Managing positions are among the ones with the highest competition in today’s economy, and having business skills (especially analytical ones) are almost a career fail-proof. It’s no wonder then that many graduates are choosing to get a business degree and business science schools are seeing more and more enrolments. To get you started in the field, we’ve put together this list of the top business science schools (and top business schools), as well as various info on licensing and what other steps need to be taken in order to successfully practice business science.

But before we move on to the overview on the best schools for business science, we need to clarify the terms. First of all, what is business science? Is a diploma in business science the same with a diploma in business? Well, the answer is both yes and no. Yes, in general, it can be concluded that business degrees and business science degrees are generally imparting the same knowledge onto their students, teaching them the same skills, and are more or less equivalent on the job market as well. Most employers looking for a business expert won’t care if you have a business degree or a business science degree.

Still, the two type of schools are different in one particular respect: the term ‘business science’ and the schools that define themselves as ‘business science schools’ are probably not on the same continent. Lately, South Africa has developed a highly famous and internationally acclaimed center of excellence, with several colleges and institutes labeling themselves business science schools. At the same time, these are also among the top business schools in the world, considering that the actual content of the coursework is more or less the same.

Choosing a Business Science School

If you’re looking to become an expert in business science, you need to know where to start looking for the schools which can offer you the degree you need. You can opt for a school which actually bears the title of ‘business science school’ and study abroad (in South Africa and some other parts of the commonwealth), or you can opt for a regular business school in the U.S. You can find a list of suggestions for the best schools of both categories a bit below.

Specialization

In order to specialize as a business and management expert, you first need to complete a Bachelor Degree in business science or simply in business. Typically, no matter what type of school you choose, obtaining a Bachelor’s business degree takes 4 years of study. Then, after obtaining your Bachelor’s, you should strive to specialize yourself completely by attending an MBA (Master of Business Administration) and graduating from it. While MBAs are being offered by a wide variety of economic schools and whatnot (the diversity of colleges which offer MBAs is really amazing if you take the time to browse through them all), the most prestigious ones are still those offered by the top business schools.

Licensing and Certification

Although not as mandatory as in other fields, there is the option of certification in the field of business science. Though not required by most employers, it’s a more than welcome addition to your CV as a potential business expert. The formal name of this licensing is ‘certification as business analyst’, and you can find it offered by a few select colleges and within the top business schools. The perfect example and recommendation is the CBAP (Certified Business Analyst Professional) licensing, offered by the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis).

Business Science Schools and Degrees Overview

In a nutshell, these are the top business schools in U.S:

• The Columbia Business School
• The NYU Stern School of Business
• The Wharton School within the University of Pennsylvania
• The MIT Sloan School of Management
• The Harvard Business School

These are, on the other hand, the best schools for business science in South Africa and the world:

• GIBS (The Gordon Institute for Business Science, within the University of Pretoria)
• SEBS (The School for Economic and Business Science, within the Wits University Braamfontein)
• The Graduate School for Business Science within the University of Tsukuba

Whichever of these elite colleges you choose and get admitted to will succeed in offering you top of the notch business skills and a quite impressive degree, qualifying you as an excellent business analyst and potential successful manager. Don’t neglect getting the MBA to increase the chances of landing an executive positon in whatever field of business you will choose to operate.

As an alternate route, especially if you already graduate from a BA in a tangent field, you could also enroll directly for a Master of Business Administration so you can qualify yourself as a potential business analyst and simply a better manager. As long as the master’s program you choose to follow is hosted by one of the top business schools, this new degree will open up dozens of opportunities.

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