A business degree is your ticket to a career that is interesting, stimulating and ever evolving. It’s a university-level qualification in which you study business and/or areas related to business, such as management, accounting, marketing and human resources. It equips you with extensive knowledge of business practices and practical skills that allow you to succeed in the operations of enterprises. Your studies begin with an Undergraduate degree, but you could also progress to further postgraduate learning such as a Master’s degree. 

What business degrees can you study?

There is a good deal of variety in the types of business degrees you can study, and here at Warwick Business School, we help you to find your niche. Read on to find out about the options available to you.

BSc Accounting & Finance

Immerse yourself in the financial and accounting side of business with one of the top institutions in the UK according to the Times and the Guardian (ranked number two for Accounting and Finance in 2025). At Warwick Business School, we have long-established, excellent relationships with many top accountancy organisations, investment banks and other well-regarded employers across the world. When you study with us, you get the chance to take advantage of this with the BSc Accounting & Finance.

We are also a CFA Program Partner, and modules within the course can lead to exemptions from professional accountancy exams. Expand your horizons with our option to study for a year abroad. Our BSc Accounting & Finance with Placement Year helps you to gain even more experience and develop your interpersonal skills further.

George Daniells, a BSc Accounting & Finance with Placement Year student, explains how his placement with Dyson has enhanced his learning and equipped him with the skills for success:

“My placement year at Dyson has helped my confidence grow and establish a clear understanding of finance in the world of business. I now understand how Dyson get their products to market and the financial challenges they may face in doing so. I have learnt so much that will be hugely beneficial to me in my future career.”  

BSc Management

BSc Management programmes offer comprehensive training that prepares you to be a successful business leader. Choosing to study this course at Warwick Business School gives you access to the best possible management education. We have been named as 1st in the UK by the Times in the Good University Guide for 2025. The BSc Management is a flexible course that can be moulded to suit your interests and career goals as you can select the modules that best reflect your needs. You have options such as finance, marketing, digital business and entrepreneurship. We also offer a BSc Management with Placement Year, which gives you the opportunity to maximise the breadth of your experience – this can help immensely in furthering your business management career path.

BSc Management student Eshaan Thapar explains how being able to tailor the course to his specific needs has meant that he has been able to gain the skills needed to look forward to a successful career:

“My degree has been the stepping stone towards my career prospects in many ways. My qualification provides me with the relevant skills and opportunities to apply my knowledge in the field of consulting or risk management. Furthermore, my degree’s flexibility meant that I could pick other modules in the field of entrepreneurship and digital innovation.”

BSc International Management

Studying business management in an international context sets the stage for a global career. If you’re interested in learning about how different cultures and the perspectives of leaders from diverse nations shape business on the world’s stage, then this is the course of study for you. We offer the best teaching and learning of BSc International Management in the UK here at Warwick Business School, according to the Times, which ranked us 1st for 2025. We have strong relationships with more than 50 organisations across 20 different countries around the world. This means that your placement is going to be an experience that leaves you well-equipped to cope with any career challenges that come your way.

Efim Ivanov, who is from Russia and is now working at a fintech firm in Shanghai, explains how his studies in BSc International Management have given him career options that span the globe:

“After WBS, I confidently entered the foreign job market, and now I am comfortable performing all responsibilities given to me. In fact, thanks to my degree, I feel I am sometimes more prepared than more experienced employees or master graduates. At WBS, I developed critical soft skills. The latter included interpersonal skills, leadership, time management and critical thinking skills. For example, I have developed tactics for managing and prioritising my workload.”

Further study options

Do you want to propel your business career to the next level? An MBA allows you to expand your skills, broaden your horizons, and develop a comprehensive network of peers, academics and professionals. It can also greatly enhance your prospects of earning a highly competitive salary. Here, we explain the many advantages and career benefits of an MBA.

Click on the links below to discover which MBA is right for you:

• MSc Business Analytics
• MSc Business with Consulting
• MSc Business with Marketing
• MSc Business with Operations Management
• MSc International Business 

What jobs can you get with a business degree?

Gaining a business degree opens the door to an exciting career that can take you in many different directions. The skills and knowledge you develop during your studies can lead to a diverse range of paths to success. What jobs can you get with a business degree? Read on to find out, as we describe the roles of many of our Warwick Business School graduates.

