Some people dream of starting their own business, or founding a startup with a world-changing business idea. This is the bold path of the entrepreneur! Running a startup or even a small business takes more than a bold vision and determination—it also requires knowledge in different aspects of business. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, this guide will help you choose the best degrees to pursue to give you a solid foundation in your business.
What is an Entrepreneur, and What Do They Do?
An entrepreneur is someone who starts and/or operates a business venture focused on substantial growth, who takes on greater than normal financial risk to make the business grow. The entrepreneur comes up with an innovative idea, obtains funding for the venture, hires a team, and manages the company. Entrepreneurs may take on several different roles as the business grows, including product development, marketing, interviewing and hiring, accounting, and finance. When their venture is small, the founding entrepreneur(s) take on these responsibilities to keep expenses low, giving the business venture financial runway to grow. An entrepreneur is generally well-rounded in different subjects which are crucial to business operations.
These are some of the most important degrees an entrepreneur might study and earn before starting a business venture of their own.
Business Administration
For entrepreneurs, a Business Administration degree can be the most useful degree to earn. You’ll learn important skills such as economics, marketing, business management, communications, finance, accounting, and business law. Students learn about the organizational, financial, operational, and managerial aspects involved in running a high-level business. This is also an opportunity to learn leadership and critical thinking, creating a business plan, and how to find funding for a business venture. This is a good all-around degree to pursue, to learn the necessary skills to successfully start, run, and grow a business venture.
Campus offers an Online Degree in Business Administration to help students succeed in their business aspirations.
Finance
The ability to manage company finances is one of the most important skills an entrepreneur can possess. A degree in finances will teach you how to manage the cash flow of your business venture, optimize resources and payroll, maintain adequate operating expenses, and assess potential risks. You’ll also learn about corporate restructuring, analyzing data to make financial decisions, and how to make investment decisions based on quantitative data.
Marketing
Marketing is a critical component in the success of every business venture. A marketing degree will help entrepreneurs understand audience segments, develop marketing strategies, build advertising campaigns, and build brand awareness. An entrepreneur needs to understand marketing as business ventures rely intrinsically on effective marketing across multiple channels. Marketing courses help business leaders understand how to effectively spread brand awareness and find new customers on digital platforms, email marketing, social media, video, print, and traditional media.
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Communications
Successful entrepreneurs spend a large amount of time talking with stakeholders, investors, team members, suppliers, and media. A communications degree will help you learn more about high-stakes verbal and written communication, crafting an effective message, giving presentations, public relations, and crafting press releases.
Psychology
The most successful entrepreneurs have a deep understanding of people and what motivates them. Psychology teaches you how to analyze human behavior and solve interpersonal problems. This can be useful for managing a team, interviewing candidates, making hiring decisions, and motivating employees. Psychology is also intrinsically linked to product marketing, company culture, and developing strong relationships with customers, stakeholders, team members, and investors. Studying psychology will help you increase your team’s productivity, represent the company in the public eye, and connect with customers via marketing.
Information Technology
Most venture businesses rely heavily on information technology, including software, hardware, and cloud computing. Information Technology studies the infrastructure of technology, network administration, AWS and cloud computing, Linux, cybersecurity, and other aspects of technology infrastructure.
Economics
Some of the biggest entrepreneurs in the world have earned an Economics degree. Economics is the study of how markets operate at the macro and micro levels, economies at scale, supply and demand, resource management, analyzing data to make better decisions, and anticipating trends. You’ll also learn how to allocate budgets, price product offerings strategically,
Engineering
Studying engineering will help entrepreneurs find solutions to difficult problems, understand how complex systems work, design and develop new products, taking the process from idea to completion. If you are a hands-on product designer, working on prototyping, product development, or technological science, engineering can be a useful course of study. Engineers are often involved in complex fields such as computer programming, aerospace, solar technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, architecture, and technical consulting.
Computer Science
Computer science deals with programming languages, software design, backend and frontend technology, and scalable systems applications. Many entrepreneurs choose to study computer science, especially if they are going into enterprise-level software and app development. By studying computer science, you will be able to build prototypes, debug applications, learn cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure, and create software that is scalable and manageable. You’ll also learn a substantial amount about algorithms, data structures, and machine learning.
Environmental Science
Entrepreneurs that want to develop eco-friendly products might seek a degree in environmental science. This degree helps you assess environmental impacts of various business decisions, allowing you to create sustainable products and systems that help minimize damage to the environment. If you are an entrepreneur going into green energy, sustainable agriculture, carbon emission reduction, or resource conservation. You can start a business focused on sustainable practices that help protect the Earth.
Data Analytics
Data analytics is the study of statistical data to identify trends, customer behavior, and correctly forecast what will happen from data models. These courses include study in predictive analytics, data visualization, and performance based data modeling. This is a skillset that will help entrepreneurs turn data into information which helps them make business decisions and optimize operations.
Campus: A New Kind of College, Built for Entrepreneurs
At Campus, we believe that entrepreneurship isn’t just taught — it’s lived. That’s why we’ve built more than just a business degree. We’re a new kind of college, founded by an entrepreneur and backed by successful founders and investors who know what it takes to build something from the ground up.
Our two-year Business Administration degrees — including our unique concentration in Applied AI — are designed for aspiring founders who want real-world skills, not just theory. You’ll learn live from instructors who teach at top schools like Stanford and UCLA, and connect with a personal coach who’s invested in your goals.
And if you’re looking to launch something while you learn, get inspired by The Grind, our series that gave students a chance to pitch, build, and scale their own business ideas — with feedback from real entrepreneurs.*
So whether you're planning to start a business tomorrow or just planting the seed today, Campus gives you the tools, support, and network to make it happen.
Ready to build something real? Apply to Campus today.
*Participation in The Grind startup is not guaranteed and may be subject to application, availability, and/or instructor recommendation. Outcomes may vary by student and are not indicative of future success. Please consult with Campus advisors for eligibility details.