Best Bachelor’s Degree for an MBA Program

A business major is a natural choice for aspiring MBA candidates. Earning a bachelor’s in business can prepare graduates to apply for a general or specialized MBA. Undergraduate business degree programs generally offer students a choice of popular concentrations, such as human resources, accounting, or marketing.

Twenty-four percent of MBA students at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business earned their bachelor’s degree in business, and 19% of MBAs at the Stanford Business School majored in business as undergraduate students.

Students with set career aspirations in business often take this academic path. Learners can build experience through an internship while completing an early-career bachelor’s in business or a BBA program. Additionally, this degree suits aspiring entrepreneurs and top executives who seek broad management skills.

An accounting degree is a popular choice for students who want to eventually pursue an MBA. While all types of backgrounds are accepted, those who concentrate in accounting for a bachelor’s degree generally have a lot of experience in business classes. In some cases, accounting is a concentration offered within a business major. A lot of accounting coursework focuses on computer-based systems, business law, and theory classes that all prepare you for an MBA.

Students who have an undergraduate degree in accounting are often interested in business studies. Having a business background and taking on internships can prepare them well for earning an MBA. Having an undergraduate degree in accounting followed by an MBA can also make a great difference in salary.

An undergraduate degree in marketing is a popular option for those who will later go back to school to get their MBA. Studying marketing can help develop the hard skills needed for an MBA.

At Columbia University, 11% of the incoming MBA class of 2022 worked in marketing prior to enrolling. MBA programs look for students with diverse backgrounds who have worked in studied in areas outside of just business. Having studied or worked in marketing can make you a strong candidate for MBA programs and prepare you well for coursework.

Many students pursue a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and humanities in preparation for an MBA. Humanities majors, which include communications, journalism, religious studies, and art history, can ultimately lead to specialized career opportunities in a variety of humanities and social science-related fields. For example, students may pursue a career in museum studies or senior-level media or church management.

MBA programs welcome humanities and social sciences graduates for the unique skills and perspectives they can bring to the program. Students entering an MBA with a strong background in communication, for instance, may choose to pursue a graduate specialization in public relations or marketing. These majors may also enjoy MBA programs with a global business focus.

The director of admissions at Fordham University believes that history majors are particularly well suited to MBA programs and wishes to recruit more students with a history background.

An MBA degree can be beneficial to anyone’s career, regardless of their undergraduate degree. It can increase salary and prepare graduates for management and leadership positions. According to Payscale, history majors make an average of $74,000 per year. Professionals with MBAs earn over $23,000 more per year on average.

History majors can be well-prepared for various careers, especially if they go on to earn an MBA. A few popular career fields for history majors with MBAs include international relations, hotel management and hospitality, and economics management.

An MBA program is a great option for creatives aspiring to become better leaders and/or entrepreneurs. As the world becomes more familiar with different degree paths toward leadership, MBA programs are adapting, with some now boasting more art-specific concentrations. For example, Southern Methodist University is offering an MA-MBA joint degree in arts management that incorporates courses in the arts along with traditional business skills learned with an MBA degree.

Art graduates can make excellent MBA program candidates. In an undergraduate art program, students are often encouraged to foster out-of-the-box thinking, which can be an asset for future business leaders.

While the umbrella of communication studies is fairly large, a lot of courses in the subject can prepare you to advance into an MBA program. Those who major in communication studies can build the skills necessary for creative jobs as well as positions in the business world.

Although journalism may be offered by some schools as a specialization within the communications department, journalism undergraduate students focus on skills like writing, communication, and reporting, which can be useful in MBA programs. A bachelor’s degree in journalism alone could be a risk. An MBA can offer students job security and a higher starting salary.

Applicants with bachelor’s degrees in STEM are increasingly attractive to MBA admissions departments. Students with an undergraduate education in a STEM field are a natural fit for a STEM MBA or a specialization like IT. STEM MBA programs provide a unique hybrid of business, analytics, and technical coursework.

Many STEM degree programs offer exclusive internships at tech companies or engineering facilities. Graduates with a STEM bachelor’s can earn an MBA in preparation for lucrative careers in tech management or data analytics. They can become top engineering executives or STEM professors.

About 33% of Stanford Business School‘s class of 2024 earned a STEM-based bachelor’s degree, and STEM undergraduate majors account for nearly 38% of MBAs enrolled at Kellogg School of Management.

Receiving an undergraduate degree in engineering management allows students to take classes focused on data analytics, product management, and more. Students often take an interest in pursuing an MBA after getting their bachelor’s degree in engineering management to develop their business focus.

An MBA can help engineering students develop soft skills — such as networking, leadership, and strategic thinking — to complement the hard skills they honed during undergrad.

Obtaining an MBA degree can lead to significant growth in the workplace and can help engineering undergrads pivot to administrative roles and earn higher salaries.

Those who take an interest in mathematics during college are often analytical and skilled in critical thinking. Mathematics students often also enjoy learning new concepts, formulas, and problem-solving skills and applying them to real-life situations. These characteristics are good qualities to have for someone looking to pursue an MBA.

A mathematics degree in conjunction with an MBA can lead to high-paying roles and senior leadership positions. Skills learned in both mathematics and business go hand in hand preparing students for the world of business.