You are eager to earn your bachelor’s degree but hesitant to commit to a four-year program. Thankfully, it is possible to fast-track your academic journey. Accelerated degree programs are an intense but time-efficient route to gaining both valuable skills and a bachelor’s degree.
The accelerated approach can be practical yet is not ideal in every situation. To help you decide if this program is right for you, we provide an in-depth introduction to the accelerated Bachelor of Business Administration. Keep reading to discover: What is a business administration degree, and what happens when this program takes on an accelerated format?
What Is an Accelerated Business Administration Degree?
An accelerated business administration degree covers similar concepts as conventional business administration programs but with a shorter total duration and more intense approach to critical coursework. This program is structured to help business administration students earn their degree within just two years.
Despite this expedited path, an accelerated bachelor’s degree still calls for a total of 120 credit hours. Up to 90 credits can be transferred to help meet requirements for general education, core courses, and even electives. The course content is largely similar, with classes in accounting, marketing management, financial analysis, and more.
Core Components of Accelerated Degree Programs
Accelerated degree programs take many forms, although all share the same focus on helping students earn their degrees faster than would otherwise be possible. Available for undergraduate or graduate students, these relate to numerous fields and professional pursuits. In general, accelerated programs involve several key elements:
1. Condensed Coursework
Traditional degree programs follow a semester-based format, in which each course demands between two and five credit hours per week and takes several months to complete. With accelerated programs, however, a condensed format allows students to complete required courses at a faster pace. This is accomplished through intensive study, including learning experiences that emphasize practical application. To accommodate this unique approach to scheduling, certain courses may be exclusive to accelerated students.
2. Flexible Scheduling and Delivery Format
Many accelerated programs rely on online formats to ensure flexible scheduling. Online coursework helps accelerated students make the most of every moment, as they do not need to spend extra time commuting to in-person classes or juggling their school schedules with work requirements.
3. Intensive Learning Environment
With many accelerated degree programs, courses run back-to-back, and breaks are minimal. This is not ideal for all students, as there is limited time to rest and relax between challenging courses. What’s more, some students may struggle to find school-life balance or remain engaged when dedicating such a significant amount of time to specific topics.
With a little motivation and a lot of discipline, though, it is more than possible to handle — and even thrive — while tackling intensive coursework. If you rise to the occasion, you can emerge with exceptional time management skills and a deeper understanding of complex course material.
4. Focus on Practical Skills and Application
Accelerated programs aim to equip students with practical skills that they can promptly apply in the workforce. Skill development may encompass leadership and management competencies (especially for business administration programs), but soft skills are also a priority. These include communication, critical thinking, and cultural competence.
Meanwhile, capstone opportunities allow students to synthesize the range of concepts they’ve covered while taking general education, core, and elective courses. This newfound understanding can then be applied as students leverage their enhanced problem-solving competencies.
Advantages of Pursuing an Accelerated Degree in Business
Business administration students often view higher education as a vehicle to career advancement, so accelerated formats are especially compelling to those with management or leadership ambitions. Many of the inherent benefits of a business administration degree can be further expanded within the scope of an accelerated business program, as we demonstrate below:
1. Faster Entry Into the Workforce
A bachelor’s degree is widely regarded as a non-negotiable for securing work in business administration, but not everybody can afford to dedicate several years to undergraduate programs. Accelerated degrees facilitate expedited entry into the workforce and the chance to find full-time work. Upon earning their bachelor’s, accelerated students can commit to gaining work experience or even move on to master’s programs and senior-level roles.
2. Cost Savings
Fewer semesters lead to fewer tuition bills. Over time, this can yield considerable savings while also empowering graduates to quickly enter the workforce — or to seek advancement opportunities sooner than would otherwise be available. Further savings can be secured through online coursework, which can be quite affordable. Add generous transfer credit policies, and it’s easy to see why the accelerated bachelor’s degree in business is so appealing to cost-conscious students.
3. Flexibility for Working Professionals
Working professionals require flexible college programs that allow them to tackle coursework when it’s most convenient. While some may shy away from accelerated programs due to their already busy schedules, online formats and flexible scheduling may actually make the accelerated approach more compelling than traditional business administration programs.
