What are the fundamentals of business management?

Learn the fundamentals of business management, including planning, strategy, operations, and leadership.

By: Shelby Campbell, Edited by: Valerie Black

Last updated: June 12, 2025

For many strategically minded people, learning the fundamentals of business management offers a versatile career path. Business management programs can give you the necessary skills to be a successful manager across various industries.

Explore how business management courses provide widely applicable business skills like marketing, finance, and accounting so you can determine if working in this field is right for you.

What can you learn in a business management program?

In a business management program, you can learn how to set and achieve goals through labor and administrative organization. These degree programs can help business-minded students become skilled managers who lead their teams to success.

You often need around 120 credits to complete a bachelor's degree in business management, which can take roughly four to six years.

Business management coursework often aims to impart integral business skills like:

Finance, economics, and accounting
Marketing
Law and compliance
Leadership
Human resources

Many programs also offer concentration tracks for specific areas of business. For example, some schools allow business management students to specialize in entrepreneurship, risk management, or sports management.

BA in business management vs. BS in business management

Both business management degree programs provide essential business skills. But a bachelor of arts (BA) in business management may offer a more liberal arts-focused education, while a bachelor of science (BS) in business management may offer more technically focused coursework.

A BS in business management may include courses like:

Communication
Innovation
Organizational leadership

A BA in business management may include courses like:

Finance and accounting
Business statistics
Staffing, development, and compensation

Master's in business management

A master's degree in business management program provides experience and education focusing on management theories and solutions.

After earning a bachelor's degree, you may need further management skills to qualify for high-paying leadership and executive roles. By completing a master's in business management degree, you can earn these necessary credentials and stand out among other candidates.

MBA in management

A master's in business administration (MBA) program is a popular degree option that helps prepare students for real-world business scenarios. Some schools offer specializations within their MBA programs, often including management.

Earning an MBA degree with a management specialization signals to potential employers that you have high-level business and leadership skills.

Is business management right for you?

Business management students often enjoy connecting and collaborating with others to achieve a common goal. Because management is foundational to business operations, business management degrees are highly transferable across industries such as:

Healthcare
Technology
Small business
Retail
Construction

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects faster-than-average growth in management occupations between 2023 and 2033, with 1.2 million projected job openings annually. This indicates that business management skills are in higher demand on the job market than other occupations and will likely remain in demand for the next decade.

Get started with online programs on edX

You can discover your future career path with edX's library of online courses. Sign up today to see what you can do with business management skills.

Stand out in your field

Use the knowledge and skills you have gained to drive impact at work and grow your career.

Learn at your own pace

On your computer, tablet or phone, online courses make learning flexible to fit your busy life.

Earn a valuable credential

Showcase your key skills and valuable knowledge.

Frequently asked questions about business management

Can you make good money in business management?

Yes, business management offers many high-paying opportunities. The BLS reports that management occupations as a group earned a median annual salary of $116,880 as of May 2023. This is $37,830 more than the median annual salary for business and financial occupations and $68,820 more than the median annual salary for all occupations during the same time period.

Is business management hard?

As with any field of study, business management courses may offer challenging material in many subjects, such as finance, management strategies, and marketing. This coursework reflects common scenarios to prepare students for day-to-day business operations.

What does business management teach?

Business management programs teach students how to organize and lead a group of people to accomplish business goals. You may learn about human resources, marketing, and networking in a business management course.

What is the highest-paying job in business management?

The highest-paying jobs in business management are managers in specialized fields. Top examples include architectural and engineering managers, who earned median annual salaries of $165,370 in 2023, and computer and information systems managers, who earned median annual salaries of $169,510 during the same time period.