Find top-ranked online associate in business management degree programs provide the framework for students who want to pursue a career in managing employees and resources.
The associate degree in business management may seem interchangeable with an associate degree in business administration. While these two degrees may cover similar content, the associate degree in business management is generally geared toward working professionals who want to strengthen their skills in managing employees and resources.
While both degrees can lead to business leadership opportunities, the associate degree in business will emphasize organizational leadership skills while business administration programs tend to provide a more broadly focused course of study on a variety of business topics. Your community college may provide access to the business management program either on campus or through an online associate degree.
Back to TopWhile both a business management and a small business management associate degree will focus on managing employees and resources, an online associate degree in small business management or entrepreneurship will center on the unique challenges of growing a business from the ground up. That being said, many of the principles and courses taught in either program will be similar.
So, if your local community college doesn’t specifically offer an associate degree program geared towards small business, an online associate degree in business management can still help you to gain the skills necessary for launching a new business.
Back to TopMost business management and small business management associate degree programs will require the completion of both general education courses and core courses in business. Courses may cover topics such as:
Key Point: The focus on leadership in business management not only gives students in associate degree programs the skills to lead myriad types of teams, but can also provide the business skills that are unique to starting or running your own small business.
The online associate degree in business management is typically a 60-credit program. Most associate’s degree programs require roughly two years to complete. Once completed, your associate degree in business can lead to managerial roles in sales, marketing, customer service, and more.
It should be noted that many leadership roles will require you to earn a bachelor’s degree in business management. You may be able to continue into a business administration degree program at the bachelor’s degree level.
Most business schools offer access to both four-year degrees. The same opportunities are typically available through accredited online business schools as well.
Back to TopAccording to Forbes Magazine, less than half of small businesses fail before they reach the five-year mark. The skills that students gain that are unique to starting and maintaining a small business can be invaluable to its success.
If you dream of opening your own business or have the opportunity to take over an existing business, earning an online associate degree in small business management could give you the foundation you need for it to succeed.
Back to TopWhether you pursue an online associate degree in small business management online or on campus, you’ll likely learn:
Bottom Line: The unique needs of starting and running a small business are what differentiates an associate degree in business management degree online from one that focuses on entrepreneurship. Most of these associate degree programs will provide a combination of business theory and practical management skills.
Learn more about how to major in business.
An associate degree is a great way for many to start their business education, but you may want to also consider an online bachelor’s degree in business administration program.
The following graph depicts the average salaries of similar occupations to Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes in the U.S.
Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Note: Below, you will find two rankings of associate degree programs:
Two colleges, The University of Alaska Fairbanks and Granite State College appear in both lists because both schools have concentration areas related to business management and small business management.
Tuition + fees
$12K
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85%
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73%
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34K
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1225/26
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$29K
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80%
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57%
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3K
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$56K
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58%
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89%
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1285/29
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$9K
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65%
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38%
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4K
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1160/22
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$8K
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93%
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42%
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8K
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1053/21
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$6K
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11%
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13K
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$8K
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22%
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24%
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7K
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29%
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49K
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18%
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48K
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$32K
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69%
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59%
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4K
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$4K
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16%
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19K
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$7K
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31%
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4K
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20%
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6K
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$6K
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30%
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2K
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$36K
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82%
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59%
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1K
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$12K
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24%
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7K
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$3K
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45%
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11K
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5K
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$4K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
50%
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46K
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1100/23
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$7K
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16%
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10K
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$2K
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29%
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8K
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$6K
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33%
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32K
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$1K
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25%
Student body
12K
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$3K
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26%
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10K
Tuition + fees
$18K
Graduation
61%
Student body
9K
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$9K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
38%
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4K
Median SAT/ACT
1160/22
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$6K
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11%
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13K
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$5K
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20%
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6K
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$6K
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30%
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2K
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$3K
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45%
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11K
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$8K
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22%
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1K
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$10K
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38%
Student body
9K
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$3K
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36%
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17K
Tuition + fees
$22K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
25%
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1K
Median SAT/ACT
947/17
Tuition + fees
$9K
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28%
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7K
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$5K
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27%
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4K
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$7K
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15%
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2K
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$5K
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42%
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<1K
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$3K
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26%
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6K
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$1K
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29%
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16K
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$1K
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25%
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4K
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$7K
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37%
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<1K
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$1K
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46%
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13K
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$2K
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27%
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5K
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$6K
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39%
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2K
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$6K
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27%
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4K
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$3K
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40%
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7K
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$9K
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26%
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5K
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$4K
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44%
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2K
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$5K
Graduation
20%
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4K
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$5K
Graduation
32%
Student body
13K
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$6K
Graduation
26%
Student body
11K
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$2K
Graduation
33%
Student body
2K
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$2K
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31%
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5K
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$1K
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38%
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1K
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$2K
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40%
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1K
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$3K
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40%
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2K
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$4K
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24%
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2K
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$6K
Graduation
43%
Student body
<1K
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$3K
Graduation
50%
Student body
2K
If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.
No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?
If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.
In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.
Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.
Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.
As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.
In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.
Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.
If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).
While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.
The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.
Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.