Business Technology: Is a Degree Worth It? 

This is a loaded question, isn’t it? After all, the value of any degree is more than the time and money put into getting it, and it’s usually more than the dollars and opportunities that a degree provides a person.

But we know what we mean when we ask this question, don’t we? What we really mean is this: will the time, energy, and money I put into earning this particular degree help me to succeed in life? Yes, of course, success looks different to everyone. But still, that’s ultimately what we're after.

Another way to think of it is: will a business technology degree be considered to be something that’s of worth to my potential employers? Or will this degree help me as I start my own business and sell a product or service to my customers?

While with most degrees a person really has to consider whether or not their degree will pay off. Like Uncle Steve’s B.A. in the study of Basket Weaving Through the Ages, will it pay off? Doubtful. But a Business Technology degree doesn’t have that kind of baggage associated with it.

Business degrees, in general, can take a person almost anywhere. Business degree programs teach the reality of how money is really made in the world and how anyone can do it. So, yes, a business degree, even a general one is worth it.

At UAT, though, it’s taken it to the next level. UAT recognizes that the world is becoming increasingly reliant and integrated into technology, so this business degree isn’t the run-of-the-mill business administration degree. It’s a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Technology.

What is a Degree in Business Technology?

A business technology degree is a technical business leadership major designed to prepare students for high-level careers in today’s technology-centric business world. 

To elaborate, a Business Technology degree arms you with technical, strategic, financial, analytical, and managerial skills, you will need to conquer the world of business. UAT's specific Business Technology degree program achieves this by focusing on two main components of the advancing business landscape: entrepreneurship and product development.

But I don’t think I want to own or start my own business! Maybe I’ll want to manage a team one day but I want to work for someone else and help them run their business!

That’s great! But you should still study and learn how to be an entrepreneur—and here’s why.

The Value of Studying Entrepreneurship

There are two good reasons to study entrepreneurship.

The first and most obvious one is to learn how to start your own business the best way possible. Maybe you have a business idea for mass producing and selling affordable cosplay outfits. Awesome. Understanding entrepreneurship will help you get there faster.

But what if you really don’t want to start your own business. Is it a waste of time to study entrepreneurship in that situation?

Not at all! For one thing, you will be a different person when you graduate from college. You will be a different person ten years, twenty, thirty years after that. There will be times in your life when you want to start your own business and there will be times when you want to work for someone else. There will even be times when you want to start your own business and work for someone else at the same time.

And this leads to the second reason to be open to studying entrepreneurship: all good employers want their employees to be mini-entrepreneurs.

Good employers call it “taking ownership” of your position. They want you to own what you do. To take pride in what you do. To be personally invested in what you do. And, see the purpose of what you do from a high level to help you prioritize what's important about what you do. The skills, mindset, and attitude you can learn at UAT in their Business Technology program will give you those entrepreneurial skills.

The Value of Studying Product Development

It’s sad, but Tony Stark is a fictional character. I know. It’s shocking news and you may need to take a minute, go through some breathing exercises, then start reading again, but know, Tony Stark isn’t real.

Well, he’s real in my heart!

Hey, same here! This is why studying product development is such a big deal.

Wait—what?

No one in the MCU knows more about product development than Tony Stark, or his counterpart in the DC universe, Bruce Wayne. Both of them are able to magically produce whatever they needed to face their challenges and beat the bad guy.

The real world is a little different. The real world takes people who have an intimate understanding of how to take an idea from an engineer or a software developer and walk that idea through the nursery door to the market where it can be the profitable product idea it was meant to be.

And maybe you don’t specifically want to develop new products, but solely be on the people management side. That’s fine, but no matter what your role in a company is, you will have a product or service that you are connected to, new or old, that will need to be further or continuously developed, and more than likely through technical people. It’s just the way the majority of business today works.

And, just like with entrepreneurship, just because you don’t want to develop products from the ground up right now, doesn’t mean that you won’t be sipping on Starbucks ten years from now with Sammy from high school who actually has a good idea this time that will fill a genuine need in the market. Won’t it be nice as you set down your Frappuccino to be able to say, “Wow, I think this idea is actually feasible! Let’s do something with this!”

Why You Should Study Business Technology

But why study business technology?  This is where we start realizing why we need to study at UAT instead of the University of Anywhere Else.

UAT recognizes the world as it is and how the business world of tomorrow will be.

What medium are you using to read this article? A computer? A smartphone? A tablet? Dollars to donuts, you’re not reading this article on a piece of paper. Now, forty years ago, when UAT was getting its start as one of the nation's rising hi-tech institutes, known as CAD Institute back then, perhaps a tangible medium like the newspaper would’ve been more appropriate to reach prospective students. 

