2023 Best Online Associate Degrees in Business Administration

Rural Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) in Rosemount, Minnesota, is a public institution offering an online Associate of Science in Business Administration, which is a program lasting the traditional length, and an accelerated, FastTrack program. Students complete 60 credits and may receive Credit for Prior Learning, which can save them both time and money. The traditional length program can be completed in two years, and the accelerated program can be completed in as few as 18 months if attending full-time. DCTC accepts all applicants due to its open admission policy, and 42% of students graduate with degrees.

DCTC uses the Brightspace learning management system to deliver its online programming. Online business administration courses include Principles of Marketing, Statistics, Fundamentals of Public Speaking, and Business Law and Ethics. The program culminates in either a graduation project or an internship. Graduates may becom administrative service managers, nonprofit directors, project manager, or small business managers, to name a few options.

Fisher College (FC) is a four-year public institution in Boston offering an online Associate of Science in Business Administration that aligns with FC’s online bachelor’s degree program in business administration, making transferring easy. Graduating requires 60 credits, taking full-time students just under two years to complete, especially if they have eligible transfer credits. Courses run for eight weeks. Fisher has a 72% acceptance rate and a 32% graduation rate.

FC delivers its online coursework and instruction to distance learners via Blackboard. Students in the online associate degree in business administration take courses such as Macroeconomics, Principles of Management, Human Resource Management, and Management Application and Information Systems. The curriculum is designed to help students prepare for professional opportunities and advancement in the business sector.

Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) is a public institution offering an online Associate of Science in Business Administration, with technical certificates available in business entrepreneurship, business specialist, business operations, and business management that students can earn while finishing their degrees. This 60-credit program generally takes two years of full-time attendance. Everyone who applies to FSCJ is accepted, and 37% of students graduate.

Online courses at FSCJ are offered via Canvas. The online associate degree in business program includes Introduction to Project Management, Principles of Finance, Calculus for Business and Social Sciences, and Microcomputer Applications for Business and Economics. These online classes help students gain the skills necessary to pursue careers in the fields of management, marketing, or small business management.

Notable for its online programming catering to working professionals, Southern New Hampshire University Online (SNHU) in Manchester offers an online Associate of Science in Business Administration to help students jump-start their education and careers. The required 60 credits generally take two years to complete if enrolled full-time. However, SNHU has a generous transfer policy and accepts up to 45 credits previously earned at other accredited institutions. SNHU has a 92% acceptance rate and a 36% graduation rate.

SNHU uses Brightspace as its LMS to deliver distance learning. Online business administration students enroll in courses such as Business Law, Managing and Leading in Business, Introduction to International Business, and Human Relations in Administration. Graduates often pursue management-level positions, such as business analysts. Students may also choose a concentration to narrow the scope of their focus, such as a specialization in accounting or finance.

West Virginia’s American Public University System (APUS) is a private, for-profit institution with an online Associate of Arts in Business Administration through the Dr. Wallace E. Boston School of Business. Electives can be tailored to interests and career goals. Sixty credits are required to graduate. APUS accepts up to 45 transfer credits previously earned at other accredited colleges and universities. Along with affordable tuition, textbooks are free. APUS accepts all applicants, and 18% graduate, which is significantly lower than the average rate.

APUS also uses Brightspace to deliver its online programming globally. Courses in the online associate degree program in business administration include Principles of Supervision, Contemporary Internet Topics, Personal Finance, and Leading in the Technology Age. The online curriculum culminates in an Applied Business Solutions course, requiring the completion of an e-portfolio that can be used in the job search process. Through these courses, students gain knowledge about business fundamentals, including finance, marketing, and supervision.

Marion Technical College (MTC) in Ohio is a public institution offering an online Associate of Applied Business in Office Administration focusing on the multi-technology-enhanced business environment. Students complete approximately 60 credits, which may take less than two years of full-time study due to an eight-week course format. A student entering the program as a Certified Administrative Professional and Certified Administrative Professional - Organization Management specialty credential may receive up to 25 credit hours. As with many two-year institutions, MTC accepts all applicants due to its open admission policy, and 24% of students graduate.

Canvas is the software utilized at MTC. Distance learners log into Canvas to participate in online office administration program courses, such as Business Integrated Technologies, Advanced Excel and Data Visualization, and Project Management. MTC's site lists some career opportunities for graduates, such as administrative/executive assistant, project coordinator, office clerk, and office manager, to name a few.

Michigan’s Macomb Community College (MCC) in Warren is a public institution offering an online Associate of Business Administration in General Business for students who want a broader business degree they can tailor to their needs. The program combines accounting, management, technology, marketing, and technology courses to help students develop well-rounded skill sets. It takes approximately two years of full-time attendance to complete this 62-credit online associate degree program. All MCC applicants are accepted, and 17% of students graduate, which is significantly lower than the average graduation rate among U.S. colleges.

MCC administers its online curriculum via Canvas. The online general business curriculum courses include Business Enterprise, Principles of Marketing, Accounting for Entrepreneurs, and Business Communications. The program is designed to let students cater it toward their specific career goals.

New England’s Massasoit Community College (MCC) in Brockton, Massachusetts, is a public institution offering an online Associate in Science in Business Administration Careers, with options in accounting, marketing, and management. Graduating requires approximately 60 credits, taking full-time students about two years. This online program may culminate in a proctored exam. Additionally, MCC offers an online business administration transfer degree for students intending to enroll in a four-year university. MCC has a 100% acceptance rate and a 24% graduation rate.

MCC uses Canvas to instruct distance learners. Depending on the option, students enrolled in the online business administration careers program may take courses such as Principles of Financial Accounting, Small Business Management, Advertising, and Computerized Business Applications.

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC) in Ohio is a public institution offering an online Associate of Arts in Pre-Business Administration that helps prepare students for transfer to business-related major bachelor’s degree programs. Students work closely with advisors to choose electives that meet four-year degree requirements. Graduating requires 60 credits and takes full-time students about two years. CSTCC accepts all applicants, and 21% of students graduate with degrees.

CSTCC utilizes Blackboard for remote instruction. Online PBA courses include Public Speaking, Principles of Macroeconomics, Information Systems for Managers, and Quantitative Reasoning. Students must also complete a part-time cooperative education experience in pre-business administration to graduate.

Florida’s St. Petersburg College (SPC) is a public institution in the Sunshine State offering an online Associate of Science in Business Administration with subplans, such as management and operations, accounting operations, financial services, and supply chain logistics, depending on career goals. Students complete approximately 60 credits to graduate, taking about two years of full-time enrollment. Students follow an Academic Pathway that helps navigate them through the program to increase their chances for success. SPC has a 100% acceptance rate and a 35% graduation rate.

SPC distance learners use the MyCourses distance learning platform to log into their classes. Depending on the subplan, business administration distance learners take courses such as Accounting Software Applications, Supervisory Management, Entrepreneurial Marketing and Sales, and Personal Insurance. They also complete a capstone that aligns with their subplan, and this will determine their career opportunities after graduation.