How to Know If You Should Get Your Business Degree Online

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E-commerce accounts for more than $3.5 trillion in annual purchases worldwide, with consumers buying everything online from groceries and video games to furniture and business degrees.

Business Degrees?

Well, sort of. You cannot buy a legitimate business degree online, although you can use sites such as Amazon.com or Walmart.com to order dozens of books on how to earn a degree, not to mention the perfect frame for your diploma once you have it in hand.

While earning a college degree is not a one-click process, you can get a high-quality business degree online. More than 6 million college students are taking at least one course online, according to the most recent research on distance education by Babson Survey Research Group. Enrollment in these types of classes has increased for 14 consecutive years. With more and more accredited colleges offering online classes, students who once had very few options for furthering their education now can earn a cost-effective business degree from a reputable university in just a few years.

Should You Be One Of Them? Maybe.

The first question to settle is whether you actually would benefit from a business degree. If you are fresh out of high school and see business as your career track, then, of course, a business degree will help prepare you. Moreover, if you already are in the workforce, there is still a good chance you could benefit from a business degree. For example:

• You postponed or stopped short of finishing a formal post-secondary education but now cannot get a promotion because you do not have the required business skills that come with a bachelor’s degree.
• You’ve got the promotion, but you need more business knowledge to thrive.
• You have been in the workforce for a few years and now have a better sense of your gifts, talents, and interests, and a business degree would help you land a job in a new career.
• You pursued a non-business career that ended up having an unexpected business edge – you are the artist who operates a studio or the chef who opens a restaurant, for instance.

Many people enter the workforce without a business degree and later find themselves in need of more business acumen. In some cases, executive education or certificates can help fill the needed gaps. A general business degree with coursework in areas such as accounting, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, retail and supply chain management provides a well-rounded education that can help you excel in your current role and prepare you for new roles.

What Are Your Options?

If you want and need a business degree, you have two primary options. One, you can enroll in a business college as a traditional student. That’s the best option for students who will benefit from on-campus, in-class experiences. Two, you can earn it online. That’s the best option if:

• You need a flexible class schedule due to personal or work circumstances.
• You are unable to live on or commute to a college campus.
• You need a less expensive option for earning a degree.
• You are willing and able to commit the time necessary to pursue a degree online.
• You are self-motivated and self-disciplined enough to do the work with excellence regardless of supervision.

Many prospective students worry that they won’t get the interaction they need with peers and faculty if they earn their business degree online. They also worry that employers won’t have the same respect for a degree that was earned online. Those fears might have been valid in the past, and they still are an issue if you pick the wrong college. Advancements in technology have made today’s online classes highly interactive, and most instructors are easily accessible during scheduled hours. Moreover, if you pursue a degree at an accredited institution, it carries the same weight as one earned by students who attended on campus.