There are two major types of four-year business degrees: a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science. Each type is given to a student based on whether his curriculum was more general or technical, respectively. For example, a B.S. in accounting would apply to a student who has taken quantitative statistics and financial accounting analysis courses. On the other hand, a B.A. in management would go to a student who has taken business ethics and public relations subjects. Additionally, the type of major does not necessarily dictate the type of degree received: both BAs and BSs in finance can exist in the same school.
Business courses typically start during the student's junior year in college. Here, she starts taking core business courses: a set of entry-level courses that cover all the fundamental fields of business. Typical fields of study include finance, accounting, marketing and management. During the student's senior year, she will start to take courses based on her intended specialization; these courses are often more detailed and hands-on than their entry level counterparts and will determine the business major that will be attached to her degree.
There are two options to augment a business degree to an existing curriculum. A minor in business is typically designed for non-business students. The minor consists of four to five core business courses taken in place of a student's electives. Students can also choose to receive two business majors with their degree. The student effectively doubles his upper level course requirement and takes additional intensive courses to add the major. Students pursuing a double major usually go over semester college credit limits or stay for an additional fifth year.
Students can obtain a four-year business degree by starting to take business courses at a two-year community college. Business courses such as accounting and statistics are typically already offered in a two-year college and are transferable to fulfill the corresponding core business requirements in the four-year college. However, students can transfer credits on a course-by-course basis; most colleges have set guidelines of what type of courses successfully count for their business courses. Students should confirm these requirements before taking courses at their community college.