An associate degree in business typically is offered by a junior college or community college and takes two years of study to complete. Associate degrees may be an Associate in Applied Science or an Associate in Applied Business. These degrees are focused tightly on a subject area and usually take 60 to 70 credit hours to complete. They prepare graduates for entry-level positions in companies in fields such as non-profit organizations, manufacturing, retail, service fields, food or hospitality, government or transportation.
Bachelor's programs are university degrees typically taking four years to complete or two years beyond an associate if that degree was earned first. Bachelor's degrees may be awarded in either arts or sciences, but most business degrees are Bachelor's of Science degrees. The BSBA or Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration is the most common among four-year degrees. These degrees typically require around 120 credit hours to complete. Fields that are open to those with a bachelor's in business include finance, marketing or management.
The next type of degree available to students following the bachelor's is the master's. This graduate-level degree typically takes 30 hours of additional course work beyond the bachelor's degree. The most common is the Master's of Business Administration (MBA). Only 10 to 15 percent of those who pursue the MBA entered grad school directly, according to the College Board. Most pursue work options for at least a few years before returning to school.
For those interested in pursuing a business degree taking four years of English, two years of algebra, a course in geometry, a year of trigonometry and two years each of foreign language or social studies in high school is recommended. Having a balance of hands-on work experience and classroom study is advisable.