Get Your Degree in Business

Diploma and undergraduate certificate programs generally can be completed in less than one year. These programs help students with a high school education gain the skills necessary for entry-level positions, such as office administration or bookkeeping.

Associate's degree programs can be completed within 18-to-24 months and are often a stepping-stone to a bachelor's degree. An associate's education helps students with a high school diploma or GED gain the skills necessary for entry-level positions, such as office administration or bookkeeping.

A traditional 4-year bachelor's degree program is intended primarily for students who have just graduated from high school and requires roughly two years of general education requirements followed by two years of intensive business coursework.

Bachelor's completion programs are designed for students who hold an associate's degree or who have earned credits in a traditional undergraduate program but have not completed enough of the credits needed to earn a bachelor's degree.

BA / MBA programs, also called BS / MBA or 4+1 programs, allow students to substitute an undergraduate business degree for the first year of the traditional, 2-year MBA curriculum. After completing their undergraduate degree, students move directly into the MBA program and are able to complete it in one year.

The traditional MBA program is full-time and can be completed in two years. The first year of the full-time MBA program is dedicated to introducing the student to a core set of business fundamentals like accounting, marketing, operations and finance. During the second year, students choose focus areas and/or take elective courses based on their specific interests.

Accelerated MBA programs generally run for 12-18 months, and either run on an intensive schedule, offer fewer concentrations or spend far less time covering the core business subjects traditionally taught in the first year of business school. The accelerated MBA program is a good option for those who aren't prepared for an executive-level MBA program, some of which require 10 or more years of experience.

Executive MBA programs typically admit only mid- to senior-level managers, and they are designed to build senior-level leadership skills. Classes are often held on Friday and Saturday every other week; on this alternating weekend schedule, programs usually take two years to complete. Other EMBA programs may include classes held on evenings and weekends; a few may be intensive daytime programs, and some are accelerated and may require only 12-to-18 months to complete.

Post-graduate or graduate certificate programs are designed for working professionals with bachelor's and master's degrees who wish to develop expertise within a specific field such as:

• E-Commerce
• Information Systems
• Organizational Change Management
• International Management
  

The DBA and PhD are "academically equivalent." Both entail rigorous courses of study with a heavy emphasis on research and can be completed in four years. PhD programs in business focus intensively on preparing candidates to conduct highly specialized scholarly research. Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs focus on the application of theory rather than on the development of new theory.