4. Development of Time Management and Discipline
Time management is a must in business administration, and though there are various ways to develop this vital skill, nothing forces students to practice quite like an intensive course load. These programs quickly reveal the power of studying smarter, not harder. These skills can subsequently prove valuable not only in the workforce but also when enrolling in similarly intensive master’s programs.
5. Immediate Application of Skills
Accelerated business administration programs encourage students to apply their skills in real-world settings, which are accessible to working students as well as made available through learning experiences like case studies or capstone courses. Prompt application cements newly gained theoretical knowledge, making key concepts feel more relevant and memorable. These application opportunities translate to competence in the workforce, too, as graduates will have amassed considerable experience in the field by the time they land entry-level jobs.
6. Adaptability to Market Demands
The business environment is ever-changing, and without a comprehensive skill set and a thirst for knowledge, it can be difficult to keep up. However, a Bachelor of Business Administration can help because it emphasizes skills like critical thinking and collaboration, which are always relevant.
These skills, in turn, make it easier to develop new competencies over time and keep up with emerging trends and technologies. Accelerated programs introduce students to the most up-to-date business strategies, providing fresh perspectives that are clearly valued upon entering the workforce.
7. Enhanced Career Advancement Opportunities
A shorter timeline to graduation means a shorter timeline to career advancement. Many top opportunities are difficult to leverage without a bachelor’s, but upon graduating, ambitious professionals can enter graduate-level programs or seek in-demand certifications or licensures. Those striving for internal promotions may find that, by expediting their academic trajectory, they are able to impress their employers and promptly rise through the ranks.
Skills and Competencies Gained
We’ve touched briefly on some of the most significant skills to be gained upon enrolling in an accelerated business degree program. Critical thinking and time management in particular can make a world of difference in your day-to-day work while helping you become a more attractive job candidate. These additional competencies can be developed while completing a business administration degree online:
- Financial statement analysis
- Strategic plan development and implementation
- Debt and equity valuation
- Marketing and brand management
In addition, targeted skills can be acquired through business administration electives. Requirements ensure breadth of study, but students still enjoy the freedom to pursue topics of interest within the realms of accounting, business, economics, law, and management.
Who Should Consider an Accelerated Business Administration Degree?
Accelerated business degrees feature compelling advantages, but not all students can truly leverage these opportunities. Some simply need more of a school-life balance than an accelerated program can offer.
If there were an ideal candidate for this program, this type of person would probably have a few key attributes:
- A clear vision of the future
- Exceptional time management skills
- A preference for intensive coursework
Students with transferable credits may also be well-suited to these programs, with transfer courses further expediting an already accelerated approach to earning a Bachelor of Business Administration.
Still not sure? Think carefully about your academic and professional ambitions. What do you hope to achieve within the next few years? If this vision includes graduation and workplace success, the BBA could be the best path for making your greatest goals a reality.
Choosing the Right Accelerated Program
Numerous factors play into accelerated program selection. Often, the timeline to graduation is the chief consideration; accelerated students want to feel confident they can complete their programs quickly so they may advance in their careers. This is by no means the only consideration that matters, though. Other factors to keep in mind include:
- Curriculum – The ideal BBA curriculum will provide broad coverage of critical management topics, ranging from accounting to financial analysis, international business, and more. Leadership skills should be strongly emphasized but in the context of a broad-based general education that helps expand your analytical and communication skills.
- Faculty – Respected business professionals can offer valuable insights into core business administration concepts. Faculty members should be capable of quickly building genuine rapport with their students as well, especially when leading online courses.
- Format – Some students are only willing to complete coursework online, while others prefer hybrid learning. Differences in format may also involve synchronous versus asynchronous learning.
- Cost – As mentioned, an expedited timeline means that the overall cost of completing an accelerated program can be surprisingly low. Still, tuition will differ considerably between various programs, as will access to scholarships or other forms of financial aid.
Start Your Accelerated Business Degree at Baker College
By now, you should be able to better answer several important questions: What can you do with a business administration degree — and why is it worth enrolling in an accelerated program? There are many advantages, but ultimately, it all comes down to time; less time spent pursuing your degree means more time to tackle your professional goals.If you are eager to expedite your academic journey, you could be a wonderful candidate for Baker College’s accelerated business administration program. Contact us to learn more about our unique BBA opportunities, or apply today.