Everyone knows that money makes the world go round but what other reasons are there for doing a business degree, and why do one at a university abroad? There are many advantages to studying business abroad, and we cover the three main areas. Then we'll show you what you can expect to cover in a business degree and, finally, some of the top universities offering business. 

1. Skills for CV/Resume

Doing a business degree will provide you with the core skills employers look for in new graduates. These skills and competencies include:

• an academic qualification in business
• understanding economic, political, and cultural factors that are important in business
• management skills
• knowledge of different business styles
• a better understanding of client needs in international markets
• social media and marketing skills
• leadership skills
• project management skills
• negotiation skills
• work experience/placement
• ability to work under pressure/resilience
• working in diverse teams
• cross-cultural communication skills
• language skills

It also gives prospective employers an idea of your personality. Someone who has studied business abroad is more likely to be open-minded, tolerant, and respectful of other cultures and norms. All of which are vital in international business relations and business management. 

2. Career opportunities

In terms of career and job opportunities, international students with a business degree are at an advantage over other graduates because they combine all the skills mentioned above. 

The advantages are:

• Employers are looking for graduates with experience dealing with people from multicultural backgrounds.
• The cost of your business degree will be quickly covered when you start work. The average starting salary for business graduates is higher (see point three below). 
• You are more likely to go directly into business.
• You are more likely to be employed three months after graduating.
• Major employers such as ‘the Big Four’ (PwC – Pricewaterhouse Coopers, KPMG, Deloitte and Ernst & Young) recruit graduates directly from high-ranking business schools. They know that those graduates have had excellent training and have had direct business experience through placements (more on this a little later). 

In the UK, graduate job offers reached 2,400 in 2021. This figure will likely increase by 15.7 per cent in 2022. Employers in all business sectors in the UK are expected to expand recruitment in 2022.

3. Salary

Business graduates are more likely to go into direct employment shortly after graduating and are more likely to earn above-average salaries. 

The recent High Fliers Research report in the UK has found:

• graduate starting salaries are expected to increase in 2022 to an average of GBP 32,000.
• a quarter of the UK’s top employers offer salaries of over GBP 40,000.
• three of the country’s best-known graduate employers pay a starting salary of over GBP 50,000.

If you're more interested in investment banking, you can expect to earn a starting salary of GBP 50,000 in 2022. 

https://www.highfliers.co.uk/download/2022/graduate_market/GM22-report.pdf

Depending on which field of business you choose to follow, your starting salary in the USA could be anywhere between USD 45,927 to USD 79,980. In Toronto, Canada, salaries for Business Analysts range from CAD 58,843 to CAD 79,585. In Melbourne, Australia it’s AUD 114,757 for the same job. 

Business Degrees

Choosing which business degree to take may not be an easy decision as the choice available is immense. Having too much choice is sometimes more difficult than having very little choice. 

If it’s a more general business course you’re interested in, here are some options:

• Business studies
• Business management
• Business administration
• Business analytics

All the above courses are offered at universities all over the world. Each country, university and course will have their own fees and entry requirements. 

To find out what these are, just select course and university you’re interested in, and you'll be able to view this key information. If you’re more interested in a specialised area of business, then some possible courses are:

• Accounting and finance
• Economics
• Marketing
• Human resource management
• Project management

The course content will also be quite varied with some degrees, allowing you to combine business with a language, for example, Spanish or Mandarin. You can also find degrees in business and law ,or information technology. Modules commonly covered in business degrees are:

• Business management
• Leadership
• International law
• International standards
• Economics
• Marketing
• Company systems
• Finance
• Human resources

Universities offering business degrees

All the top study destinations for international students have top-ranking universities offering top-ranking business courses. 

• UK
• USA
• Canada
• Australia

As mentioned, employers from high-ranking businesses recruit directly from these top-ranking universities. According to the QS Global Employability Rankings for 2022, the following universities feature in the top 30:

• Stanford University – USA (Ranking 2)
• UCLA – USA (Ranking 3) 
• University of Sydney – Australia (Ranking 4)
• University of Melbourne – Australia (Ranking 8)
• University of Toronto – Canada (Ranking 21)
• University of Waterloo – Canada (Ranking 24)
• University College London – England (Ranking 20)
• Imperial College London – England (Ranking 30)

We have over 2,000 universities offering business and management courses in the above places and many, many more. Why don’t you try our course matcher tool or register to arrange to speak to a counsellor to find your ideal course? Let us help you on your successful journey into the world of business.