7 Reasons to Consider a Degree in Operations Management

Selecting a degree to pursue can be one of the most challenging decisions of your early career because there are so many options to choose from. However, the selection becomes easier when you start to compare basic features and benefits, such as which jobs the degree will allow you to have, the average salary of graduates who earn the degree, and how long it takes to graduate.

Ideally, a good starter degree program will give you plenty of leverage as a job candidate and won't take longer than two years to complete. Operations management is a degree option that fits the bill perfectly for all of the aforementioned criteria – strong career boosting potential and a relatively fast route to graduation.

• With that said, here are seven reasons to consider adding an operations management degree to your resume:

1. Useful in a Wide Variety of Industries

With a degree in operations management, you'll be equipped with a shiny credential that will improve your chances of being hired as a managerial employee at almost any company. In other words, simply having this degree means that you'll be eligible for higher-paying positions out of the gate, instead of taking the slower and less reliable route of working your way up the corporate ladder by climbing the company ranks. Rather than relying on the prospect of a promotion, you can put in the work to earn an operations management degree online and you'll be positioned to enter the company as a manager of some sort.

2. Setting Yourself Up for a Leadership Role

Why work for years to get a job that isn't even near the top of the pay scale? Operations management graduates have the distinct advantage of specializing in mission-critical issues like leadership, workflow, efficiency, and employee performance. These are skillsets that every company needs from higher level employees. As the name of the degree implies, you'll have the proven ability to lead and manage any business operation in a professional and proficient manner.

3. Not GMAT or GRE Required

The ability to start earning your operations management degree without taking the GMAT or GRE exams is another reason why this is a great degree choice for aspiring business professionals who want an accelerated path to a higher salary. This makes the journey to earning the degree a bit easier and expedites the process by eliminating a prerequisite that is found in many other similar business degrees.

4. Can Be Completed in Just One Year

Did you know that you can complete your operations management degree online in just 12 months? Alternatively, if you have a busy schedule and can only afford to devote a limited amount of study time each week, you can go at your own pace and take longer if desired. When you consider the amount of appeal this educational achievement can add to your resume, one could argue that every serious entrepreneur and business professional should consider this degree as an initial reputation booster. To complete a typical operations management degree program, you'll need to earn 40 credits across 10 different courses. Each course will take a little longer than a month to complete and will earn you 4 credits.

5. Great Salary Expectations

The salaries you might be able to earn as an operations management graduate are quite impressive, with possible job positions including:

• Executive Manager – average annual salary of approx. $180,000
• Vice President of Operations – average annual salary of approx. $167,000
• Research & Development/Product Development Specialist – average annual salary of $110,000
• Logistics or Supply Chain Management Specialist – average annual salary of approx. $97,000

As you can see, the jobs you can get with a degree in operations management usually put you in the ballpark of the $100k+ annual income bracket. However, keep in mind that this degree will enhance your chances of being hired for a number of high-paying management level positions, so the above examples are only few out of the thousands of possible jobs that this degree could help you get hired for.

6. Superior Project Management Skills

Aside from a fancy certificate and degree that shows you know how to manage operations, you'll really be learning how to get the best results out of every project you manage. Acquiring this skill will make you a desirable candidate for any job position that involves project management. Even if the job title isn't “project manager” per se, virtually every business task can benefit from the input of someone with project management skills. For example, you could later opt to become a self-employed freelancer or entrepreneur and use your operations management skills to satisfy clients and generate better results.

7. The Ability to Successfully Run a Company

Ultimately, you can't assign a value to the kind of advantage you have when you know how to manage an entire company. Some degrees will teach you how to run companies within a specific industry, such as property management or real estate. Operations management broadly encompasses the entire field of business and gives you the ability to do well in any sector, whether working for yourself as an entrepreneur or as a high-paid employee of a company. The fact that you can earn this degree in only one year is also enticing when you consider how much of a positive impact it can have on your eligibility as a job applicant for any management level position.

The problem that most people have when trying to commit to a new degree is that they already have career or educational obligations that occupy their daily schedules. Luckily, the great thing about an operations management degree is that it can be earned online in your spare time. You can spend as little as 10-30 minutes per day on your coursework and be done within 1-2 years. If you can spend that much time watching your favorite TV shows, you can definitely set aside that much time to substantially further your career.