How Long Does It Take to Get a Business Management Degree?

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Every company needs someone to organize its people, resources and activities. Business managers and administrators plan, implement and track initiatives for the purpose of advancing the company’s short-term and long-term objectives. If you aspire to a managerial or supervisorial position within a company, or if you are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, you might want to earn your degree in business management. There are baccalaureate and master’s degrees available in this field. The answer to the question, “How long does it take to get a business management degree?” depends on several factors. These include the type of degree you’re pursuing and whether you’re enrolled as a full-time or part-time student.

Earning Your Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management

Any bachelor’s degree typically requires four years of full-time study to complete. If you decide to enroll as a part-time student, it will take you a little longer to complete your degree. Note that in some cases, it may be possible to complete your degree in fewer than four years. For example, you may have earned general education credits at a community college. These can often transfer to a university to fulfill core requirements, which can allow you to accelerate your graduation date.

Every university has its own requirements for graduation, which you should review before enrolling in a degree program. For example at Grand Canyon University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Management requires 120 credits. Of those, 34 to 40 are general education credits. General education coursework equips students to develop critical thinking skills, communication abilities, ethical servant leadership and global perspective. The major itself involves 56 credits of required courses. These courses are designed to allow students to develop foundational knowledge in business competencies. Students will explore the following topics:

  • Ethical and legal issues in business
  • Business communications
  • Organizational behavior and management
  • Productions and operations management
  • Fundamentals of economics, accounting and finance

In addition to these degree-specific courses, many universities have a number of credits left open for electives. Students are encouraged to pursue electives that nurture their own passions and interests. However, it’s also a good idea to take electives that support future career aspirations. For example, those who are thinking of launching their own businesses someday might want to take courses in entrepreneurialism.

Earning Your Master’s Degree in Business Management

After earning your bachelor’s degree, you might immediately enter the workforce. However, after gaining a few years of work experience, you might start to think about going back to school. A master’s degree can enable you to climb the corporate ladder by pursuing mid-and high-level positions in your organization.

Unlike a baccalaureate program, a master’s program focuses almost exclusively on degree-specific courses. However, you can expect to take an Introduction to Graduate Studies course, designed to help you succeed in graduate-level coursework. The courses you will take depend on the specific degree you’re earning. In general, you may expect to study topics such as the following:

  • Managerial accounting
  • Leadership and organizations
  • Strategic management
  • Applied business probability and statistics
  • Marketing management

Scheduling Your Courses Wisely

Full-time bachelor’s degree students can generally expect to take four courses per semester for a total of 16 credits. However, some courses may be worth fewer than four credits. In this case, students might take up to five courses per semester.

Graduate students have more flexibility. They may elect to take only one or two courses at a time. When designing your schedule for each semester, think about the upcoming months with an eye toward your professional responsibilities and family obligations. If you know that you’ll be exceptionally busy at work during the fall semester, for example, it might be wise to only take one course to avoid falling behind.

In addition, consider the types of courses you’ll be taking. If you’re taking two classes at a time, it may be wise to take only one that requires intensive amounts of reading and writing. Achieving a balance with your course schedule can help you succeed as a graduate student.

Grand Canyon University prepares students to pursue meaningful careers by guiding them in acquiring core competencies and broad skillsets that are immediately applicable in the field. You can choose from many bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in business management, administration and related specializations. These include the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Master of Business Administration degrees.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.

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