BS Business Management vs. BS Business/HR Management

[rowan555]

My son is 17 and will be finishing up his bachelors degree this year. He doesn't have a clear career path in his mind, but after taking all his lower level business courses, he knows he doesn't care for accounting or marketing and enjoys learning about human resources topics. With that in mind, would getting his BS in business with a specialization in HR Management limit him in any way versus just getting his degree in Business Management? In my mind, a specialization tends to be a good thing, and is more likely to open doors than to close any. Then again, I have a liberal arts degree, so what do I know? Your thoughts would be much appreciated. He is hoping to make a decision this week so he knows whether or not he needs to take Accounting II

[videogamesrock]

Either degree is check box. Many job apps say degree in Business Administration. Let him choose which ever topic is interesting to him.

[TrailRunr]

The more specialized, the better. If he goes for an HR position, that specialization will help.

If he decides to go another direction, he can still say he has a BS in business management and omit the specialization if it's completely unrelated.

[rowan555]

The more specialized, the better. If he goes for an HR position, that specialization will help.

If he decides to go another direction, he can still say he has a BS in business management and omit the specialization if it's completely unrelated.

Thanks - that was my instinct, but I don't want to steer him wrong. It's his decision, but he is asking my thoughts. I have a masters in sociology with a concentration in criminology - so when the need for mentioning the specialization arose, I mentioned it, and when not, I just said I had a sociology degree. I wasn't sure if it would be the same with a business degree.

[rowan555]

Either degree is check box. Many job apps say degree in Business Administration. Let him choose which ever topic is interesting to him.

How's Ashworth going for you? My younger son is in 10th grade and just hating every moment of high school. I have him doing English Composition via Study.com and he's acting like it is literally killing him. My hopes of him getting any sort of regionally accredited Bachelor's degree are quickly fading. I was so obsessed with school and getting straight A's, but damn, this kid... I was hoping to have him do his AS at Ashworth and then follow in his brother's footsteps and get a business degree at WGU - whatever he ends up doing in life, I figure "business" sounds a hell of a lot better than "general studies", right? But after trying to get him through this composition course, I just don't think he's got it in him to do rigorous college courses in a few years - and he expresses zero interest in it anyway. Ashworth may be the only thing "easy" enough for him to actually get through. But then I see the posts here about how an NA degree is worthless. I'm just so confused about what to do for him. All I know is that once he leaves home, the chances of him attending college are just about nil, so maybe NA is better than nothing at all?

[bjcheung77]

Hi rowan555, my suggestion for your younger boy is to have him complete a RA Associates... there are many that are "easy".
Basically, using the same resources your older son has used... such as Straighterline and whatever else is on your signature.
He can then move onto the Big 3 or competency based - Hodges, Patten, or WGU for his Bachelors if he wants to go that route.
I think I've mentioned this before, for the cost of Ashworth/Penn Foster, you get an RA degree for cheaper/easier/faster.

[rowan555]

Hi rowan555, my suggestion for your younger boy is to have him complete a RA Associates... there are many that are "easy".
Basically, using the same resources your older son has used... such as Straighterline and whatever else is on your signature.
He can then move onto the Big 3 or competency based - Hodges, Patten, or WGU for his Bachelors if he wants to go that route.
I think I've mentioned this before, for the cost of Ashworth/Penn Foster, you get an RA degree for cheaper/easier/faster.

I'll start looking into those options, thanks. If I knew he'd go on to WGU, Ashworth would be a no-brainer because of the articulation agreement they have with WGU. I just hate for him to stop at the AS level and have it be NA. Parenting is so much fun.

[sanantone]

How's Ashworth going for you? My younger son is in 10th grade and just hating every moment of high school. I have him doing English Composition via Study.com and he's acting like it is literally killing him. My hopes of him getting any sort of regionally accredited Bachelor's degree are quickly fading. I was so obsessed with school and getting straight A's, but damn, this kid... I was hoping to have him do his AS at Ashworth and then follow in his brother's footsteps and get a business degree at WGU - whatever he ends up doing in life, I figure "business" sounds a hell of a lot better than "general studies", right? But after trying to get him through this composition course, I just don't think he's got it in him to do rigorous college courses in a few years - and he expresses zero interest in it anyway. Ashworth may be the only thing "easy" enough for him to actually get through. But then I see the posts here about how an NA degree is worthless. I'm just so confused about what to do for him. All I know is that once he leaves home, the chances of him attending college are just about nil, so maybe NA is better than nothing at all?

The better solution is to drop Study.com. It's not for everyone. I found their courses to be tortuous.

[dfrecore]

I think you're trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Why is it important to YOU that he get an AA if it's not important to him? I tell my kids all the time, "I can't care more than you do about your life." Yes, I want them to get some higher education. And both seem to want to at this point in time. But, if one didn't, then assuming they were in 10th grade like yours is, we would spend the next 2+ years of his/her life trying to figure out what they DO want to do. I'm not going to insist they do what I want them to do, because that will not work.

So, I would have your child start doing other things. Get a job. Intern somewhere that sounds interesting. Take a couple of college courses from the catalog that sound fun. Take a career counseling/major search course. Whatever will get his interest going. A 2-yr or 4-yr degree is not for everyone, and to try to force it will probably not work for him or you. BUT, a college course from a catalog full of courses just might get him to see the light. Even if he ends up not getting an AA, taking a few courses that sound interesting is better than nothing. Even if it's auto maintenance. Or carpentry. Or welding. Or creative writing. Or anything that won't "lead to a degree."

And obviously, I'm not saying that you can't parent him, or tell him what to do, or make him finish his high school education. Of course you get to do all of those things. And should.

[sanantone]

I think you're trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Why is it important to YOU that he get an AA if it's not important to him? I tell my kids all the time, "I can't care more than you do about your life." Yes, I want them to get some higher education. And both seem to want to at this point in time. But, if one didn't, then assuming they were in 10th grade like yours is, we would spend the next 2+ years of his/her life trying to figure out what they DO want to do. I'm not going to insist they do what I want them to do, because that will not work.

So, I would have your child start doing other things. Get a job. Intern somewhere that sounds interesting. Take a couple of college courses from the catalog that sound fun. Take a career counseling/major search course. Whatever will get his interest going. A 2-yr or 4-yr degree is not for everyone, and to try to force it will probably not work for him or you. BUT, a college course from a catalog full of courses just might get him to see the light. Even if he ends up not getting an AA, taking a few courses that sound interesting is better than nothing. Even if it's auto maintenance. Or carpentry. Or welding. Or creative writing. Or anything that won't "lead to a degree."

And obviously, I'm not saying that you can't parent him, or tell him what to do, or make him finish his high school education. Of course you get to do all of those things. And should.

I agree. I understand that parents worry about their children's employment prospects. Degrees aren't always needed to be successful. Most licensed and many certified occupations are pretty stable. Maybe completing a vo-tech program at a community or technical college will be more fitting.

At the same time, I don't think a person's disdain for a course from a specific provider is indicative of that person's will or ability to complete a degree.