Best Online Degree

Do you love to shop? Do you love to tell people about the latest and greatest merchandise? If so, earning a retail management degree might be a perfect fit for you. With retail managers making up a large portion of the nation’s workforce, jobs tend to be plentiful.

What to Expect

While you can gain entry into the retail industry without a degree, a retail management degree is usually required to move into positions of management. Retail managers are involved in every aspect of the retail business. Therefore, earning a bachelor’s degree ensures you will have the skills needed to perform strategic planning, vendor and designer interaction, and manage resources.

A bachelor of retail management degree is typically a three to four year program with coursework in purchasing, pricing, and merchandise prediction. In addition, most programs include classes in accounting, marketing, management, and sales. Associate’s and master’s degree programs are also available and can be earned online.

Career Opportunities

The requirement for a retail management degree has become increasingly popular in the industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that large retail businesses generally prefer to hire college graduates for their management trainee programs. Growth in the retail management career field is expected to increase 12 percent during the next decade. Graduates hold positions such as first line store supervisor, assistant manager, manager, and purchasing manager. In addition, many graduates go on to open their own stores.

Whether you are wanting to open small business of your own or work in a large, well established retail company, a retail management degree can give you the training you need to put together a successful career. With the number of industries that employ retail managers, you will be able to find work in a variety of environments in the consumer marketplace.