How Non-Business Majors Can Succeed in an MBA Program
An MBA degree is often associated with traditional business careers, but today’s graduate business programs serve professionals from a wide range of fields. In fact, about 40% of prospective full-time MBA students in 2024 held an undergraduate degree in something other than business or economics, according to the Graduate Management Admissions Council.
Pursuing an MBA equips non-business professionals with foundational skills in finance, marketing, operations, and strategy, which can be applied across industries and combined with past work experience to broaden career opportunities.
Whether you’re seeking to start your own business, exploring a career change or advancement, or stepping into leadership for the first time, an online MBA can help you develop the strategic, analytical, and communication skills entrepreneurs need and employers value.
Real Outcomes: MBA Success Story
Andrew Tisser enrolled at WGU seeking a flexible, affordable MBA program he could balance alongside a medical career and a young family. He discovered that WGU’s competency-based approach fit his schedule and helped him reshape the way he thinks about systems, experiments, and practical steps.
These skills became the foundation of the gourmet hot dog and cocktail tasting company he co-founded. Everything from lean operations and supply-chain problem-solving to evaluating the viability of new ideas came directly from what he learned at WGU, demonstrating how an MBA can empower professionals from any background to pursue new opportunities.
What Non-Business Majors Bring to an MBA Program
Students earning an MBA come from every field—education, healthcare, technology, and more—and those without a business background often bring fresh perspectives to their degree program. For example, experience outside traditional business roles can strengthen problem-solving, decision-making, innovative thinking, and people skills—all essential traits in today’s business landscape.
Additional skills non-business majors bring to an MBA program include:
Curiosity and risk-taking
Curiosity and a willingness to take calculated risks are essential in business, especially in leadership and decision-making roles. MBA programs value students who are innately curious, ask thoughtful questions, and are willing to make decisions even when outcomes are uncertain.
Non-business majors often develop these traits through hands-on experience in their current field of work. For example, adapting lesson plans in education, navigating insurance or patient challenges in healthcare, or solving tech issues in IT roles require weighing options, making decisions, and learning from results—all essential traits that MBA students will benefit from bringing to real-world business scenarios.
Passion and persistence
Graduate coursework requires dedication, focus, and sustained momentum over the duration of an MBA program. This requires passion and persistence, which is also essential for success throughout your professional career.
Non-business majors often build these traits through experience in their fields. For example, an engineer may spend years developing and perfecting a software solution. A teacher continually invests time and energy into lesson plans and finding ways to engage students. These experiences cultivate resilience, discipline, and commitment—qualities that translate directly to MBA program success and long-term career growth.
Reading, writing, and communication skills
The ability to communicate ideas clearly can set up a foundation for non-business majors to excel in an MBA program and in future professional decision-making. Students from liberal arts backgrounds often develop strong reading and writing skills through extensive research, analysis, and communication, which sharpen critical thinking and attention to detail. These skills can help MBA students interpret complex reports, and create persuasive proposals for presentation to executives and other stakeholders.
Skills You Learn While Earning an MBA
An MBA equips students with a versatile skill set that can be applied in just about any industry, whether marketing your future best-seller, starting your own business, or taking on a leadership role at a major corporation.
Communication and Teamwork
Effective communication and teamwork are essential skills in business. MBA students sharpen written and verbal communication through presentations, group projects, and discussions. These collaborative experiences also help students strengthen essential soft skills like empathy, active listening, and persuasive communication. As a result, MBA graduates are prepared to lead projects, negotiate terms, and work drive results in team-based environments.
Entrepreneurship
Innovative thinking is the foundation of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs are everywhere, —launching creative ventures, building charter schools, developing healthy catering businesses, and much more. According to the GMAC Prospective Students Survey, 33% of MBA applicants plan to become entrepreneurs after graduation.
Leadership
Learning how to lead effectively by fostering collaboration, driving productivity, and empowering others is valuable across industries, whether you’re running a restaurant, serving as a school principal, or managing an art gallery. Strong leaders know how to solve problems, communicate with empathy, and make ethical decisions. A full-time MBA program prepares graduates to step into leadership roles with confidence and integrity.
Critical Thinking
Being able to think logically, assess risk, and make informed decisions are core business skills. MBA students get many opportunities to hone their critical thinking skills by analyzing case studies, interpreting data, and applying strategies to real-world business challenges. This hands-on approach helps students learn how to think through complex situations, weigh options, and make data-driven decisions.
Time Management and Adaptability
Time management is a key skill for MBA students, especially when it comes to balancing priorities and meeting deadlines—essential skills in the workplace. Through coursework and real-world application, MBA students learn how to manage their time effectively and adapt to changing circumstances and expectations. For non-business majors in particular, these skills support the transition into new roles.
Ethics
Ethical decision-making is a responsibility at every level of leadership. Executives and managers often have to make decisions that affect others, such as hiring and firing decisions, performance evaluations, and conflict resolution. MBA programs emphasize ethical leadership through case study analysis, self-assessment, and group discussions. This helps students explore their values, strengthen their principles, and learn to evaluate the impact of their decisions on employees, customers, and professional environments.
Take the Next Step in Your Career with an MBA
An MBA equips students with practical, transferable skills that extend beyond corporate roles and across industries. Depending on your career goals, these skills can enhance credibility, unlock new opportunities, expand responsibilities, and boost earning potential.
For non-business majors, WGU’s competency-based, online MBA degree program lets students leverage their professional experience and diverse undergraduate backgrounds while learning business fundamentals. The MBA degree program was developed with input from global business leaders who serve on WGU’s Business Program Council, so you graduate with career-ready skills. And the competency-based model was designed to give working professionals the flexibility you need to pursue an advanced degree. Plus, an accelerated one-year MBA option allows you to complete your degree even quicker and move into the next stage of your career.
Whether you’re advancing in your current field, transitioning into management, or exploring new opportunities, an MBA can help you develop the confidence and capabilities needed to lead in business. Get started today.
