What Can You Do With an Entrepreneurship Degree?

Are you a student who is thinking about starting your own business someday? Owning your own business is exciting and can give you a great sense of pride in what you do, and earning an entrepreneurship degree can help you get there. However, Start your own business is just one possible answer to the question, What can you do with an entrepreneurship degree? Explore this career guide to learn what you might do with your entrepreneurship degree.

• Benefits of Entrepreneurship Degree Programs
• Top Entrepreneurship Degree Jobs to Pursue
• Careers in STEM Fields for Entrepreneurship Graduates
• Choosing an Entrepreneurship Degree That’s Right for You

Benefits of Entrepreneurship Degree Programs

An entrepreneurship degree is always a smart idea if you are dreaming of owning your own business. However, it’s a degree option that is more flexible and versatile than you may think, even if you decide later on that being a business owner isn’t quite the right choice for you. An entrepreneurship degree offers a well-rounded education in business skills and management competencies that will serve you well no matter where life takes you.

Benefits of majoring in an entrepreneurial studies program include learning:

• How to apply theories and models to solve real-world problems
• How to identify, evaluate and pursue business opportunities
• Core competencies in organizational leadership, management and project life cycle oversight
• A multidisciplinary range of topics in marketing, business statistics, corporate legal issues and economics

In addition, you’ll refine your written and oral communication skills, find your leadership style and learn how to critically analyze business ideas. All of these are competencies that employers value in potential employees.

Top Entrepreneurship Degree Jobs to Pursue

There are many types of entrepreneurship degree jobs you can pursue after graduation. These careers can also lead into intrapreneurship, working within the company, that can be beneficial. Here's a look at some of the top entrepreneurship careers:

Business Owner

Most small businesses were launched by a go-getter with an entrepreneurial attitude, just like you. You could start a small business in any field, ranging from a cupcake bakery to a marketing firm to a home health aide service.

You may decide to start a small business soon after graduation, or decide to go to work for an established company while you build your skills and develop a professional network. Regardless of which path you take, be sure to do your due diligence. GCU instructors will instructors will teach you how to perform market research, develop a business plan and market your business — all of the essential ingredients for success.

Business Journalist

An entrepreneurial studies degree can prepare you for a career in business journalism. A business journalist specializes in covering economic issues and the latest happenings in the corporate world. Some business journalists may choose a subspecialty, such as the renewable energy industry or the stock market.

As a future business journalist, you might work for an established newspaper, magazine or news website. Alternatively, you may find yourself utilizing your entrepreneurial skills to work as a freelance journalist that operates your own sole proprietorship.

Management Analysts

Management analysts, also called “corporate consultants” or “management consultants,” typically work on a contractual basis, either for their own business or for a consulting firm. Corporate consultants analyze an organization, identify areas of improvement and develop new solutions, processes and procedures that will help the organization become more efficient and successful. A corporate consultant needs excellent oral and written communication skills, analytical reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

As of September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates job growth for management analysts to increase by about 14% from 2020 to 2030, faster than average, accounting for an estimated increase of 124,400 jobs in the field.¹

Startup Incubator Professional

A profession that is quite similar to a corporate consultant is a professional who works at a startup incubator. These individuals may hold a variety of job titles.

Startup incubators work with people who have ideas for launching their own businesses. They provide entrepreneurialism education and guidance, access to seed funding, networking opportunities, connections to strategic partners and other types of guidance designed to facilitate entrepreneurial success. Generally, the specific services offered are tailored to meet the needs of any given client.

Training and Development Manager

A training manager, also known as a corporate trainer, facilitates the success of various companies by focusing on their talent. These professionals are responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating corporate training programs that allow employees to improve their current skillset and knowledge base and/or acquire new competencies.

A company’s staff is its most valuable asset. An organization can only be successful if its employees are well-trained, competent and informed professionals. As such, the work that training managers perform is crucial for the entire organization.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates job growth for training and development managers to increase by about 11% from 2020 to 2030, faster than average, accounting for an estimated increase of 4,500 jobs in the field.²

Careers in STEM Fields for Entrepreneurship Graduates

What if you’re passionate about science, technology or the other STEM subjects, but the entrepreneurial path also appeals to you? There are plenty of career possibilities to consider in STEM, as well. In addition to starting your own STEM company, you can combine your STEM and entrepreneurial interests by pursuing a managerial or supervisory position in the field.

• Product manager – A product manager is a business leader who identifies a customer’s need and develops a product or feature that is aligned with the business’ larger objectives. Product managers lead teams, oversee the life cycle of the project from start to finish and apply their entrepreneurial skills to generate success.
• Operations manager – An operations manager oversees the daily operations of a STEM business. They implement and maintain processes and procedures that their organization relies on, such as software programs. They report on the health of the business and areas that could be improved upon. Operations managers may also have a hand in financials, inventory and personnel. As of May 2020, job growth for general and operations managers is on track to grow by an estimated 9% from 2020 to 2030.³
• Innovation lab manager – You would be tasked with brainstorming and developing disruptive products and services that have the potential to give the company a competitive edge. Innovation lab managers oversee a team of highly creative, intrapreneurial employees who brainstorm new ideas outside the limits of the usual company procedures and expectations.

Choosing an Entrepreneurship Degree That’s Right for You

Some schools may only offer one degree in entrepreneurial studies, while others might offer multiple concentrations to choose from. Consider your particular career aspirations when selecting the right entrepreneurship degree for you.

For instance, if you already know that your interests lie in the STEM field, you’ll want to choose an entrepreneurial studies degree with a STEM-related concentration. If you aren’t sure exactly which field calls to you, consider choosing a general entrepreneurial studies degree without a concentration. You can use your electives to explore various fields you’re interested in, such as the fine arts, law or technology.

Combine your passion for innovation with purpose by enrolling in an entrepreneurship degree program at Grand Canyon University. In addition to the Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Studies, GCU is pleased to offer the Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Studies with an Emphasis in Engineering Management degree and the Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Studies with an Emphasis in Technology Management program. Begin preparing to pursue careers by clicking on Request Info at the top of your screen.

¹ The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Management Analysts as of May 2021. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may also impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the BLS. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers from across the country with varying levels of education and experience and does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners. It does not reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country. It also does not reflect a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. You may also wish to compare median salaries if you are considering more than one career path. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, and accept employment from, determines salary not only based on education, but also individual characteristics and skills and fit to that organization (among other categories) against a pool of candidates.

² The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Training and Development Managers as of March 2022. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may also impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the BLS. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers from across the country with varying levels of education and experience and does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners. It does not reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country. It also does not reflect a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. You may also wish to compare median salaries if you are considering more than one career path. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, and accept employment from, determines salary not only based on education, but also individual characteristics and skills and fit to that organization (among other categories) against a pool of candidates.

³ The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Top Executives as of May 2021. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may also impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the BLS. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers from across the country with varying levels of education and experience and does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners. It does not reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country. It also does not reflect a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. You may also wish to compare median salaries if you are considering more than one career path. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, and accept employment from, determines salary not only based on education, but also individual characteristics and skills and fit to that organization (among other categories) against a pool of candidates.