Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Acquire in-demand leadership skills with an online business administration degree.


The economy is changing fast. What it means to succeed in business is changing, too—and Aspen’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program is helping to prepare the next generation of leaders.

Our bachelor’s degree in Business Administration gears students to pursue management careers across a spectrum of industries, preparing you for positions in a wide variety of professional settings in business and management.

Enjoy Flexibility – 40 courses with start dates every 2 weeks
Choose Where You Learn – 100% online courses
Affordable Monthly Payments

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration curriculum balances core liberal arts courses in areas such as history, psychology, mathematics, and science with business-focused courses including Strategic Management, Customer Relationship Management, International Business, and Internet Marketing.

Graduates of our Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree will have a solid grasp of the key areas of management, organization, and communication—the essential ingredients for success as well-rounded professionals in today’s changing business landscape.

For students who have accumulated undergraduate credits and would like to transfer those studies to a recognized and accredited college degree program, Aspen also offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree completion program. Please contact an Enrollment Advisor if you would like further information on this valuable option.

For more information about the program, see the Academic Catalog.

Admission Requirements

  • Application – A completed application.
  • High School Transcripts – An official high school transcript or its equivalent. Waived if student has completed at least 15 credits of college-level course work.
  • Official Transcripts – Official transcripts for all previous college credit earned.
  • Minimum GPA Requirement – A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required for all previous high school or college credit.
  • Military Documentation (Optional) – A copy of the most recent orders; or a copy of DD214 (This can be requested from the National Archives.)

Courses:

    This course provides a study of human communication by covering major communication concepts, theories, research, and trends. This introduction communications course will help students to understand their own communication behavior as well the communication behavior of others. Concepts covered include basic theories of communication, understanding individual communication styles, the use of communication across cultures, and listening and critical thinking skills. Florida Course Numbering System Equivalent: SPC 2300

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course will provide an overview of the world of business by exploring both the external and the internal environments that impact a business. Basic business aspects such as organizational structures and forms, marketing, management, human resource development, finance, and operations will be evaluated. Each of these concepts will be applied to real-life situations for further understanding. The class will culminate with a fictitious business outline incorporating each of the fundamental areas of business.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course is designed to help students master the traditional five-paragraph essay and variations of this essay. Four principles are presented as keys to effective writing: unity, support, coherence, and sentence skills. The first part of the course focuses on the first three principles and to some extent on sentence skills. It shows, respectively, how these four principles apply in the different patterns of essay development and in specialized types of writing. Florida Course Numbering System Equivalent: ENC 1101

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course focuses on the many voices of psychology. To some, the science of psychology provides its students with a better understanding of others' behaviors. Others view psychology as a pathway to self-understanding. Others see the potential for a future career, and some are drawn to psychology by the opportunity for intellectual discovery that its study provides. The overall goal of this course is to provide a comprehensive overview to the subject of psychology. Florida Course Numbering System Equivalent: PSY 2012

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    College Algebra will dive deep into problem solving, algebraic reasoning, linear functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, compositions and inverses, and graphing and analyzing data. The student will develop a personal framework for problem-solving. Real-world scenarios are used throughout the course to ensure an understanding of how each concept is used in one’s life. Students will create, interpret, and revise models and find solutions to problems while utilizing real-world situations. Florida Course Numbering System Equivalent: MAT 1140

