The time it takes to complete a degree in business administration will vary, depending on one’s approach to gaining this credential. A degree in business administration can lead to a broad range of career options, and this is precisely the reason for its continued popularity even as other college majors have seen a declining interest. A degree in business is useful in virtually any industry as it is designed to develop competencies in verbal and written communications, leadership, management of available resources, strategic planning, financial management, business ethics and business-focused applications.
Associate’s Degree in Business
It is possible to jump-start a career in business by completing an associate’s degree in this field. This is typically a two-year curriculum that introduces key topics in management, communications and strategies. The program may require a capstone project to showcase the candidate’s skills and knowledge gained from completing the courses. Some high schools, in collaboration with partner colleges, may provide students with an option to complete an associate’s degree in business as a dual-enrollment program. Students complete the requirements as electives or dual-track courses, earning the degree as they complete the requirements for graduation from a secondary school. An associate’s degree may be credited as the first two years or at least the first year of a four-year degree program in business. For students considering this career track, make sure that the degree-granting college you plan to enroll in accepts these transfer credits.
Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree in business administration is usually designed as a four-year program that may be completed on campus at traditional colleges or online through an accredited online college. Some programs give students an option to do both online and on-campus classes, and completion of the degree program may take anywhere from three to five years.
The last two years offer a career track option where candidates can define their planned expertise more closely by concentrating on certain courses such as finance, organizational leadership, human resources management and similar course majors. Other students may opt for a generalist approach, taking as many varied business courses as possible for maximum exposure to business concepts. A bachelor’s degree in business may be a thesis or non-thesis program. In both cases, candidates are required to complete an end-of-program project that will be presented orally before a panel.
Related Resource: 10 Best Deals: Bachelor’s in Business Administration Degree Online
Graduate Degree in Business
For those seeking higher level positions in the business world, a Master’s in Business Administration or a Master’s in Management provides an edge in a highly competitive field. Earning an MBA demonstrates the commitment to this career and very specific expertise in business. Earning this resource-intensive degree takes time and dedication. The program usually takes two years to complete for full-time students while part-timers can take as long as five years to earn this advanced business administration degree. A thesis is usually the culminating requirement for a master’s degree. An oral thesis defense in front of a panel of academicians is typically one of the graduation requirements.
Completing a business administration degree can take anywhere from two to eight years, depending on the level of expertise that one aspires to achieve. The progressive approach that entails starting with an associate’s degree as early as high school before moving on to business college may be the most sensible approach because one can tailor expectations, goals and career direction, of which there are vast choices according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
By DeVry University
October 11, 2021
5 min read
The amount of time it takes to earn a business degree can vary based on several different factors. Most notably, the amount of time it takes will be influenced by the specific degree you choose to pursue. For instance, an MBA, which is a graduate-level degree, will take significantly more time to earn than an associate degree, and slightly more time than a bachelor's degree.
In addition to the particular type of degree you are interested in pursuing, how long it takes to earn a business degree is also impacted by the amount of time you have to dedicate to your education. Part-time students balancing work and other responsibilities may take longer to complete a comparable degree than a full-time student. The amount of time it takes is also influenced by the number of incoming transferable credits you have, as well as the intensity of your course load.
In this article, we'll take a look at how long it takes to earn a business degree as both a part-time and full-time student and also explore the reasons why a business degree can be a worthwhile pursuit. You'll have the opportunity to learn about all these topics and more in the following sections:
- Business Degree Timeline for Full-Time Students
- Business Degree Timeline for Part-Time Students
- Is It Worth It to Get a Business Degree?
- Types of Business Degree Classes
Business Degree Timeline for Full-Time Students
In general, it takes less time to earn a business degree if you are a full-time student. This is because full-time students tend to take a higher number of classes than part-time students.
If you are earning a business degree as a full-time student, you may have the opportunity to earn your degree in less time than is typical. For reference, here is the amount of time some students take to complete each business degree program at DeVry:
- Associate Degree in Business: In as little as one year and four months*
- Bachelor's Degree in Business: In as little as two years and eight months*
- Master of Business Administration (MBA): In as little as two years and two months*
Business Degree Timeline for Part-Time Students
How long it takes to earn a business degree as a part-time student depends on a number of different factors. Part-time students may be balancing work or other responsibilities, so they take fewer classes at once. That said, part-time enrollment can be an excellent option for people who are already a part of the workforce or who are raising a family. A flexible part-time, online business degree program can eliminate some of the scheduling obstacles that keep some people from going to college to pursue a business degree.
Is It Worth It to Get a Business Degree?
Getting a business degree can be worth the investment if you're interested in pursuing a career in business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, virtually every profession within the realm of business and finance lists a bachelor's degree as a requirement for entry-level positions.1 While there are exceptions to this average, a business degree can be a useful tool to help you prepare to pursue opportunities within the career field.
Additionally, a business degree can do more than just prepare you for more potential opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, on a national level, employment in business and financial operations occupations is projected to grow 8 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations, adding about 750,800 new jobs.1 When taken all together, this information shows that a business degree can be worth your time if you wish to enter the field.
Types of Business Degree Classes
There are several different types of classes that you may take as part of a business degree program. These business courses cover a wide variety of information and some are specific to certain program specializations. Here's a short list of some common topics that business degree classes cover at DeVry, along with a brief explanation of each topic:
- Accounting: Accounting courses focus on topics related to the practice of accounting. They aim to teach you about the basic principles of the subject and help you build the skills to accurately track transactions and analyze revenues.
- Business Administration: Business administration courses cover subjects related to the management of employees and the backend work that is required to run a functional organization.
- Finance: Finance classes feature the different ways to analyze businesses from a financial perspective. Topics can include trading, how securities markets operate, the relationship between risk and return and the investment process.
- Global Supply Chain Management: These courses relate to the management of complex global supply chains that provide businesses with the goods they need to create their own products or perform services.
- Human Resources: Human resources classes touch on the different ways to manage employee concerns and effectively retain, train and hire new talent.
Project Management: Project management courses aim to teach students how to efficiently deploy team members in order to meet the financial and organization goals of a project. - Sales and Marketing: Sales and marketing classes can help students learn effective sales techniques and may also teach them how to build and maintain a brand image.
Interested in Earning a Business Degree?
Whether you’re looking to break into the field of business by pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree or you want to enhance your managerial skills with an MBA, DeVry has a program that can help you pursue your goals.
Explore our business programs and contact us to start your journey today.