An associate degree program in business administration is designed to give a little basic education before aiming for a bachelor's degree at a four-year school. The associate program teaches the basics of accounting, marketing, mathematics, management and communication. Once you complete the degree, you will be eligible for an entry-level position as a teller, claims representative, insurance processor, assistant auditor, assistant manager, assistant accountant or store manager.
A bachelor's degree is a four-year program that equips students with management and business principles. Besides the basics of all management courses, you get to select a concentration subject, for instance, international business, real estate, marketing, accounting, finance or computer information systems. Typically, the coursework of a bachelor's degree program in business administration includes business communications, principles of accounting, business ethics, economics, finance, statistics, management information systems, interpersonal skills and computer information systems.
Master of Business Administration (MBA) is designed for students who already have a bachelor's degree (in any subject), but want to increase their pay scale and avail better employment opportunities. MBA coursework usually includes rigorous reports, assignments, group projects and presentations. The degree program includes advance studies in the fields of economics, communication, marketing, organization behavior, finance, strategy, international business, operations management, government policy and information technology management.
According to the website Education Portal, a Ph.D. is the highest degree you can obtain if you are specializing in business administration. It is basically a research program, in which you can choose a specific area to focus on such as finance or management information systems. You need to have an academic background of any of the administrative disciplines or liberal arts. Getting enrolled in Ph.D. programs is very competitive.