Technology advances more and more each day, making the way we do business increasingly if not primarily, focused around technology. Many roles, even the most basic ones, utilize technology to manage or track their daily duties. UAT understands that to succeed in business, you don’t just have to know the basics of business. You have to understand technology. You have to understand how business and technology complement one another like Fennec Shand compliments Boba Fett.

Other schools are going to make sure you understand the basics of business including Excel, Word, how to create an invoice and run a meeting, how to be a leader, and pack you full of other "business" information, then send you on your way.

For UAT, that’s not enough. UAT goes further. UAT teaches you how to have the mindset of an entrepreneur. UAT teaches you how to identify a need, actually physically create a viable solution, and implement innovation through strategic and technical processes in order to graduate. And, down the road in your career, if an alum at any point feels that they do not have the skills necessary to achieve employment or advance in their career, UAT offers lifelong skills training through course audits.

Better yet, enroll in UAT's Master of Science in Technology Leadership degree program to really grow your potential of rising to the top. 

What Can You Do With a Business Technology Degree? 

A degree in Business Technology from UAT specifically allows you to understand through real-world learning and hands-on project experience, how to develop and manage business models, technical teams, regulatory issues, business development, strategic management, product innovation, and go-to-market strategies. 

But what does "real-world learning" or "hands-on-project experience" really mean?

It means you'll get your noggin packed with high-level, managerial excellence and execution knowledge through the practice of managing and leading projects within various areas of technology. 

With access to all campus technology and an open curriculum, no matter your major, you can also fully immerse yourself with fellow innovators and those other branches of technology including computer science, artificial intelligence, cyber security, data science, human-computer interaction, digital modeling and fabrication, robotics and more.

You gain exposure to and training in the latest industry tools that enable you to deploy business strategies and processes that make products and services better so that you gain the mindset, knowledge, and experiences you need to be successful in the workforce. You will learn how to "show your work" and apply it within any technical industry or project throughout your career.

With the rise in technology-centric positions, business technology degree program graduates are in high demand for their mastery of product innovation, technology startup leadership, entrepreneurship, and business skills. They will leave UAT with hands-on experience bringing new products to market, managing cross-discipline teams, deploying project management skills, and applying for patents.

In case you haven't caught on yet, you'd have a lot of options!

Types of Business Technology Jobs:

There are many business technology careers to consider including: 

• Product Manager
• Project Manager
• Business Development Manager
• Strategy Manager
• Program Manager
• Business Technology Manager
• Business Intelligence (BI) Engineer
• Operations Analyst
• Business Technology Analyst
• Business Technology Consultant
• Chief Operations or Technology Officer
• Technology Startup Founder

And, they typically pay very well. You can find opportunity, salary, satisfaction, and more information for many of these positions that rank on Glassdoor's Top 50 Best Jobs in America for 2022.

A Business Technology Degree Program, But With Mentors

But technology is scary. I get the potential of making a lot of money, but the thought of innovating technology is actually frightening. Where do I even start?

That’s true and it can be overwhelming to even begin brainstorming about claims to innovation for UAT Tech Tank competitions or your final Student Innovation Project. But that’s what your industry-recognized professors, mentors, and fellow students are here for and why UAT calls it a mentored education.

You won't always have your hand held, but you will become a part of a tight-knit family and immersive technology culture and have a plethora of student support teams and resources, practically at your doorstep if you live on campus. At UAT, you're guided through your fear of technology, your fear of failure, your fear of the unknown, and immersed into the world of understanding. UAT offers to equip you with the tools you need for unleashing your full potential.

To summarize it all, while you can learn how business has been done for decades from almost any college, at UAT you are going to learn how you can lead the evolution of business with the utilization of technology. And, You actually start innovating on day one.

Is It Worth It—Like, To Get a Degree in Business Technology?

That’s the real question, isn’t it? After this time together, slipping on our loafers and putting on our cardigan, asking if you’ll be our neighbor at UAT, this is what it’s all about—do you think it is worth it to get a degree in business technology?

Will UAT prepare you to enter the business world of tomorrow? Will it arm you with an understanding of emerging technology and give you a strong foundation of business principles? Will you become empowered to lead in a high-tech environment or even start your own technology startup? Without a doubt, yes.

But, again, the question is really about worth. It’s about value. Because at the end of the day, whether or not you succeed in business will have more to do with how tenacious and persistent you are and less about the piece of paper you hold that says you graduated from somewhere. So why bother at all?

Because a degree is more than a piece of paper. It represents knowledge and capabilities.

Sure you might be able to sludge through a decade or so of winging it at business and you may succeed. Sure, you can get a job without a degree, but what about a career? Why not gain a high-quality education at UAT and cut years from the time it takes for you to achieve what you would consider success?

Quality education doesn’t guarantee success – it makes success easier to grasp. And, we all want success, but the question is how much do you want to struggle along the way?

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