There is a variety of different online bachelor’s in business programs, and many of those online programs and schools offer accelerated program options. These courses are designed to help students earn their degrees more quickly and often include heavy class loads. In many cases, these accelerated program options make obtaining a degree easier and more viable. Working students, students with children, and many others take advantage of accelerated business degree programs.
Another option students have to help earn a business degree online fast is using credit for work experience options. Many schools and online business programs offer credit for work experience which allows students to exchange work experience for class credit hours. These options are quite valuable for working students who are interested in pursuing a degree within their field.
Featured Schools
Methodology: Ranking the Best Accelerated Business Management Programs
Speed isn’t everything, so the editors at Bachelor’s Degree Center feature only reputable, accredited institutions in our ranking of the best accelerated business management programs. Programs are ranked according to tuition rate, reputation, and graduate salary.
1. Bellevue University
Bellevue University offers a BS in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program that is one of Nebraska’s most affordable Accelerated Business Management program options. Bellevue University’s business administration baccalaureate degree is IACBE accredited. Classes for this undergraduate business degree include principles of management, business communication, business ethics, and managing operations in a changing economy, for a total of 127 academic credit units, to name a few. Bellevue University offers transfer students a generous credit transfer policy that allows for up to 90 eligible credits.
Founded in the 1960s as a private school dedicated to adult education and educational outreach to local residents, Bellevue University now serves more than 10,250 undergraduate & graduate students from its suburban campus in Bellevue and online.
What We Like: Additional academic facilities are also located in Omaha and the Lakeside Center.
Program: BSBA
2. Columbia Southern University
Columbia Southern University (CSU) offers a BS in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program that requires degree candidates to finish at least 120 undergraduate semester units, of which up to 90 credits may be transferred if they meet CSU’s eligibility requirements. In addition, CSU’s Accelerated Business Management program can be completed online, with multiple start dates offered each year. Degree candidates enrolled in Columbia Southern University’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree program can opt to tailor a specialization or choose from information technology, hospitality/tourism, or marketing.
Founded in the mid-1990s, Columbia Southern University is a for-profit higher learning institution that offers online coursework exclusively. Columbia Southern University’s student enrollment now exceeds 21,350 undergraduate & graduate students – all online each year.
What We Like: Columbia Southern University is organized into three colleges/schools offering about fifty academic degree and certificate programs through its distance learning platform.
Program: BSBA
3. Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program that is ranked among Kentucky’s best Accelerated Business Management program options. Eastern Kentucky University’s accelerated business management program allows for up to 90 transfer credits, if eligible. Additionally, EKU’s undergraduate business administration degree has received AACSB accreditation and is delivered in an eight-week class format, with no required residencies. Eastern Kentucky University is considered a military-friendly school.
Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is a public university that was founded in the 1870s. Eastern Kentucky University now operates as a space-grant school with multiple campuses that serves more than 15,550 students in Richmond, Manchester, Corbin, Lancaster, and Hazard, Kentucky. Forbes Magazine ranks among the best colleges for veterans, according to US News and World Report.
What We Like: Eastern Kentucky University offers a rich campus life with more than two hundred organizations on campus for students.
Program: BBA
4. University of Maryland Global Campus
The University of Maryland Global Campus offers a BS in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program that allows degree candidates to complete 120 undergraduate credit degree programs entirely online. The University of Maryland Global Campus’s accelerated business management program offers a generous transfer credit policy for transfer students – equal to a maximum of 90 credits if the credits meet eligibility requirements. Classes for this Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree include management and organization theory, marketing principles, business law, business ethics, and strategic management, to name a few.
The University of Maryland’s global campus represents the school’s online academic initiative. Founded in the 1940s as UM’s University College, the global campus officially was born in 2019. More than 87,140 students attend classes offer by UM’s global campus – many internationally.
What We Like: The University of Maryland Global Campus holds the distinction of being one of the top ten schools that receive GI Bill educational benefits.
Program: BSBA
University of Maryland Global Campus
5. University of Colorado Colorado Springs
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs offers a BS in Business Administration degree (BSBA) program that can be completed 100% online and recognized by US News among the top online business administration programs in the country. This accelerated business management program allows for up to 90 eligible credits to be transferred and is AACSB accredited. Additionally, according to US News & World Report, the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs campus is ranked among the top military-friendly schools.
