Earning Your Business Degree Online
In both online and on-campus settings, business is the country’s most popular field of study. And with good reason.
This versatile credential will set you up for success in almost any field—from healthcare to human resources, marketing to management. Even better, you can earn your business degree online.
In this Article
Who Should Get a Business Degree Online?
Online degrees are ideal for busy working adults. There’s no commuting, no relocation and no need to quit your job. You’ll study whenever suits your schedule. Are you an early riser? Log in when the house is quiet and everyone else is still asleep. More of a night owl? Hit the (online) books after the kids have gone to bed.
You just can’t beat the flexibility of online learning.
Studying online, you’ll earn the same business degree that you’d earn in an on-campus program. Whether you’re pursuing a bachelor’s or an MBA, the diploma requires the same coursework and the same number of credit hours.
Online & On-Campus Business Degrees: A Comparison
| Online | Classroom | |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible schedule | Yes | |
| Rolling, year-round admission | Yes | |
| Qualifies for accreditation | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time interaction with classmates and professor | Yes | Yes |
| Requires commuting | Yes | |
| May need to relocate | Yes | |
| Yields a respected degree | Yes | Yes |
Online Associate Degree in Business: What You’ll Study
Build a foundation for success with a two-year degree that covers the basics of business.
A few of the classes you’ll study include:
Business Foundations
Start exploring the modern business world with this survey of the organization, culture and operation of today’s business. Get an overview of the ways in which business has changed over the years; ethics; technology; leadership; HR and more.
Business Communication
This intro-level course is all about clarifying your message, whether it’s verbal or nonverbal, a business email or blog post. Practice adapting workplace messages to various audiences (internal vs. external, peers vs. executives) and dig into the ethical and international issues affecting business communications.
Statistics
Business success is in the numbers. In this class, you’ll learn how to sample and evaluate business data: Is it a valid and reliable tool on which to base a business decision? Expect to produce visual tools such as tables and charts to organize and display all kinds of business data. You’ll also get a handle on probability theory and linear regressions as they apply to decision-making.
Accounting (series)
Get a strong grasp of the business basics: income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, retained earnings statements and more. Not planning to become an accountant? This class is essential to business-minded students: It trains you to examine numbers from a manager’s perspective.
Online Bachelor’s Degree in Business: What You’ll Study
Going for your bachelor’s business degree online? Here are some of the topics you’ll cover:
Business Ethics
This thought-provoking class challenges you to untangle complicated business issues with your classmates. From fair labor practices to outside sourcing, you’ll look closely at how values, law and social responsibility overlap in the business world.
Business Law
How can you tell if a business contract is solid or shaky? How does employment law affect day-to-day business operations? Examine real-life legal cases—from labor disputes to hiring procedures—to learn how the U.S. legal system applies to the business world.
Human Resources Management
How do effective workplace teams happen? An HR management course covers the essentials, from recruiting strategies to employee performance appraisals and conflict management. Plus, take a look at the legal and ethical issues that influence the discipline.
Management Information Systems
The right information system can give a business the competitive edge it needs to succeed. In this class, you’ll review the latest and greatest IT systems on the market; investigate hardware and software components; dive into e-business concepts.
Management Theory and Practice
Put business management concepts into practice as you apply theory to real-world workplace dilemmas. You’ll sink your teeth into a range of topics, from defining success, dealing with change, and taking measurable action on business goals.
Managerial Economics
In this class, you’ll discover how to apply economic thinking to a multitude of business challenges, such as: What do customers really want? What products will be most popular? How should products be priced? Get practice with business tools such as demand analysis, cost estimation and forecasting.
Organizational Behavior
How does a person behave differently when in an organization or outside it? Why are some people “insiders,” while others remain on the sidelines? This class looks into business leadership styles, technology, power and politics. Juicy topics might include group dynamics, workplace conflict, strategic planning and employee retention.
Principles of Finance
If you know how to look at them, numbers will reveal whether a business is sinking or swimming. Apply the lessons you learned in accounting class to analyze business performance, financial management, budgeting strategies and more. Plus, get a solid grounding in the U.S. monetary system and capital markets.
Principles of Marketing
It’s more than slick graphics and memorable slogans. An intro-level marketing class will train you to analyze consumer behavior; examine different promotional channels; and consider the many factors that go into the creation and implementation of any marketing strategy.
Online Master’s Degree in Business: What You’ll Study
The MBA is the most popular online graduate degree in the country. It blends challenging coursework with amazing opportunities to make new business connections.
Most programs require that you have at least two years of work experience when you enroll. Studying part-time while you work, you can earn this advanced degree in three to five years.
You’ll start your online MBA with core classes such as:
Then, depending on your interests and career goals, you’ll move on to coursework in a specialty area.
What Business Online Degree Programs are There?
There are several business degree online programs available for continuing education or first-time degree-seeking students. Here are some of the most popular:
Finance—Essential to every business, finance graduates are in high demand. In an accelerated program, you will study both theory and practice of finance, international finance systems, tax law, business structures and financial operations. These programs can be completed in less than four years, and allow you to transfer up to two years of credits toward your degree.
eBusiness—This emerging field offers programs that blend business, computer studies and e-commerce practices essential in today's business climate. Many of these programs offer accelerated business degree online programs and can be completed in 12 to 24 months.
Business Information Systems—Accelerated online programs in this field can often be completed in two years and will include studies in company-wide information and computer systems and strategies, text and data mining, data analysis and retrieval techniques and more.
