What Kinds of Business Degrees Can I Earn Online?

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What Kinds of Business Degrees Can I Earn Online?

For aspiring business professionals, the degree options – and career paths – seem endless. Fortunately, so do the online education options. Business students at both undergraduate and graduate levels can choose from a number of fully-online degree programs in business disciplines as diverse as:

  • management
  • marketing
  • finance
  • human resources

Online Business Management Degrees

If you’re planning an eventual move into management, you’ll need the skills of a leader. Why not develop them through a bachelor’s or master’s degree program in organizational leadership? Here you’ll combine courses in business and psychology with work specifically designed to cultivate your leadership abilities

For a more versatile degree, consider an online bachelor’s degree in business management. You’ll study:

  • business analytics
  • finance
  • mathematics
  • leadership

They culminate in a well-rounded business education.

Or, earn your degree in project management to prepare for a career in the increasingly project-based world of business. These programs allow students to complete coursework in:

  • leadership
  • team development
  • project planning
  • budgeting and meeting deadlines

Then begin working toward certification from the Project Management Institute.

If your interests lie in managing an organization’s workforce development, earning an online bachelor’s degree in human resources will prepare you to screen, recruit and train employees.

Accounting and Finance Degrees Online

If you’re interested in an aspect of business that deals extensively with numbers, consider studying accounting or finance. Colleges offer fully online programs in both majors at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels.

Keep in mind, though, that an undergraduate accounting degree program may take an extra year to complete compared to other bachelor’s degrees. If yours doesn’t, you may not be prepared to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam after you graduate, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Online Marketing Degrees

Interested in the sales process? It covers strategically affecting how consumers view and react to your product to determining how prices are set. An online degree in marketing might be the right choice for you. Coursework includes studies of:

  • consumer behavior
  • marketing principles
  • marketing communications
  • financial analysis of marketing efforts

Fully online marketing degree programs exist at both the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. Some programs focus narrowly on Internet marketing or market research. Others combine marketing coursework with studies in public relations or management.

The Online Master of Business Administration

Let’s not forget the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. If you have only heard of a single type of business degree, the MBA is probably it.

MBA degree programs typically allow students the chance to delve deeper into a concentration such as:

  • accounting
  • finance
  • human resources
  • information technology

Regardless of which concentration they choose, students in MBA program typically study:

  • business
  • law
  • leadership
  • mathematics

A business degree can be a great way to start – or jumpstart – your career. Bachelor’s degree programs are excellent starting points, while master’s programs can help current business professionals advance.

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Brenda Rufener
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Carrie Sealey-Morris
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