The University of Colorado’s campus in Colorado Springs was founded in the 1960s as a research institution of higher education. UC is a member of the state’s university with more than 12,550 undergraduate and graduate students on-campus and online.
What We Like: The University of Colorado is home to the Center for Space Studies and the National Institute for Science, Space, and Security Centers.
Program: BSBA
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
6. Mercy College
Mercy College offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program that requires students to complete a minimum of 120 undergraduate credits to graduate. Mercy College’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree has a 15-credit residency requirement for coursework in the major. Classes for Mercy College’s accelerated business management program allow transfer students to transfer up to 90 eligible credits. Classes for this undergraduate degree include principles of management, data analytics, and business law, among others.
Established in the 1950s, Mercy College is a private school with multiple campuses in the greater NYC area that once operated as a Roman Catholic school but is now nonsectarian.
What We Like: Mercy College is organized into five colleges/schools offering education in health, business, social/behavioral sciences, and liberal arts programs.
Program: BBA
7. Southern Illinois University – Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s College of Business and Analytics offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program that is ranked among the best-accelerated business management program options in Illinois. This program is a completion degree that can be completed in only 1.5 years, but applicants to Southern Illinois University’s undergraduate degree in business must have a minimum of 60 earned credits to be eligible for admission. Coursework for Southern Illinois University at Carbondale includes managerial accounting, business law, small business financing, and business data analysis, to name a few.
The Carbondale campus of Southern Illinois University was founded as a normal school for teacher’s training in 1869. The university’s college-town campus and online platform serve more than 11,250 undergraduate and graduate students.
What We Like: SIU Carbondale is recognized to be among the best Midwestern schools by the Princeton Review.
Program: Business and Administration
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
8. University of Massachusetts – Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Manning Business School offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program that requires students to complete a minimum of 120 to 122 undergraduate credit units, of which UMass allows upwards of 90 semester credits to be transferred. Business foundational classes for UMass’s accelerated business management program include statistics for business & economics, introduction to statistics, business analytics, and marketing principles, to name a few.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell was founded as a normal school in the 1890s. UMass Lowell operates dual campuses in western Massachusetts and a robust online platform that serves more than 18,140 students each year.
What We Like: The University of Massachusetts in Lowell is recognized to be the largest in western Massachusetts’ Merrimack Valley and the second largest in the state.
Program: BSBA
University of Massachusetts Lowell
9. Missouri Baptist University
Missouri Baptist University offers a BS in Business Administration(BSBA) degree program that is considered among the most innovative accelerated business management program options in Missouri. Classes for Missouri Baptist University’s accelerated business management program include business economics, managerial accounting, financial management, organizational behavior & leadership, legal and ethical environment of business, management applications of information technology and international business, plus a capstone project, to name a few.
Founded in 1957, Missouri Baptist University is a Southern Baptist institution of higher learning that serves more than 5,000 students on its campuses in Town and County and Creve Coeur and through its distance-learning platform.
What We Like: Missouri Baptist University is HLC accredited and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in business, education, nursing, among others.
Program: BSBA
10. McKendree University
McKendree University offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA Degree) program that is available entirely online or on one of McKendree University’s campuses. This Bachelor of Science in Business Administration includes classes in consumer behavior, business strategy and policy, international business, and business ethics & social response, to name a few. McKendree University’s accelerated business management program prepares graduates for rewarding careers in business, government or industry, and is recognized to offer one of the top business administration programs available online.
Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, McKendree University (MU) was established in the 1820s as a private school, originally called Lebanon Seminary. McKendree University is recognized to be Illinois’s oldest institution of higher education.
What We Like: The university’s online platform and multiple campuses serve approximately 2,500 graduate and postgraduate students each year.
Program: BBA
How Fast Can I Get a Bachelor’s in Business Online?
In addition to the benefits offered by online business schooling options, these programs can also help students to earn a business degree online fast. There are several ways students can help to expedite earning a bachelor’s in business degree. Students can also look into the options and benefits of earning a business certificate.
These are a few ways to earn a business administration bachelor’s or other business degrees in less time. Just remember to verify that the program or school offers accelerated online bachelor degree programs accredited by recognized and approved organizations. Not everyone, however, is ready or able to commit the time and effort required to pursue an online bachelor’s degree.
