Alternative Pathways to a Career in Business

There is not one single path that will lead you to success, but rather multiple paths leading to success in the world of work. One path is completion of a business degree, but others can range from a degree in economics or psychology. With a belief in your aspirations, opportunities will emerge, yielding outstanding results.  Entering the workplace of 2020 will require you to possess a skill-set that goes well beyond one provided by the classroom alone.  Employers will need you to think critically, be creative and overcome obstacles.

Explore Your Options

Business Summer Programs are designed to help you enter the world of business. During the intensive seven-week program you will receive training in career development and take classes in a variety of business subjects, earning a total of 10 credits and leading to different Business minors.

Consider creating an Individualized Major to incorporate a variety of your career and academic interests.

Work toward a Minor in Business to supplement your chosen major.

Browse other resources to help you learn about your options

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Dynamic website helping students answer the question "What can I do with a major in..."

Explore O*NET and search careers and occupations by interests, knowledge, skills, and more.

Explore interesting articles (like this one on a career in finance) and read up on current industry trends.

Your Resources at UConn

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Your #1 resource is your current Academic Advisor.  They know you well and can help you to explore your options. Visit Advising at UConn find more information about your Advising Office, or view your Advisor in StudentAdmin.

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The Major Experience (TME) is an all-inclusive program that unites the best major exploration resources and allows you the opportunity to learn about potential majors, careers, and (most importantly) yourself. Connect with TME mentors who are current students in majors that interest you and work well with your strengths.

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The Center for Career Development is here to help you with every step of your career development process.  They can assist with everything from choosing a major to finding a job.  Get started by visiting their website.

Alternatives to Business Majors

Areas of Business Alternative Majors Outside of the School of Business School of Business Opportunities to Supplement Your Alternative Major 
General / Business Administration Communication, Economics, English, Foreign Languages, History, Individualized Major, Journalism, Philosophy, Psychological Sciences, Sociology  Minor in Business Fundamentals, Business Analytics and Project Management Accelerated Masters Program
Accounting Economics, Mathematics, Statistics Minor in Business Fundamentals , Minor in Accounting, Accounting Accelerated Masters Program
Analytics & Information Management (Formerly MIS) / Business Data Analytics Computer Science, Computer Science and Engineering, Digital Media and Design, Individualized Data Science Major    Minor in Business Fundamentals, Minor in Analytics, Business Analytics and Project Management Accelerated Masters Program
Finance / Financial Management Economics, Mathematics, Mathematics/Actuarial Science, Mathematics/Actuarial Science/Finance, Statistics Minor in Business Fundamentals , Minor in Real Estate, Minor in Accounting, Financial Risk Management Accelerated Masters Program
Health Care Management Allied Health, Human Development Family Studies, Nutritional Science, Sociology, Individualized Health Major Minor in Business Fundamentals , Minor in Healthcare Management and Insurance Studies
Marketing / Digital Marketing & Analytics Communication, Digital Media and Design, Foreign Languages, Journalism, Psychology - Industrial/Organizational focus, Sociology, Individualized Consumer Behavior Major, Individualized Media, Culture, and Arts Major Minor in Business Fundamentals , Minor in Digital Marketing & Analytics, Minor in Professional Sales Leadership
Management Communication, Journalism, Psychology - Industrial/Organizational focus, Applied and Resource Economics, Sociology, Sport Management, Education, Individualized Global and International Studies Major, Individualized Social Issues and Policy Major, Individualized Human Resource Studies Major Minor in Business Fundamentals, Minor in Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics and Project Management Accelerated Masters Program
Real Estate & Urban Economics Economics, Geography, Applied and Resource Economics, Urban and Community Studies - Urban and Regional Planning Emphasis, Individualized Social Issues and Policy Major Minor in Business Fundamentals , Minor in Real Estate

Discuss availability of majors at your campus with your Advisor.

"What should I do if I'm not accepted to or dismissed from the School of Business?"

A Career Plan Reimagined

According to Harvard Business Review qualities such as intelligence, values, and leadership abilities are what is used to determine one’s ability in the workplace—none of which are related to a student’s academic major. And, in a survey conducted by The National Association of College Employers (Nace Employer Survey), employers indicated that they were able to translate a liberal arts education to the following skill-sets: leadership skills, analytical skills, and problem solving skills.  Mimicking this, Bill Coplin’s book “Ten Things Employers Want You to Learn In College” rarely mentions a student’s academic major impacting the possibility of successful employment.  Rather, Coplin spends more time discussing how a successful student utilizes experiences, communicates effectively, and establishes a solid work ethic. Your college experience is, in fact, your personal experience - why not customize it in order to meet your needs and goals? Your new goal is to find ways to “acquire and develop” the skill-sets necessary in order to enter into the world of work. Those skills-sets are not unique to the School of Business.

Knowing that your chosen major does not define your career, we encourage you to seek out mentorship from our most recent successful alumni and discuss how you can take advantage of the opportunities here at UConn in order to make your goals a reality.  UConn alumni from all majors can be found on LinkedIn.  In fact, if you take the time to review this section of LinkedIn you will find that a large percentage of our alumni have career paths that have more to do with their skill-set rather than they're original major here at UConn.  Gaining clarity around next steps can easily transform disappointment to inspiration.  Consider scheduling an appointment with Kelly Kennedy, Associate Director of Student Development and Outreach with the School of Business Office of Undergraduate Advising or the Center for Career Development to start you on your new and exciting journey.

The message is clear, if you are feeling as if you hit a roadblock on your path to success, then take action and use this as an opportunity for you to make a paradigm shift in your thinking about your career path.  A successful professional always keeps an open mind and utilizes their resources in order to bring their career goals within reach.