The Best Master's Subjects for Aspiring Business Owners

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A master's program can help aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs learn invaluable skills and knowledge. The specific degree course that you choose will depend on your own professional goals and preferred industry. These are the most valuable master's courses for budding business owners.

Economics

There is a reason why many of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies have an economics degree. Many factors explain why studying economics prepares students to be successful business owners; economics prepares aspiring entrepreneurs by providing them with an understanding of valuable subjects, such as:

Numeracy and Statistics

For any business owner to succeed, they need a great business idea and the economic know-how to ensure that idea translates into a profitable company. An economics masters provides students with an understanding of numeracy and statistics, statistical tests, and statistics software. These skills will prove invaluable when assessing business finances, working out how much you should charge for your product or service, or managing your budget.

Finance

Many economic masters have dedicated finance modules that teach students the basic principles of finance. This theoretical knowledge of finance enables economic students to understand their business's finances, including taxes, loans, and investments.

Risk and Probability

A background in risk and probability can prepare a business owner by providing a framework for under-pressure decision making and risk assessments. An economist can use their training to look at the expected return on their business investment, calculate how large the recovery is likely to be, and critically assess whether the expected returns outweigh the risks of a deal. Understanding risk and probability will enable business owners to take the right risks and the risks they need to excel in their industry.

Critical Thinking and Logic

In economics, there is rarely one right answer; rather, there will be multiple possible answers to any given question. Like business owners, economists are often required to think critically and apply logic to a complex problem. A background in economics prepares business owners by training them to consider every possible answer and weight up to its potential value.

Computer Science
Nowadays, having a business almost always requires having an online presence. No matter how big your brick-and-mortar shopfront might be, if you do not show up in search engine rankings, then you might as well not exist. A master's degree in computer science is one of the best ways to ensure your business is excelling in the all-important virtual world.

Data Science

An online data science masters provides entrepreneurs with the skills they need to make the smartest business decisions. When they are understood and applied correctly, data analytics enable business owners to personalize the customer experience, improve customer retention, and apply more effective marketing, among many other benefits.

App and Website Development

A master's degree in computer science will provide you with the skills you need to build, manage, and edit your business' website and mobile applications. These skills mean that you will not need to outsource IT to a costly third party. Having website development skills also means that you can edit content and fix problems as they occur, ensuring the best customer experience.

Digital Security

A computer science background will prove business owners with the knowledge they need to understand that their digital workplace is adequately protected from cybersecurity threats. It will also help entrepreneurs understand how to protect their online customers.

Problem-Solving Skills

Alongside studying topics like data structures, algorithms, coding languages, and computer fundamentals, students of computer science will learn problem-solving skills. Studying computer science will provide you with foundational knowledge and a set of problem-solving skills that will prove invaluable when running your own business.

Psychology

There are many variables when it comes to running your own business. However, there is one constant that remains, no matter the industry or the scale of the operation: the importance of people. A big part of running a successful business is understanding people. Business owners will need to have a deep understanding of who their customer is and the know-how it takes to inspire their team.

Behavioral Psychology

Behavioral psychology is the study of the connection between people's minds and their behavior. Behavioral psychologists study the connections between the mind and behavior to understand better why people behave the way they do and identify patterns in cause and effect. Behavioral psychology is a very useful subject for entrepreneurs as it helps them understand more about what motivates people to behave in certain ways. Business owners with a behavioral psychology background can more easily identify what motivates their customers to make a purchase and therefore, can include more of these motivators in the customer experience.

Business Psychology

Some master's courses will offer modules in business psychology, the study and practice of improving working life. Business psychology blends psychology with practical business applications to improve productivity, working environments for employees, and customer understanding.

Research Skills

Psychology master's courses are usually researched-based, ensuring that entrepreneurs develop research skills that they are likely to find invaluable when running their own business.

Communication Skills

Psychology is the scientific study of the human brain and human behavior. This knowledge alone is sure to impact your communication skills. Psychology masters are likely to improve your communication skills not only as a result, the subject matter being studied but also by the course structure. Psychology courses often require students to work collaboratively and give presentations.

Other Valuable Master's Degrees for Future Business Owners

The three degree subjects outlined above are some of the most valuable for future business owners. However, they are by no means the only useful courses. Other relevant areas of study for aspiring business owners include:

Business

Business is the most obvious master's choice for aspiring business owners. The course will teach you how to plan, launch, operate and grow your business.

Finance

An accountancy and finance masters will teach you how to track cash flow, create financial statements, perform in-depth analyses of finances, and perform accounting functions.

Environmental Science

Environmental science is the perfect choice for those looking to create a sustainable and environmentally conscious business.

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