Business analyst

The job of a business analyst is all about collecting, processing and managing information. This information is used for the benefit of business operations, so the analyst plays a vital role in ensuring its success. They are responsible for making recommendations that help to manage risk, costs and efficiency – all of which you can learn more about by completing a business degree.

Project manager

A project manager’s role is to plan and organise people and resources to enable the completion of projects within an organisation. They are responsible for managing their team, motivating them to succeed in their tasks, and making use of their time in the most efficient manner. The project manager is also required to foster relationships with stakeholders and communicate on the completion of goals. Group project-based work undertaken as part of your business degree will set you up well for this role.

Marketing manager

The marketing manager is responsible for the promotion of an organisation’s goods or services. They develop strategies that include ascertaining which markets to target, the size of those markets, and the techniques for doing so, such as advertising through various mediums. They are also required to analyse industry competition. If this career path is of interest, then consider specialising in marketing modules when completing your business degree.

Human resource manager

Human resource managers have three main jobs to do. They recruit staff by assessing applications and conducting interviews. They are also responsible for ensuring that staff are adequately trained to perform their roles. The human resource manager also performs an employee support role: they listen and respond to complaints and issues and help to mediate when there are issues between staff. Soft skills are essential, so a business degree offers an excellent route into this line of work.

Operations manager

The operations manager is tasked with overseeing the day-to-day running of an organisation. They are responsible for managing and motivating employees and ensuring that time and resources are deployed in the most efficient manner. The operations manager also needs to respond to and deal with issues as they arise during the working day, resolving them so that the business can continue to run smoothly. Operations management is a core research area at WBS, making it an ideal place to study your business degree.

Entrepreneurship

An entrepreneur assumes all the risk of setting up a business, but can potentially reap massive rewards. First, they identify a niche in their chosen market – something that no one else is doing or a different way of offering a product or service. They then develop a plan to launch their product or service, using this to secure funding from investors. Having been successful, the challenge is to maintain and build on that success by recruiting the right staff and employing efficient resources. Discover more about entrepreneurship at WBS.

What industries can you work in with a business degree?

One of the biggest advantages of gaining a business degree is that the range of potential industries and roles in which you can use your skills is incredibly diverse. You can make use of your skills in technology, accounting, finance, banking, marketing, IT, retail, manufacturing and the healthcare/pharmaceutical industries. Warwick Business School graduates have progressed to work with many world-renowned organisations, including the following:

• American Express
• Amazon
• Barclays
• Deloitte
• EY
• Goldman Sachs
• Microsoft
• Procter & Gamble
• Rolls-Royce
• Vodafone

Skills you’ll gain with a business degree

Having graduated with a degree in business, you’ll be equipped with many skills that make you a very desirable member of staff for employers. Read on to find out just how valuable you will become as a business graduate:

• Leadership and management skills: You’ll have the knowledge and confidence to motivate and inspire your team and the ability to read and empathise with others in ways that are beneficial to you and the business.
• Communication skills: You’ll be able to communicate effectively in writing, and you’ll be able to present and lead meetings and proposals with grace and ease.
• Problem-solving and critical thinking skills: You’ll be able to analyse situations, people and problems, and create practical plans for resolution and business success.
• Business knowledge: You’ll have an excellent understanding of the workings of many areas of business, including strategy, finance, marketing and operations.
• Financial literacy: You’ll have a solid knowledge of financial terminology and how it can be used to make choices that benefit the business and your career. Discover more by reading about financial literacy in the workplace.

Career paths with a business degree

Graduating with a business degree gives you the opportunity to develop a successful career in many different industries. Regardless of your interests or passions, you will be able to put your business skills to use. This could mean immersing yourself in cutting-edge pharmaceutical development, the most highly respected financial institutions in the world, a retail business that has massive scope for development, and many more industries. Many of our graduates have gone on to enjoy roles as a business analyst, marketing manager, HR manager, strategic roles and much more.

Discover business courses at Warwick Business School

At Warwick Business School, we give you the opportunity to study at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels, including Master’s degrees and MBA programmes. If you want to study at a world-leading institution and gain skills that will set you up for a successful career, you have come to the right place.

Find out about our courses using our course finder or download a course information brochure that offers all the details you’re looking for about our programmes.