Accounting – This credential is in high demand by employers, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. If you already have some college credit under your belt, dive right into an accelerated accounting degree program. You'll study the finer points of business law, auditing, information systems, and the principles of accounting.
Human Resources—Areas of study in an accelerated online human resources program include recruitment and selection, compensation and benefits, training, performance evaluation, retention and turnover. These programs generally accept transfer credits and can be completed in half the time of a regular 4-year program.
Marketing—An online marketing program is a great option for this field, and can be completed in 12 to 24 months. You will study market research theory and techniques, customer motivation, global marketing, Internet business and marketing, customer retention and more.
Accelerated Graduate Programs—Accelerated online business degree programs are ideal for the working professional who wants to complete an MBA or other graduate business degree in 12 to 18 months. For these programs, you will study advanced business administration, systems management, Internet marketing, organizational theory, international business practices and more.
7 Benefits of Getting your Business Degree Online
When you imagine school, do you picture yourself cramming for exams? Sitting in a lecture hall filled with hundreds of students? You might be pleasantly surprised at how online learning has changed school for the better. From cost savings to course length, many online business programs offer benefits that you might not find in the traditional setting, such as:
- Credit for work and life experience – Have a solid track record in the work world, but not much college credit to show for it? Many online schools will count your experience toward a degree. In some cases, you can test out of basic classes. Be sure to inquire with the schools you’re considering.
- Credit transfer – Did you start on the path to a degree but wandered off track? You might not need to retrace your steps from the beginning. Many accelerated online programs offer more flexible credit transfer options than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. As you look into different school options, be sure to inquire if your existing credits will transfer.
- Accessible teachers – Online instructors make themselves available to students during specific hours, and via class discussion boards. There’s no back row in a virtual classroom; and all students have an equal opportunity to participate and interact with peers and professors.
- Manageable schedules – Forget the commute to class. In an online format, you can log in and learn whenever it’s convenient: before work; after the kids are asleep; on weekend mornings. Break free from the old school and discover the new cool!
- No final exams – Many online schools have realized what students have known all along: Test-taking isn’t always the best way to measure knowledge. Instead, you might find yourself collaborating with classmates to create projects throughout the duration of a course. In many cases, you can showcase your skills rather than risking it all on one big test.
- Short course length – The semester system is gradually going the way of the dinosaur. Online business programs often cater to adult learners with shorter, quick-turn courses that last as few as five weeks. It’s a great way to keep the momentum going as your work toward your degree.
- Lower tuition costs – It seems logical. Freed from the expense of maintaining brick-and-mortar buildings, schools should be able to deliver online courses more cheaply than the on-campus versions. Now there’s proof. According to a 2015 study from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, online courses at small and large institutions cost “significantly less” than on-campus courses at the same schools.
Fast Facts About the Business Degree Online
Average number of class logins required per week: Two to five
Average time spent doing course work: 13 – 20 hours per week
Class formats: In a synchronous class, all students log in at one set time to interact with the professor and each other. In an asynchronous course, each student logs in independently to complete the course work, although virtual group discussions can also be scheduled.
Tech skills: There’s no need for advanced tech savvy in an online course. If you can log into the Internet and use a word processing program and email, you’re set. Most online degree programs will allow you to test-drive the class software before enrolling.
Computer requirements: A computer, Internet access, a basic Internet browser and email. Each specific degree program will specify its operating system requirements, though most require:
- Windows 10 or 11; Mac 10.14 or 10.15
- PC, Mac, Chromebook, or tablet
- High-speed Internet connection
- Sound card and speakers or headset
- 5Ghz processor or higher
- Monitor and video card
- 4 GB of RAM (8 GB preferred)
Human contact: Most online degree programs make it easy to get in touch with your professors and fellow class members via phone, email, Zoom, Skype, Slack, social media, and discussion threads.
How to Choose an Online Business Degree Program
As you investigate possible schools, ask plenty of questions to find the program that’s best suited to your goals. Here are some important topics to raise with any school:
Coursework
Acceptance Criteria
Student Resources
Accreditation
An outside seal of approval, accreditation signals that a school meets standards for excellence and rigor. It’s an important marker of quality. The federal government may offer financial aid only to students enrolled in accredited schools.
Ask if the school you’re considering has received accreditation, and which kind. Do your homework carefully. Some unscrupulous players have been known to create their own (fake) agencies, complete with phony logos. Don’t just take the school’s word about accreditation; double-check with the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, both of which keep lists of above-board agencies.
There are two primary types of accreditation for U.S. colleges:
- Regional – this is the gold standard of accreditation, with just six regional associations in the country. Credits earned at regionally accredited schools are the easiest to transfer to other schools.
- National – The Distance Education Accrediting Commission focuses on online educators, granting accreditation to those with a proven commitment to educational excellence and student achievement.
For business schools, two other agencies offer accreditation:
- The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is highly selective, accepting fewer than five percent of global business programs into its elite ranks.
- The Accreditation Council for Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) looks carefully at outcomes such as employment rates in order to rate a school’s overall quality.
Who Will Know That I Got My Business Degree Online?
Unless you volunteer the information, no one—including potential employers—need know that you studied in an online program for your degree. A business degree is a business degree, whether you earn it online, on campus or in a combination of the two.
But are online business degrees respected?
Consider this: In 2022, some 59% of all undergraduate students were enrolled in at least one distance education course, and 44% (7.0 million) of all undergraduate students exclusively took online education courses, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In short, online learning has gone mainstream.