This degree program enables students to examine business issues pertaining to the fields of employee management and economics.

Degree Benefits:

  • Skill development (critical thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, and research)
  • Competitive pay (Administrative Services Managers generate a median annual salary of $98,890*)
  • Substantive job growth outlook (9% for Administrative Services Managers)*

Career Options Include:

  • Operations Manager
  • Human Resources Manager
  • Project Manager
  • Director of Operations

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Administrative Services Managers, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/administrative-services-managers.htm (visited March 24, 2022).

Find an online bachelor's or master's degree:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

You can qualify for an entry-level position with an associate’s degree in business management that takes as little as two years. With this degree comes many options. You can choose to accept a position in management in almost any industry from music to construction or you can continue with your education and get a bachelor’s degree in another two years.

The cost to get any degree varies greatly from state to state as well as from different colleges and universities depending on the specific degree you are seeking and if you already have credits to complete your goal. It also depends on whether you decide to go to a college that is located in your own state by staying on-campus or at home, or if you attend out-of-state classes. Another option is taking online courses. Overall, the average cost to obtain your degree in business management can be anywhere from $9000 per year to $45,000 per year.[12]

In general, the courses you will need to complete for a business management degree will include the following:

  • Communication
  • Accounting
  • Strategic Planning
  • Financial Management
  • Business Ethics
  • Resource Management
  • Marketing
  • Information Technology

To be more specific we will break down the general coursework for each degree field, including an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, and a Master of Business Administrative(MBA)

A major is a specific subject area that you will specialize in after getting your degree. Most colleges will allow you to wait until your sophomore year to choose a major for a four-year degree, giving you time to decide what your major will be. However, if you decide on getting a two-year degree, then you most likely will choose a major at the start, since this is a shorter program.


In addition, some colleges and universities will also allow you to choose a minor as well, which can include coursework in another field, usually related to your major. They may even provide their students with advisor programs, to help you decide what your major and/or minor will be. Check with the school to ensure they have the major you are seeking.

The percentage of students who commit to a two-year degree program at a community college and actually graduate within two years is 5 percent.


The percentage of students who commit to a four-year bachelor’s degree program at a flagship and private/public University who actually graduate and get their degree in four years is 36 percent.


For a four-year non-flagship public university, the percentage of students who graduate on time is 19 percent.


According to the Hechinger Report, one of the main reasons why the graduation rate for getting a degree at the expected time is so low is due to students not taking enough hours during a semester. 12 hours of credits are considered full time during a semester — which most students commit to — but it often takes 15 hours of commitment to meet the 120 hours required to graduate in a four-year period. Yet only 29% of community college students will take 15 hours of credits or more during a semester. Moreover, 12 credits are the threshold to get the maximum financial aid, which cannot be used to catch up by taking summer classes. Still, 86% of freshmen believe they will get their degree on time, according to the American Freshman’s survey.

With so many tough choices to make and between studying, completing assignments, doing research, and more, it can be a little overwhelming to take all this on by yourself. Fortunately, most colleges have job placement service programs that can help you make important decisions, create the perfect resume, and set you up for interviews even before you graduate, among other things. Some may also help you choose a major and which degree you would like to obtain. Talk to a college recruiter to find out more about what programs and services they have available for students.


Since the early 2000’s Corporate Partnership Programs (CPP’s) have been working with college students who are on the brink of graduating and getting their degree. Their focus is mainly on assisting students to gain employment in the field of their choice upon graduating.


This service raised tensions within student development models, as some claim it is in opposition with traditional methods that offered student’s career counseling while providing them with the right skills to be able to conduct their own job searches and successfully gain employment on their own. Nevertheless, CPP’s have continuously gained in popularity and are now widespread within multiple colleges and universities throughout the U.S.


Many see CPP’s as an innovative step forward, where others claim they are headhunters since some major corporations may pay them a finder’s fee for sending them good employees. But, what’s wrong with earning some cash for helping people connect? Moreover, a student’s life can get very hectic, especially towards the end of their term, why make it harder on them than it has to be by insisting they search for a job on their own when CPP’s are willing to help and already have a job all lined up for them with a noteworthy professional organization?

Colleges are usually ranked and rated by how well known they are. Of course, everyone has heard of Harvard and Stanford, which is part of the reason why these universities have such high ratings.


Another factor that contributes to a college’s rank is their accreditation. There are actually two types of accreditation: national and regional. Schools can be nationally accredited, regional accredited, or both.


National accreditations are more utilized by distance learning programs, as well as trade, technical, religious, or online schools, which doesn’t necessarily make them bad schools, but standards vary a great deal between nationally accredited organizations.


Regional accreditation is the more popular of the two and more widely used among traditional colleges and universities.


Some employers prefer to hire an employee who earned their degree from a regionally accredited university rather than national but may consider anyone with the right degree from an accredited college. However, your salary will also be determined by which college or university you obtained your degree from. Graduates of a higher-ranking college tend to receive higher salaries than lower ranking institutions. But regional accreditation may not hold much sway if you want to take your degree overseas.

Choosing the right accredited college for the degree you are pursuing is crucial to your career. Therefore, take your time when deciding and be sure to do some extensive research on every University you may be considering.


The best thing to do would be to create a chart, adding each school and the important values they provide as well as what you are looking for in a university. Now that you have potential universities listed, start by ensuring they are accredited by a reputable association.


Next, check for reviews made by other students who attended the school. Then see what you can find at the Better Business Bureau website, where you should check for complaints made about the school, and more importantly, how they were handled.


Also, it is wise to visit the schools in question before making your final decision. Talk to the teachers and staff to identify their character; Do they seem like the type of people you can learn from who will be committed to your education and who you wouldn’t mind dealing with practically every day while going through at least two years of college?


After you have completed your research and filled your chart, you can then begin comparing the schools you have listed, and one just may stand out among the rest.