Degree Overview: Associate of Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Majors Overview May 27, 2013The associate degree program in small business and entrepreneurship is available to individuals who want to advance in the corporate arena or own businesses. Students in this program can gain and/or improve the valuable organizing, financial, marketing, and management skills required of entrepreneurs.
Associate Degree Program for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
The two-year associate degree program teaches students practical skills required to run a business that can involve tracking credit lines, preparing income statements, conducting feasibility assessments, and developing business plans. Students will also receive theoretical instruction in disciplines such as international business, information technology, economics, marketing, and accounting, along with these professional skills.
Associate degree program graduates can develop technological expertise in Microsoft Excel and other business computation software. Students will also gain valuable business organizational skills, such as the ability to supervise personnel, systematize inventories, and manage workflows. Emphasis may also be placed on critical thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking.
Education Requirements
Admission criteria typically require applicants to hold a general educational development (GED) certificate or a high school diploma. With program coursework oriented toward analytical methods, enrolled students are expected to have completed high school courses in science and mathematics.
Program Coursework
Typically, students in the associate degree program will have the option of obtaining work-based instruction through internship programs with established businesses, along with classroom instruction. Students might be required to conduct research projects. Below is a list of course topics that students are required to take:
•Business communications
•Human resources
•Workplace behavior
•Management theory
•Principles of selling
•Business law
Career Options
Students who have completed the associate degree program can go on to acquire entry-level positions in various fields and industries, inherit family businesses, or start their own businesses. Eventually, graduates can enter these occupations:
•Chief sustainability office
•Operational manager
•General manager
•Small business operator or owner
Continuing Education Information
While some graduates may want to enter the workforce immediately after completing the associate degree program; others may choose to enroll in a bachelor or master degree program in fields such as accounting or business. Thereafter, they may seek advanced careers as chief operational officers or chief executives. Typically, employers prefer candidates who hold a bachelor degree.