There is a lot of misinformation out there about what accelerated business degrees are and they are not for everyone. They are not the same as an MBA, which takes two years to complete. Accelerated business degrees can be completed in as little as one year, but you need to be committed and serious about your studies if you want to succeed.
Will I Get a Good Education from an Accelerated Business Degree Program?
The answer to this question is yes. The reason for this is that the accelerated business degree programs are designed to provide the students with all the required knowledge and skills in a short time period.
We all know that the world has changed, and it is changing at a faster pace than ever. The need for people with skills in business is greater than ever before. You can get an online business degree in a fraction of the time as you would if you were going to school on campus and still get an education from a reputable university.
With fast online degrees, you can have your degree completed in a fraction of the time as taking classes on campus. Plus, you will be able to learn from some of the top professors in the country without having to leave your home or office.
If you are looking for a business degree that can be completed in a short period of time, an accelerated online business degree may be a good option for you.
The benefits of an accelerated online business degree are as follows:
- You can complete the course in less time than on-campus programs.
- You can choose from a variety of courses and specializations to suit your needs.
- You can save money by not having to commute or take care of living expenses while enrolled in the program.
An accelerated degree is a great way to get a head start on your career if you are already working full-time and want to advance your job or change careers.
What If I Don’t Want a Bachelor’s Degree Yet?
Business certifications do not carry the same weight as a bachelor’s degree, but the benefits they offer do make business certifications worth getting. Business certifications without a degree can help people earn promotions, win jobs, and can even be used as transfer credits later towards the pursuit of a business degree.
Another benefit that makes business certifications worth getting is the credibility they offer for program graduates, and the assurance they offer to employers. Business certifications like business administration certifications, business development certifications, and others like international business certifications also make employees more attractive to employers.
Business certifications online and business certifications for college students are also excellent options for those not ready to pursue a four-year or advanced degree, or those in associate degree programs. Common business certifications such as business administration certifications and the aforementioned business development certifications can open doors, lead to promotions in addition to potential increases in salary.
The value of these types of business certification options also makes it important to find the best online business certificate programs. From international business certifications to more traditional business administration certifications, these programs can benefit current employees, students, and employers.
Employees can typically earn a business administration certificate while maintaining their current positions. Students can opt to earn a business administration certificate to bolster their degree and portfolio, or in lieu of earning a degree until later. These certificates, however, won’t offer the depth of studies or range of business administration classes offered via a bachelor’s program.
What Will I Learn in a Business Administration Degree Program?
Business administration courses are appreciated, valued, and respected as a result of the BBA scope and curriculum. These various business administration subjects can also commonly be applied toward business administration degree requirements. The real value of the BBA scope and these business administration courses, however, is what they teach.
Among the many topics covered under the BBA scope through accredited business administration classes are areas like ethics, management styles, leadership techniques, and business finances. These are a few of the business administration subjects that are part of the business administration definition.
Beyond general education in business, in-demand specializations include:
- human resource management
- information systems
- project management
- entrepreneurship
- marketing management
- healthcare management
- operations management
- nonprofit management
You can build some of these with careful choice of electives. Future business professionals should also focus on decision-making, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that can translate across fields.
Many working adults find competency-based online learning fits their needs better than traditional courses. These use different forms of assessments than typical grades for their online classes that consider whether you are learning the skills necessary. An online business degree completion program may offer ways to get college credits for working, which helps learners get through their full-time online courses quickly as an accelerated degree.
The business administration definition is as ranging as the BBA scope, and it focuses more on big-picture and overall management principles and business administration courses. As the business administration subjects suggest, the business administration definition includes employee, management, and monetary aspects of business operations.
The business administration subjects are generally more inclined toward policy and management systems, than personal or one-on-one management techniques. Business administration classes will typically involve more revenue generation and business image focus than teaching upsell techniques or customer service skills.
The business administration courses for a BBA versus a BSBA (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration) are very similar, with BSBA classes having more of a math and analytic influence. Classes for business administration courses will also cover more economics, marketing, and accounting perspectives. Management courses, by contrast, will involve more classes centered around day-to-day business operations.
There are also online degree programs to earn your master’s degree.
Related Rankings:
25 Best Bachelor’s in Business Administration
15 Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
10 Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Business Administration
15 Best Online Training and Development Programs