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This is an introductory course in Marketing designed for the general business student, not just the Marketing major. This is a survey course designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the bedrock concepts of marketing. This course has four basic learning objectives. First, we will introduce you to the basic principles of marketing that have existed for many years. Second, marketing success is based on forming internal partnerships between marketing professionals and their colleagues in other functional areas of the firm. Third, enhanced capabilities of marketing organizations have produced new and better products, which have in turn, heightened customers' expectations. The last of our cutting-edge subjects is the impact of the Internet. No single development in recent memory has had such a profound impact on marketing.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    In this course we focus on grammar, sentence structure, and other aspects of the "mechanics" of English. Our emphasis is on creating arguments that persuade, convince, and inspire. The goal of this course is to develop writing skills that enable students to develop powerful arguments that are more than just correct; they produce the results intended. We identify the fixed types of questions that an argument can address, helping students to build writing projects around the need to develop answers to significant questions concerning facts, definitions, causes, values, and actions. These questions form a logical progression - questions of fact and definition must be settled before questions of cause can be addressed, and so on - which means that they can serve as the basis of a sequence of assignments.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course puts the humanities in perspective by discussing the arts and ways of knowing art's main concerns, purposes, and functions. The course also discusses artistic style and how to apply critical skills. This course is designed for students with little or no background in the arts.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course provides a foundation of factual knowledge about biology in order to help students build a cognitive framework for critical scientific thinking. Students will learn key biological terms and theories and exhibit understanding of these terms through assignments that incorporate case studies, essays and ethics questions concerning current biological issues.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course focuses on the skills and strategies that managers need in today’s workplace. The role of communications will be explored, as well as an examination of effective communications in hiring and promoting, conflict management, presentations, routine messages, and reporting and proposals. Studies consistently report the importance of communication to business success, and managers frequently correlate communications proficiency with career satisfaction and progress. This course builds that ability central to managers as they pursue goals and objectives.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    The purpose of accounting is to provide a means of recording, reporting, summarizing, and interpreting economic data. In order to do this, an accounting system must be designed. A system design serves the needs of users of accounting information. Once a system has been designed, reports can be issued and decisions based upon these reports are made for various departments. Since accounting is used by everyone in one form or another, a good understanding of accounting principles is beneficial to all. Accounting is concerned with the design, interpretation of data, and the preparation of financial reports. Three forms of business entities exist: 1) sole proprietorship, 2) partnership, and 3) corporations. Corporations have the unique status of being a separate legal entity in which ownership is divided into shares of stock. A shareholder's liability is limited to his/her contribution to capital. Whenever a business transaction is recorded, it must be recorded to accounting records at cost. All business transactions must be recorded. All properties owned by businesses are assets. All debts are liabilities. The rights of owners are equity.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course focuses on understanding and managing diversity. Clearly, diversity is an interdisciplinary field. Much of its theoretical framework originates in the social sciences. There is some disagreement among scholars on the definition of diversity; much less what materials should be included in a course about diversity. To meet this challenge we have selected a text for this course that gathers a wealth of information from the salient issues surrounding the topic of diversity. Florida Course Numbering System Equivalent: ANT 2410

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    The quantitative approach involves using numbers to help define, describe, and resolve a wide range of business problems. Quantitative Methods is an overview of statistical techniques used in business decision-making. Students examine research design, statistics, data analysis, and research methodology.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course is on thinking about and understanding your physical surroundings. It is a straightforward but substantial introduction to the fundamental behavior of matter and energy. It is intended to serve the needs of non-science majors who are required to complete one or more physical science course and will introduce basic concepts and key ideas while providing opportunities to learn reasoning skills and a new way of thinking about your environment.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course covers principles of microbiology with emphasis or microbial anatomy, microbial disease, and disease prevention and treatment. The course includes a broad overview of both the historical and current field of microbiology with focus on microbial pathogenicity, the spread of microbial pathogens, the methods of human immunity, and best practices for the diagnosis and treatment of microbial disease. A lab component is included within the course. Florida Course Numbering System Equivalent: MCB 2010

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    A continuation of Principles of Accounting I, this course extends the accounting principles and procedures to corporate accounting. Budgeting, managerial accounting, and automated accounting systems are introduced.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Today, in business, we see the continuing emergence of the digital firm. A continuing stream of information technology innovations is continuing to transform the business world. Every aspect of the firm is not only touched by the digital process, but has been transformed by it. Managing information systems has become a task for all levels of managers and all functional areas of the business. In today's digital firm there is no escaping the opportunities (as well as the challenges) that technology brings. This course focuses on understanding the nature of the digital firm and the key issues in organizing and managing it. Managers need to identify the challenges facing their firms; understand the technologies that will help them meet these challenges; design business processes to take advantage of the technologies; and create management procedures and policies to implement the required changes. It is essential that business students understand how information technologies are changing business firms and markets today and how they will likely change in the near-term future as digital technologies continue to evolve.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Using an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes culture and family, Human Development challenges students to understand development from a broader perspective. Students draw on their own experiences as they weigh the research and ideas presented in the course. The course explores controversies about human development, often within a specific cultural context. Florida Course Numbering System Equivalent: DEP 2004

