How long does it take to get a associate degree in business

By DeVry University

October 11, 2021
5 min read

The amount of time it takes to earn a business degree can vary based on several different factors. Most notably, the amount of time it takes will be influenced by the specific degree you choose to pursue. For instance, an MBA, which is a graduate-level degree, will take significantly more time to earn than an associate degree, and slightly more time than a bachelor's degree.

In addition to the particular type of degree you are interested in pursuing, how long it takes to earn a business degree is also impacted by the amount of time you have to dedicate to your education. Part-time students balancing work and other responsibilities may take longer to complete a comparable degree than a full-time student. The amount of time it takes is also influenced by the number of incoming transferable credits you have, as well as the intensity of your course load.

In this article, we'll take a look at how long it takes to earn a business degree as both a part-time and full-time student and also explore the reasons why a business degree can be a worthwhile pursuit. You'll have the opportunity to learn about all these topics and more in the following sections:

• Business Degree Timeline for Full-Time Students
• Business Degree Timeline for Part-Time Students
• Is It Worth It to Get a Business Degree?
• Types of Business Degree Classes

Business Degree Timeline for Full-Time Students

In general, it takes less time to earn a business degree if you are a full-time student. This is because full-time students tend to take a higher number of classes than part-time students.

If you are earning a business degree as a full-time student, you may have the opportunity to earn your degree in less time than is typical. For reference, here is the amount of time some students take to complete each business degree program at DeVry:

• Associate Degree in Business: In as little as one year and four months*
• Bachelor's Degree in Business: In as little as two years and eight months*
• Master of Business Administration (MBA): In as little as two years and two months*

Business Degree Timeline for Part-Time Students

How long it takes to earn a business degree as a part-time student depends on a number of different factors. Part-time students may be balancing work or other responsibilities, so they take fewer classes at once. That said, part-time enrollment can be an excellent option for people who are already a part of the workforce or who are raising a family. A flexible part-time, online business degree program can eliminate some of the scheduling obstacles that keep some people from going to college to pursue a business degree.

Is It Worth It to Get a Business Degree?

Getting a business degree can be worth the investment if you're interested in pursuing a career in business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, virtually every profession within the realm of business and finance lists a bachelor's degree as a requirement for entry-level positions.1 While there are exceptions to this average, a business degree can be a useful tool to help you prepare to pursue opportunities within the career field.

Additionally, a business degree can do more than just prepare you for more potential opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, on a national level, employment in business and financial operations occupations is projected to grow 8 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations, adding about 750,800 new jobs.1 When taken all together, this information shows that a business degree can be worth your time if you wish to enter the field.

Types of Business Degree Classes

There are several different types of classes that you may take as part of a business degree program. These business courses cover a wide variety of information and some are specific to certain program specializations. Here's a short list of some common topics that business degree classes cover at DeVry, along with a brief explanation of each topic:

• Accounting: Accounting courses focus on topics related to the practice of accounting. They aim to teach you about the basic principles of the subject and help you build the skills to accurately track transactions and analyze revenues.
• Business Administration: Business administration courses cover subjects related to the management of employees and the backend work that is required to run a functional organization.
• Finance: Finance classes feature the different ways to analyze businesses from a financial perspective. Topics can include trading, how securities markets operate, the relationship between risk and return and the investment process.
• Global Supply Chain Management: These courses relate to the management of complex global supply chains that provide businesses with the goods they need to create their own products or perform services.
• Human Resources: Human resources classes touch on the different ways to manage employee concerns and effectively retain, train and hire new talent.
  Project Management: Project management courses aim to teach students how to efficiently deploy team members in order to meet the financial and organization goals of a project.
• Sales and Marketing: Sales and marketing classes can help students learn effective sales techniques and may also teach them how to build and maintain a brand image.

Interested in Earning a Business Degree?

Whether you’re looking to break into the field of business by pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree or you want to enhance your managerial skills with an MBA, DeVry has a program that can help you pursue your goals.

Explore our business programs and contact us to start your journey today.

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