Obtaining An Online Associates Degree in Business
Why an Associate Degree in Business?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics(1) reveals that business is “the most popular field of study among undergraduates.” Not surprisingly, earning an online associates degree in business is a popular course of study. For example, and Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration prepares high school grads for the highly competitive corporate world without hemming in their abilities to try to explore different avenues.
On the flipside, a business degree with an accounting focus does set the course for a specific business career early on in the graduate’s academic work. Getting a job with an AAS in business is the perfect decision even for newly minted college students who are not sure what major they wish to pursue in the long run or on the baccalaureate level. Credits transfer into almost any field, such as a business degree in project management – or later a graduate in business administration – and the education will never go to waste in any form of employment.
Why an Online Degree?
Entry level associate business degree jobs offer a variety of opportunities. An A.A.S. in business from a distance learning organization is a great way to prove to a would-be employer that a candidate is a self-starter and possesses the discipline necessary to independently earn a degree and go after an education. This lets the average entry-level job applicant shine when presenting a resume. Bright Hub’s own Laurie Patsalides published on this matter in her article entitled “Employer Acceptance of Online Degrees: Yay or Nay.”
For example, Kaplan University – regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission – offers a 90 quarter credit hour program that allows for custom-tailoring with respect to a specific job focus, but requires rigorous basic business discipline training. This lets the student prepare for communications, accounting, economics and also human resources management.
In addition to the discipline a potential employee evidences by virtue of having completed an online degree in very specific business management areas, s/he also has the added advantage of impressing the employer with computer knowledge and the ability to use it for learning, networking, researching, and preparing documents fit for submission. This too will set the candidate apart from a good many other applicants intent on being offered the entry-level job.
Long-Term Outlook
In the past, an online education may have seemed like the way to go for advanced degrees, but with the many money-saving advantages attached to earning an associate degree in business online, high school seniors are also taking a good close look. There is another compelling reason to prepare for entry-level associate business degree jobs: future advancement.
This holds true not only for the job but also for the education. With the increased popularity of an online education culminating in associates’ degrees, many such an online degree can now be earned from highly respected online universities as opposed to junior or community colleges. This enables the student earning an A.A.S. in business to apply all the credits to an advanced degree, which may be done immediately upon graduation or after a few years.
Sources
(1) Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Quarterly” Winter 2008-09, https://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2008/winter/art03.pdf (accessed January 25, 2010)
Kaplan University, https://talent.kaplan.edu/Assets/pdf/2009_Catalog_200910.pdf, pp. 65ff (accessed January 25, 2010)
