Business Administration (Associate)

Business Administration Training in 2 Years*

The Associate of Science degree in Business Administration equips students with a broad-based foundation in business administration by preparing them with the necessary skills to contribute to the overall success of a business or an organization.

Accounting
Management
Marketing
Human Relationships
Startup Strategies
Business Law
Communications

Upon completion of the Associate of Science degree in Business Systems Management, students can pursue careers in a number of fields, including business management, social media marketing, marketing, advertising, banking, personal finance, and entrepreneurship.

The goal of this Associate of Science Degree program is to provide students with an opportunity to develop skills in critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, social responsibility, human relationships, and technological savvy. Students will interact with faculty and peers in a career-oriented business education that emphasizes personal and professional integrity.

This course is designed as a survey course that explores the functions of modern business, including an overview of marketing, management, ethics, social responsibility, and human resources management. The course introduces common terminology, concepts, topical readings and current issues in business, while fostering critical and analytical thinking skills.
Credits: 5

In this course students gain an understanding of the word processing software Microsoft Word. Students in this course create numerous Microsoft Word documents, and apply various techniques such as editing and proofing, formatting text, cutting and pasting, saving and deleting. Students use tables, styles, and graphics to build documents such as business letters, letterhead, envelopes, and flyers. Students also learn how to perform a mail merge using Word’s powerful Mail Merge feature. This course gives students the foundation to work effectively with this software and to market their acquired skills to potential employers.
Credits: 5

This course covers the fundamentals of financial accounting, including double-entry accounting and the accounting cycle. Other topics include cash, receivables, inventories, plant assets, liabilities, partnerships, corporation, investments, statement of cash flows, and interpretation of financial statements.
Credits: 5

This course covers basic Microsoft Excel skills that include creating, modifying, and formatting a worksheet, and turning the data into highly functional charts. Students begin to experiment with basic functions and formulas and learn to automate spreadsheet tasks. Students build and edit worksheets, work with cells and cell ranges, format cell contents and values, and manage workbooks.
Credits: 5

Students in this course are exposed to basic issues in starting a business. Topics may include capitalization, staffing, subcontracting, permits, facilities, and basic business planning. The course offers students practical exercises to begin strategic development of a business and offers practical problems and issues in the startup phase of building a successful organization.
Credits: 5

Students in this course gain an understanding for creating electronic presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint. Topics in this course may include working with template slides, formatting slides, working with layouts, working with graphics, creating charts, and adding animation. Students also study methods and techniques for giving presentations using this exciting software.
Credits: 5

Students in this course study the responsibilities for managing a business. Topics studied in this course may include making a business plan, cost planning and budgeting, development of the business and the business accounts, and the basics of buying and selling a business. This course introduces students to the foundations of business management, and how to apply those foundations to open a new business or to improve upon an already existing business.
Credits: 5

In this course, students study the nuances of promotion, advertising, and consumer spending, and how those concepts can be applied to getting the word out about a company, product or service. Students learn about planning effective advertising campaigns by analyzing public demand for a particular product or service, and the products offered by the competition. Students also learn about the different methods of marketing, and how technology has impacted the way marketing is handled for both big and small companies.
Credits: 5

In this course, students study the nature of Human Relationships. This includes group and individual behaviors, improving productivity and quality through correct motivation, developing employees, correctly rewarding employees, and dealing with a variety of job related conflicts. Students learn about the human element related to the work environment and methods to achieve an effective fit between people and the organizational systems.
Credits: 5

In this course, students study the nuances of the legal environments including law, business strategy, and business ethics. Topics covered in this course include administrative law, international law, business crime, torts, contracts, and business related legal issues. Students also learn about antitrust law, intellectual property, agency law, employee regulations, business associations, and securities law that apply to small and big business alike.
Credits: 5

This course prepares students to develop and implement project plans when working to complete assigned projects. Topics in this course may include defining project goals and objectives, specifying tasks or how goals will be achieved, establishing needed resources for project completion, and associating budgets and completion timelines. Students study the major phases of project management including project feasibility, planning, implementation, evaluation, and support. Project management software will be used by students to gain an understanding of how to best organize and delegate their project. Students gain an understanding of how to manage projects and how these skills may be applied to an individual project or a group project.
Credits: 5

This course focuses on the management of personal finance. Broad coverage of personal financial decisions, including basic financial planning, use of credit, purchasing an automobile and home, insurance, tax issues, investing, retirement, and estate planning.
Credits: 5

This course serves as an introduction to the necessary core skills needed to be successful at an academic, professional and personal level. Students will identify core skills, values and interest to assist in their path to success. Topics covered in this course may include time management, effective study skills, written and oral communication, improving critical thinking to enhance problem-solving skills. Other topics may include job search techniques and job etiquette, and on-the-job behavior. Students will work towards building their professional development through various assignments and topics throughout the course. Students will explore Laurus College resources for success inside and outside the classroom.
Credits: 5

English provides students with the basic rhetorical foundations to prepare them for the demands of academic and professional writing. Students in this course will learn and practice the strategies and processes that successful writers employ when communicating information. These strategies include reading analytically and strategically, improving reading comprehension, writing persuasively, writing for investigative purposes, problem-resolution, evaluation, explanation, and refutation.
Credits: 5

English provides students with the basic research foundations and skills to prepare them for the demands of academic and professional writing. Students in this course will learn and practice the strategies and processes that successful writers employ when researching topics and information to prepare reports and arguments. The course will culminate with a written research paper and the presentation of the student’s research for peer response.
Credits: 5

