The Associate Degree in Business can be successful in direction for persons, who want to establish the career in the sphere of corporative business or develop the experience in the field of business. There are many pluses associated with this degree, such as skills, fundamentals of business, and choice of an occupation. In this article, let’s dissect the nature of an associate degree in business, advantages of the degree, available career paths, and advantages in relation to other educational levels.

What Is an Associate Degree in Business?

An Associate Degree in Business is an associate degree program that takes two years to complete and guides the students on business basics. Some of the courses focus on general education, while others may focus on business intelligence and; numeracy such as accounting, management, marketing and finance.

This degree is usually offered at community college, technical schools and some universities. This program is intended to prepare the learners for employment to acquire employment or continued education, such as a bachelor’s degree.

Required Courses of an Associate Degree in Business

The courses a student under an associate degree in business takes cut across several areas of business to ensure the student gets the best knowledge in business. While the exact course offerings may vary depending on the institution, most programs include:

• Accounting: Basic concepts of financial and managerial reporting business.
• Marketing: Introduction to the concepts of marketing communications, consumer behavior and market research.
• Management: Understanding the basics of business management, leadership and Staff Organizational Behavior.
• Economics: Managerial economics, theories of the consumer and the firm, with special emphasis on supply and demand, and market structures and economic policy.
• Business Law: A brief of various legal concerns that may work to the disadvantage of business legal concerns such as contracts, employment law and property.
• Business Communication: Written and verbal communication skills as it relates to jobs that requires dealing with Clients, Customers or business partners.

Why Pursue an Associate Degree in Business:

Deciding on getting the Associate Degree in Business will be beneficial in many ways, particularly for those men and women in search of the shortest and least expensive means of entering the business field. Here are among the main reasons why students opt to take the course.

Shorter Time to Completion

Business associate degree is more favorable then a bachelor degree because often it takes two years to get associate degree while for a bachelor it takes four years. Such a model enables students to acquire a job, and start working more early than those under traditional model.

In today’s society where people want to begin their careers or obtain their degrees while having to simultaneously work or take care of their families, an associate degree is definitely one of the advantages.

Lower Cost

An associate degree in business will in most cases be cheaper than a bachelors degree. The programs are available in community colleges and technical-schools where tuition mostly costs less than four year university. In addition, those students who are studying to receive an associate degree may be eligible for loans, grants, scholarships or tuition reimbursement through their employer.

The low cost of earning an associate degree in business means that the qualification is perfect for anyone who wants to develop their business acumen without accruing large levels of student debt.

Practical, Job-Ready Skills

Such curriculum of an degree in business is so constructed to equip the students with practical skills. This is done at the expense of making courses more relevant to solving business problems as and when they emerge, thus making the courses career ready.

Some also have internships or co-op company programmes that make it possible for the students practice as they search for employment. Due to this emphasis on the acquisition of specific skills, graduates who undertake the program can be more marketable especially to employers who are seeking fresher’s to join their companies in areas such as; accounting, marketing, or administration among others.

A Guide on Employment Prospects for an AS Degree in Business

After completing an Associate Degree in Business, students qualify for numerous jobs in many fields. The jobs can be in marketing, finance, management or customer service since graduates can be employed in any field. Employment titles that commonly relate to an associate degree in business include the following.

Administrative Assistant

Office managers are important for organizations since they undertake several secretarial duties, appointments, and are responsible for office executives. This position demands organizational and communication skills and these are obtained when the holder possess an associate degree in business.

Sales Representative

Sales persons’ duties involve selling of products or services to customers and clients. They may be working in fields like retail, manufacturing and operational technology. Skills in financial, customer and communication management that are obtained while learning under an associate degree program are paramount to performing this job.

Human Resources Assistant

As a Human Resource assistant, they help the Human Resource department by processing applicants, maintain records and manage employee benefits. They also may also be involved in the training of new employees or employment administration such as compensation. An associate degree in business ensures one has initial knowledge and understanding of management and organizations an area that is central to most HR jobs.

Accounting Assistant

Accounting assistants have the responsibilities for maintaining accounts and other records as preparing the invoices, and other books of accounts. They serve under accountants or financial managers and any computations they make are very essential in preparing valid financial reports. Academic knowledge from subjects such as accounting or finance makes this a good career for users of the associate degree.

Customer Service Supervisor

Chief communication officers oversee a number of communication staff, who are responsible for addressing the customer’s complaints or questions. Some of responsibilities may include training of staff, staff scheduling and service delivery policies. A background in management and business communication, both of which are covered in an associate degree, is valuable for this role.

Directions to Take After Completing an Associate Degree in Business

A majority of the graduates of an Associate Degree in Business program will start to look for job opportunities while others use the degree as a platform to advancing their education. Now is the time to look at some of the most popular routes through which learners go once they have completed this degree.

Switching to a Bachelor’s Degree Course

Thus, one of the major purposes of an associate degree is that many students continue their education at a bachelor’s level. For, instance, many schools have the “2+2” agreement meaning that students can transfer the credits earned for the associate degree towards a bachelor’s degree and then finish in two more years of education.

Learned essence of this option can be interesting for those students who desire beginning their work experience rapidly but at the same time whom are going to continue education in the future. That way they can prepare to enter the workforce with an associate degree and work for a few years then go back to school and enroll in a bachelor’s degree program in business, finance or management.

A list of Continuing/Advanced Professional Certifications

Another possibility for candidates with an associate degree is the receipt of professional certificates in the fields of business. Some CMA, CPSM, CMP can add value to the resume of a graduate with the aim of promoting one to a higher cadre with better pay.

These certifications are usually earned after the completion of an exam along with prove of work experience in the field, however the business knowledge acquired in the associate degree program is a good start.

Conclusion

An Associate Degree in Business is a perfect fit for those learners who want to enter the business world quickly and do not want to spend a lot of money on their tuition. It builds a good background knowledge in business, teaches useful skills that can be used at work, and helps to get a job in almost any field. Regardless of whether you are starting out in your working career, advancing or changing your field of study, an associate degree in business is a good start to your endeavor.