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course covers American history from the 1500s to post Civil War Reconstruction. You will study a diverse range of cultures from these time periods and how migrations, social and economic changes and interactions between cultures have shaped the history of America. You will study the shifting frontiers and political landscapes of the land before and after the Revolution and examining associated patterns to form a big picture of the historical story of America.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    The management of human resources is critical for companies to provide ""value"" to customers, shareholders, employees, and the community where they are located. Value includes not only profits but also employee growth and satisfaction, creation of new jobs, protection of the environment, and contributions to community programs. All aspects of human resource management including acquiring, preparing, developing, and compensating employees can help companies meet their competitive challenges and create value. Also, effective human resource management requires an awareness of broader contextual issues affecting business such as changes in the labor force, legal issues, and globalization. Both the popular press and academic research show that effective human resource management practices do result in greater value for shareholders and employees.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Today, good communication skills are at the top of the list of employee qualifications that are in high demand. Additionally, it is important to be able to process and communicate information in today's high-tech environment. Those equipped with these skills will have a distinct advantage in the workplace. This course examines real-world business communication issues such as ethics, cultural diversity, technology, teamwork, law, audience-centered messages and the writing process. It teaches techniques, strategies and forms of writing used in the professional world in order to achieve business goals. This course also provides an understanding of business research. Through library research and online information gathering, this course will increase your knowledge of organizational writing and communications including case analysis, data interpretation, problem solving, and report writing.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course trains on managing in the new competitive landscape, how business operates on a global scale, what types of technology is advancing online and offline, and managing for competitive advantage through environmental analysis and responding to the environment. The functions of management are demonstrated in eight modules and cover every management topic from the foundational theories and paradigms to ethics, strategic planning, the management of human resources in a diverse workforce, and of course, leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurship.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    We believe the combination of performance and team management can produce dramatic improvement in organizational success. Too often performance management programs are more about classifying or categorizing employees rather than improving their performance. These approaches tend to be administrative in nature, rather than tools managers can use to improve performance. In today's organizations, teams - not the individual - have become the basic unit of performance management. As a result, team building and development has become critical. This course addresses two of the most important challenges managers face. The first half of the course is devoted to managing performance toward achieving the organization's strategic objectives. The second half of the course is focused on creating, developing, and leading high-performance teams.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course provides comprehensive coverage of personal financial planning in the areas of money management, career planning, taxes, consumer credit, housing and other consumer decisions, legal protection, insurance, investments, retirement planning, and estate planning. The goal is to teach the fundamentals of financial planning so students can make informed choices related to spending, saving, borrowing, and investing that lead to long-term financial security. Provided financial planning tools help identify and evaluate choices as well as understand the consequences of decisions in terms of opportunity costs.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the legal and regulatory environment of business. Topics include law as a foundation of business, litigation, contracts, intellectual property, criminal law, securities regulations, agency and employment laws, discrimination, consumer protection, and more.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Macroeconomics emphasizes national income, the monetary system, economic fluctuations, fiscal policy, and the international economy. This course includes a study of institutions that help develop the national and international economy. Supply and demand, theory of prices, government spending and taxation, business cycles, fiscal and monetary policy, banking system and economic development are examined through class discussion and analysis of current economic events.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course provides students with an opportunity to study and appreciate diverse ethical positions different from those they may have been acculturated into. Topics studied include issues such as abortion, euthanasia, racial discrimination and injustice as well human rights, war and violence, gender issues and human cloning. This course is designed to use current ethical issues as a means to help students think critically about ethical issues in the real world.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course provides a basic foundation of skills needed to equip students for future leadership activities. It introduces the history, philosophy, theories, and concepts of leadership and its relationship to the management of organizational change. Students identify and hone their own personal characteristics that will help them develop into effective leaders.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Entrepreneurship is an introductory course intended to provide students with a solid foundation in terms of the vital role played by entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in the 21st century global economy. Students will assess, explore, critique, and celebrate the phenomenon of entrepreneurship. The course will focus on the creation of new ventures, the ways that they come into being, and factors associated with their success.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Microeconomics focuses on economic decision-making, production, competition and market structures, government, labor markets, unions and the distribution of income. The principles of scarcity, choice, and the laws of supply and demand are examined through class discussions and analysis of current economic events.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This is an introductory course that is based on the assumption that E-business practices are not only being used by ""dot com"" companies, but are also being adopted by established businesses as well. E-business is not just about new venture startups; it is also about transforming business to gain efficiencies. The references in the text for this course are fairly exhaustive and represent e-business practice as of the year 2003. The heavy reliance on trade journals is due to the rapidly evolving business environment. Information in trade journals typically precedes material found in textbooks, journals, or academic papers. Over the past fifteen years, the Internet has grown from a new way to communicate to a driver of technological transformation of business processes. The current focus has produced dramatic change in both pure-play e-business and traditional brick-and-mortar companies. This course will address the new technological environment that marketers are facing by introducing strategic considerations related to technology and technology implementation. The course will explore the basics of marketing exchange utilizing the information highway, multimedia techniques, database marketing, and interactive telecommunications and other e-business techniques. Prerequisites: All Required Liberal Arts and 100/200-Level

