How to Get an Online Associate’s Degree in Business Management

If you have always had strong organizational and management skills, you can turn that into a pretty fun, lucrative, and rewarding career. Just think about how amazing it would be to have a job in business management, where you get to help lead your employees and motivate them to do their best. Business managers work to push their employees and the company to new heights, encourage, plan, and manage relationships. The managers of companies today are the driving force behind huge success.


The career options in management are endless, and getting an associate’s degree in business management will give you a pretty solid foundation on the main topics at the fundamental level. Some topics you will be exposed to include accounting techniques and management principles. You will also learn how to use PowerPoint to make presentations, hone in on your communication skills, discover how to handle different people in an office environment, study effective marketing and public relations campaigns, and much more. In short, you can be assured you won’t get bored of your classes because there is just so much to learn.

Completing this degree will open doors to many opportunities. Whether you plan on diving right into an entry-level management position or pursuing higher education to open up even more doors, you should be in good hands. Taking the time to get an associate’s degree in business management will only help you move forward to a better career and life.

Always dreamt of starting your own business and working for yourself? Getting your business management associate’s degree will give you an excellent groundwork needed to make your endeavor a success. Even if you have the drive and passion to make something work for yourself, you will also need the knowledge and skills to do it right.

The associate’s degree in business management typically takes two years of full-time study to complete. However, there are also part-time and online programs available to provide prospective students more schedule flexibility. To qualify for this program, you will need a high school diploma or GED.

Pursuing an associate’s degree in business management online is a great choice for students who have busy schedules and need the flexibility for school. It gives students the chance to learn while attending to their personal obligations. If you are a motivated and independent learner, distance learning can work very well for you. It is essential to make sure that the college you choose is accredited so that the credits you earn can be easily transferred to a four-year college should you decide to continue your education. By virtually attending classes online, you will have access to all course materials and participate in class discussions just like you would normally in a traditional classroom setting. The main difference is that you would be doing all of this on your own time and interacting with your professors and peers via email or a designated classroom platform.

Common Associate’s in Business Management Curriculum

Students in the business management associate’s degree program can expect to finish 60-70 semester credits in business coursework as well as general education classes in order to graduate with the credential. Some examples of popular coursework in the field include:

  • Communications
  • Business principles
  • Business law
  • Business management
  • Marketing
  • Business technology
  • E-commerce
  • Public speaking
  • Managerial decision making
  • Introduction to finance
  • Macroeconomics
  • Microeconomics
  • Accounting

In addition to business-related coursework, students will complete a number of general education coursework not directly related to business. These electives will vary from college to college, but are designed to help you develop a well-rounded foundation of knowledge that will be useful when it comes to understanding real-life situations and succeeding in whatever career they choose to be in. For example, students may have an introductory course in math, science, history, language, and fine arts, to name a few.

If you plan on transferring from a community college to a four-year college, it is critical to make sure that the community college is accredited. Accreditation ensures that your hard-earned credits will be easily transferred over so that you can start from where you left off, rather than having to repeat some coursework that did not transfer. This will help save a lot of time and headache in the long run, especially if you don’t plan on stopping at the associate’s level.

Associate’s in Business Management Careers

Graduates with an associate’s degree in business management can get an entry-level management position in service, industry, government, non-profit organizations, and manufacturing, to name a few. Some popular entry-level occupations include but are not limited to:

  • Marketing manager
  • Banking manager
  • Human resource manager
  • Department manager
  • Bookkeeper
  • Human resource specialist
  • Sales representative
  • Stock clerk
  • Accountant
  • Administrative assistant

The salaries within business management will vary greatly depending on the position you fill and where/who you work for. They are also constantly changing as the industry grows. If you have a position in mind that you might like to try, it would be a great idea to conduct some research to see the current average pay.

While it is not mandatory for success, students also have the option of returning to school to receive their bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in a related field. While you can definitely get away with just an associate’s degree, some companies are more likely to hire those with higher credentials, especially to fill the upper-management positions. At the bachelor’s and master’s level, you will have the opportunity to expand on the subjects you were briefly exposed to at the associate’s level. You can even choose a concentration if you have an area of business you prefer. Some focused areas that bachelor’s and master’s students look into are marketing, human resources, and accounting, to name a few.