This course introduces tools used by sociologists to explore and understand society. Social relationships, social structures and processes are explored.
Credits: 5

Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. In this class, students will dive into what makes themselves and others behave the way they do. Topics covered in this class include Neuroscience, Sensation and Perception, Learning, Memory, Thinking and Intelligence, Developmental Psychology, Personality Theories and Assessment, Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Workplace Psychology. This class will be focused more on behavior as it pertains to the workplace rather than the clinical side of Psychology.
Credits: 5

This course provides students with a conceptual understanding of algebra by using problem solving applications in context to real-world application. Students will integrate meaningful applications with relevant data, graphs, tables, charts, colors, and diagrams.
Credits: 5

This course introduces students to the World Wide Web. Students examine the history of the web and how its development has shaped the ways people do business and advertise. Students gain an understanding for the complexity of the web and how servers, users, and databases all work, search, access information, and download simultaneously. Topics in this course may include the basics of HTTP, FTP, HTML language and tags, coding styles, links, image placement, and image maps. Students learn the importance of web page appearance and navigation. Students are introduced to the basics of initial web page planning and production, and learn key terminology applied to web page creation and implementation.
Credits: 5

* General Education Course

Managerial courses emphasize human values and techniques for establishing a sense of responsibility to employers, employees, and other stakeholders while building strong relationships.

Marketing and social entrepreneurship courses demonstrate the role of marketing in business and provide students with adaptive skills and tools to think creatively and develop innovative business ideas and solutions.

Finance and accounting courses equip business students with the primary concepts and skills necessary to understand budgeting and funding and to evaluate the cash flow within an enterprise.

Where You Could Be After Completing This Program

Business Systems professionals plan, direct, or coordinate one or more administrative services of an organization, such as records and information management, human resources, accounting, marketing, facilities planning and maintenance, purchasing and event planning.

Administrative Manager
Market Research Analyst
Office Manager
Project Coordinator
Entrepreneur

Career Opportunities

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is used by Federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. The The Business Administration Associate of Science Degree program offered at Laurus College can help prepare graduates for a variety of careers that include, but are not limited to the list of careers that may be listed under the following SOC codes (for more information on a particular SOC code, visit www.onetonline.org).

With so many professional opportunities available to people with the right qualifications, Laurus can prepare you for a career that will take you to that next level in life.

Meet the Business Systems Faculty

Clint Stover

Instructor

Dennis Bagay

Instructor

Dr. Karen Edwards

Instructor

Eric Weinstein

Instructor

Iain Freckleton

Instructor

Issy Graham

Instructor

Jesse Bates

Instructor

Kasey MacNair

Instructor

Laurie Manibusan

Instructor

Lyn Stangeland

Instructor

Lynette Belsky

Instructor

Melanie Bryant

Director of Education

Nancy Munkres

Instructor

Patricia McClairen

Instructor

Randall Lewis

Instructor

Richard Krueger

Instructor

Sara Goley

Instructor

Shanna Miller

Instructor

Traci Henderson

Instructor

Wendy Flores

Interim Director

Is a Rewarding Career as an Business Administrator Right for You?

For immediate questions, call 805-267-1690

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As part of the curriculum, students will have the opportunity to develop skills in:

Management
Marketing
Social Media Management
Economics
Personal Selling and Branding
Human Relationships
Business Law
New Product Development
Technology and Marketing
Small Business Management
Consumer Behavior
Business Start-up Strategies
Accounting

The goal of this Associate of Science Degree program is to provide students with an opportunity to develop skills in critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, social responsibility, human relationships, and technological savvy. Students will interact with faculty and peers in a career-oriented business education that emphasizes personal and professional integrity.

Is a Career in Business Systems Right for You? Find Out!

Take the "Laurus College Business Administration Training Readiness Quiz"

This fun, online quiz takes 3 minutes to complete and you'll get a personalized report. Identify your strengths and social style plus the training and positions you’re best suited for.

Take the Quiz

Learning Goals

Upon completion of the Business Administration Associate of Science degree, students should be able to:

Explain the fundamental principles of business, including the role of regulations, economics, ethics, and social responsibility.
Examine various approaches to management and leadership.
Analyze the role that human motivation and relationships play within an organization.
Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of marketing and the impact of technology.
Plan and create entrepreneurial collateral, including a comprehensive business and marketing plan.
Create, analyze, and interpret communications in business applications.
Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary issues, theories, and applications of business administration.

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Program Information

Program Length

The Associate of Science in Business Administration Degree program is 100 quarter credits and can be completed in two (2) years if the student attends all terms full time and consecutively.

Instructional Methods

The Associate of Science in Business Administration Degree program is practical application and involves intense interactive learning. All classes are lecture based with practical application laboratory and computer time for students to enhance their skills and abilities. Interactive virtual classrooms are part of the instructional process at Laurus College. Instruction may be supplemented with guest speakers in class.

Communication and Critical Thinking Skills

Students in the Associate of Science in Business Administration Degree program complete challenging projects and assignments by using creative problem solving skills. Students communicate ideas through written and oral presentations in various courses throughout the program.

Completion Requirements

Students wishing to obtain an Associate of Science in Business Administration Degree from Laurus College need to meet all program completion requirements. Students must have completed a minimum of 100 quarter credits, and be in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better to be eligible for an Associate of Science Degree.

Business Administration Associate Program

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Business Administration Training in 2 Years*

Business Systems Courses

Where You Could Be After Completing This Program

Career Opportunities