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This introduction to corporate financial management and investments provides the framework, concepts, and tools for analyzing financial decisions by applying the fundamental principles of modern financial theory. Major topics include the time value of money and capital budgeting.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course examines recent developments in operations management including revenue management, bullwhip effect, supply chain coordination and manufacturing flexibility. Quantitative topics are explained using real-world examples with data from actual companies. It introduces the topics including process flow, estimating, labor costs, batching, the impact of variability, projecting uncertain demand, reactive capacity, risk pooling and others.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course introduces students to the fundamental elements of effective project management. In the context of the typical project life cycle, the required tools and techniques used to plan, measure, and control projects and the methods used to organize and manage projects are presented.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Much has been written about how the Internet will revolutionize the practice of marketing. While it is clear that this new technology will not replace offline marketing vehicles, including print, radio and television, the Internet can ""turbo charge"" a firm's marketing strategy. By this, we mean that the interactivity and individuality afforded by the Internet allow marketers to create synergy by supporting and enhancing offline levers. Additionally, online marketing levers can be leveraged, when appropriate, to decrease or replace the use of offline levers. The goal of this course is to encourage current and future executives, managers and strategists to rethink their views on marketing strategy. The course presents a customer-centric view of marketing, one that focuses on how firms can create tangible customer relationships by using a practitioner-focused, seven-stage framework for the conception, design and implementation of marketing programs. These customer relationships are enhanced by a wide range of online and offline marketing levers, with an emphasis on the Internet.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course explores the aspects and impacts of CRM. It examines how Web 2.0 technologies and social media tools are being woven into CRM strategies. The course identifies the new business models being used by the most successful companies and also provides guidance on how other companies can and should adopt these innovations. Students will explore companies that are providing the best tools, provide various recommendations and insights and present insightful interviews with industry leaders on how to establish and maintain customer relationships.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course is designed to acquaint you with the unique challenges of conducting business on a global basis. We will quickly dispel the theory that international business is really nothing more than conducting business domestically - only on a larger scale. Managers wishing succeed internationally will face a variety of new and unique challenges that must be understood within a broader context of global strategy and cross-border management. The goal of this course is to provide such a context. Today, multinational corporations are making their operations in large emerging economies like China and India central to their global strategies; they are coming to grips with social responsibility issues and challenges raised by the anti-globalization movement. The globalization of business creates wealth that benefits business entities, nations, and people. Many people associate international business only with huge businesses making huge profits, but it also supports entrepreneurs and corporations in developing countries and reduces poverty throughout the world. A joint study conducted by the United Nations, Organization for Economic Development, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, reports that the goal of reducing poverty by half from 1990 to 2015 is on schedule.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course focuses on the people in the organization and how they work and behave in the work environment. It examines the behavior of individuals, the dynamics of teamwork, the processes of small groups, decision-making, problem-solving, conflict management, and ways to eliminate barriers to effective communications within the workplace.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course is designed to acquaint you with the unique challenges of resolving ethical dilemmas and making ethical decisions is today's complex business organizations. This course relies upon applying a stakeholder perspective and value-based management approach to situations that involves groups and individuals who often have competing demands and interpretations of a problem, crisis, or opportunity. The stakeholder management approach ideally aims at having all parties reach win-win outcomes through communication and collaborative efforts. Unfortunately, this does not always happen in reality. Business professionals need straightforward frameworks to thoughtfully and objectively analyze and then sort through complex issues in order to make decisions that matter - ethically, economically socially, legally, and spiritually.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    How do organizations manage to plan ahead and understand industry and global trends that are currently happening but also in the future? Strategy is the practice of setting goal-directed actions to gain performance and competitive advantage over their industry competitors. Strategic management is the integrative management field that combines analysis, formulation, and implementation (AFI) in the quest for competitive advantage. In this course, we will deep-dive into strategic management and explore three different aspects of how organizations manage this information and how they develop that competitive advantage. First, we will discuss strategy analysis. Second, we will explore strategy formulation. Last, we will analyze strategy implementation. Assignments will be assessed through case study. A case study is a fundamental learning tool in strategic management.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    The purpose of this individualized learning experience is to enable you, as an Aspen student well along the way toward the completion of your degree requirements, to develop an original comprehensive research project on a topic of professional or personal interest. This project-based course is designed to encourage you to draw upon knowledge and experience that you have gained over the course of your studies with Aspen. The project also allows you to integrate your other related educational or professional development activities. Projects are intended to be of an applied and pragmatic nature and we hope that the outcome and findings of your research will be of value to you, either in connection with your own organizational situation, or personally such as in the exploration of entrepreneurial opportunities.

    3 Credits
    Required Books
Learn More
Apply Now
800.373.7814