Top Online Business Management Degrees

Business Management Degree Online

An online bachelor's degree in business management prepares learners for various lucrative career paths. An online program offers one of the most affordable business management bachelor's degree options.

Online college programs allow students to earn their bachelor's in business management in as few as 18 months through fast-track programs. However, degree-seekers often take around four years to complete an online bachelor's degree.

Learners can earn a bachelor of applied science (BAS), bachelor of arts (BA), or bachelor of science (BS) degree. BAS degrees concentrate on hands-on experiences and incorporate job-related skills. A BA or BS offers a more theoretical focus.

Admission to an online bachelor's in business management program requires a high school diploma or the equivalent. Applicants may need to submit essays, transcripts, recommendation letters, and optional test scores. Participating in a summer business program while in high school may make applicants more competitive.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the number of management analyst jobs to grow 14% between 2020-2030, faster than the average for all occupations. These professionals earn a median annual wage of $87,660.

Questions Concerning Business Management Programs

What can you do with a bachelor's in business management?

Graduates can take many different career paths with a bachelor's in business management. Degree-holders can pursue a career in finance, accounting, management, and technology.

Is a BA or BS in business management better?

Each degree type offers value. BA students take classes in the liberal arts, which focus on various well-rounded courses. These include art, history, religion, and writing. BS students focus on math, science, and statistics.

How long is a bachelor's in business management?

Students can complete an online bachelor's in business management degree in four years of full-time study.

Is a bachelor's in business management hard?

Students may find a bachelor's in business management demanding. Some of the most difficult classes include accounting and economics, management communications, and capstone courses.

Why Get a Business Management Degree?

Business management bachelor's programs teach management techniques for the modern business environment. Degree-seekers enjoy many benefits of earning a business degree.

How Much Does a Business Management Major Make?

According to the BLS, management occupations earn a median annual salary of $109,760 — the highest salary of all the major occupational groups.

Administrative services managers earn a median salary of $98,890 per year. They plan, direct, and coordinate activities so that organizations run efficiently. One of the more lucrative management positions, computer and information systems managers' median annual salary totals $151,150. These professionals plan, coordinate, and direct an organization's computer-related activities.

Graduates might want to consider certificate programs for high-paying opportunities. For example, students can earn the certified associate in project management and certified supply chain professional credentials.

A master's degree could also lead to higher salaries and advancement opportunities.

Bachelor's in Business Management Program Requirements

Business management bachelor's programs typically require applicants to hold a high school diploma or the equivalent. Many colleges also set minimum GPA requirements for admission, depending on the selectivity of the institution.

Candidates may also need to submit standardized test scores, such as SAT or ACT scores. Successful candidates may also need to provide letters of recommendation from teachers and supervisors.

During a bachelor's program, colleges or universities may require practical assignments like capstone projects and internships to graduate.

Bachelor's in Business Management Specializations

Learners can apply various specializations within bachelor's in business management programs. Specializing can help students focus their skills and prepare to apply them in a professional setting.

• Accounting Management

  An accounting management specialization helps business management majors handle real-world accounting scenarios. These tasks can include handling payroll, managing billing functions, and communicating financial data.

• Finance Management

  The finance management specialization helps students value real and financial assets needed by a business, risk management and financial derivatives, and corporate financing and dividend policy. The course covers the benefits, risks, and costs of finance management.

• Health Management

  Health management teaches the business side of the healthcare field. Students master topics such as health rights and responsibilities and healthcare policy. They study records management and insurance claims billing. Students also learn how to manage comprehensive healthcare billing systems, facilities, and patient accounting.

• Marketing Management

  Students learn marketing principles in this specialization. They explore planning, implementing, and evaluating marketing strategies to achieve a company's goals. Students also learn about market demand and competitive advantage. Courses cover marketing research, sales forecasting, and product and brand management.

• Management Information Systems

  Students learn about information technology used to support an information system and how to identify and manage business processes used in such systems. Learners also study how to use an information system for a competitive advantage.

• Sports Management

  A sports management degree combines business education with a sports-specific curriculum. Students take courses in sports marketing, finance, and the legal aspects of the sports industry. Students may also choose to pursue a concentration in results-centered sales or sports data analytics.

Courses in a Business Management Bachelor's Program

A typical business management bachelor's program requires 120 credit hours. The best business management bachelor's degrees offer both general education courses and business core courses.

General education requirements provide a well-rounded academic foundation. Business core courses offer an in-depth analysis of business concepts and principles. These core courses also develop students' research and analytical skills.

Specialized courses can help business management majors prepare for a global business environment. All schools may not offer every course listed below, but a sample curriculum could include the following classes.

• Global Business Management

  Political, legal, economic, and cultural factors influence human resource management and strategic planning. In this course, students learn how global relationships remain an integral part of business today. They also explore how to apply global business skills. Global business management helps students understand the difference between managing domestic and international environments.

• Business Law

  In this course, students learn and understand the laws that affect, regulate, and impact all businesses. Students analyze situations that cause torts and study negligence liability. They use real-world business scenarios to learn how to protect all types of businesses from liability.

• Leadership Principles

  Understanding leadership and different leadership styles can greatly improve students' abilities to navigate any business situation. Leadership principles courses teach the tenets of leadership. Coursework explores various leadership theories so students can apply them in a professional business setting.

Best Online Bachelor's Degree in Business Management

The school and/or program descriptions below were drafted using natural language generation technology and have been edited for clarity and accuracy. The data is primarily sourced from government databases such as IPEDS – see sources section for more details.