Adult female student working on laptop at dining room table

Business Management Online Bachelor’s Degree Program

can be completed in as little as

14 terms*

*2 terms per semester; each term is 7 weeks

Tuition

$335/credit

$1,005 3-credit course

Active Duty Military

truED Preferred Tuition

Credit Hours Required

Summer Term 1 Application Deadline

April 25

Upcoming Start Dates

Summer 1: May 6

Summer 2: July 1

Explore Business Management

Whether you're changing careers or seeking to advance in your field, an online business management degree can help you reach your professional goals. Designed for working adults, our bachelor’s degree in business management program is directly applicable to the organizational challenges you face every day. 

This bachelor of business management online program will help you learn how to integrate core business functions in accounting, finance, economics, and marketing to address complex problems and systemic issues in today’s ever-evolving business landscape. Our strengths-based approach to management will shape you into an effective leader and increase your value to your workplace from your first day of classes.

 

Differentiate Your Business Degree

If you're interested in making your resume stand out, consider differentiating your bachelor's degree in business management by using some of your general elective credits to focus on one of our certificate programs. Simply connect with your academic advisor and they will assist you in choosing a certificate and making sure you have your elective credits earmarked for the certificate to give your bachelor's degree in business management a competitive edge.

Build Your Career Future

Having a degree can increase both your immediate job prospects and your long-term career potential. Our accredited online bachelor's degree in business management provides you with the business acumen and subject matter expertise necessary to succeed in a variety of career paths in the business world, training you in both foundational business skills and in-demand soft skills that you can carry through your career.

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Academic Excellence and Recognition

New England Commission of Higher Education Logo

Regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education

US News & World Report Best Online Bachelor's Degree Programs

Ranked among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs by U.S. News & World Report

Military Friendly Badge

Designated as a Military Friendly School for our commitment to the military community

Intelligent.com ranks Champlain College Online among best schools with accelerated bachelor's degrees

Named the among the best schools with accelerated bachelor's degrees by Intelligent.com

What Can You Do With A Degree In Business?

Business and financial occupations are expected to grow 8% from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average growth for all fields⁠, as a result of an increasingly complex global business landscape. The median annual wage for these roles is $72,250.*

Graduates of Champlain's online bachelor's degree in business management will be prepared to succeed in a variety of career paths across many fields and industries, including human resources, business analysis, administrative services, operations, and sales.

*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2020; jobs titles: Payscale, 2020

Top Jobs for Bachelor's in Business Management Graduates

  • Accountant
  • Business Development Specialist
  • Financial Analyst
  • Management Consultant
  • Office Manager
  • Operations Manager
  • Sales Representative
Business Management online degree recipient shaking hands and greeting colleagues

Program Details

Learn more about Champlain's 100% online business management bachelor's degree, designed for working professionals.

If you're interested in differentiating your bachelor's degree in business management, use some of your general elective credits to focus on one of our certificate programs. Simply connect with your academic advisor and they will assist you in choosing a certificate and making sure you have your elective credits earmarked for the certificate to give your bachelor's degree in business management a competitive edge.

Champlain's online business management courses encompass the top skills needed by today's business professionals. Graduates of the program are required to complete the following courses.

Business Core Courses (21 credits)

Management Core Courses (24 credits)

Capstone (3 credits)

General Education Courses (42 credits)

General Electives (30 credits)

Business Core Courses

Accounting is the language of business. This course introduces the student to accounting from the point of view of the user of financial reports and is appropriate for personal as well as business applications. Students explore the impact of transactions on the financial position and profitability of a business, and analyze financial reports of real-world corporations.

Managerial accounting focuses on the needs of management for accounting information to make informed decisions in the internal operations of a company. Topics include decision-making, accounting for planning and control, cost-volume-profit relationships, and budgeting.

Prerequisites

ACCT-130

Provides an overview of the entire legal system, with an emphasis on contract rights. Discusses the essential elements of a contract, the breach of contracts and the remedies for breach. Presents business and consumer laws, including white-collar crime, landlord-tenant rights, real property interests and administrative law.

At the very base, businesses organize resources to earn a return on investments. Students are introduced to this concept from a process-based and integrative perspective; i.e. understanding how assets and people come together to accomplish their goal. They also learn about factors that can impact a business's success including socially responsible factors, globalization, innovative thinking and technology. Students use current articles and discussions to develop informed opinions about the place of their organizations and their leaders in the global economy.

Business analytics and data visualization transform data into business insights to allow for better decision-making. This course utilizes a combination of existing datasets and common analytics tools to teach new and emerging managers, without backgrounds in data science, how to evaluate data, consider available options, and present a graphical representation of data outcomes for decision-makers.

Prerequisites

MATH 170: Statistics & Data Visualization OR Approval from appropriate business or IT program director

The American Marketing Association defines Marketing as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. In this course, students will learn marketing terminology and principles including the marketing mix, marketing segmentation and how external forces impact marketing strategy as well as how marketing fits into the organization.The impact of ethical issues, diversity, globalization and social responsibility on marketing decisions will also be examined.

MGMT 240 is a finance course for managers. It explores financial measurements, the artful application of numbers to solve problems, building financial analysis skills, and the big-picture context needed to understand why finance matters in business management and decision-making. A subset of topics covered in the course include the time value of money, financial statement analysis, ratio analysis, investments, and capital management.

Prerequisites

ACCT-130 or ACCT-140, or equivalent introductory accounting course

Management Core Courses

The perspectives, beliefs, and preferences of employees in today's workplace are more diverse than perhaps ever before. Today's high-performing managers are those who foster inclusive, positive, and responsive organizational cultures for their people. But with such varied perspectives, what cultural considerations make the most sense for an organization? Management in the 21st Century will teach students how to foster a workplace environment where people can flourish and are motivated to meet objectives and ambitions for the organization.

Students will learn about the application of positive individual and group strengths and capacities that can be recognized, evaluated, and expanded to advance organizational well-being. This course encourages students to apply positive organizational behavior processes to everyday challenges organizations face to drive positive workplace behaviors and outcomes. This course also helps students to practice and gain skills, knowledge, and competencies to become positive and impactful leaders and change-makers from whatever position they hold.

Students will learn how to create conditions for successful conflict engagement, a necessary skill for any professional. The course focuses on the foundational capacities to remain calm and connected with oneself and others. In this state students can access helpful ideas and responses and be their best selves regardless of environment. Improving facility for conflict creates stronger relationships and reduces fear. By the end of the course, students will understand that disagreement and difference can become a source of personal and interpersonal growth.

Students will learn effective workplace negotiation skills and strategies that they can apply in a wide variety of business contexts including operations, business development, sales, and client relations. Students will explore the negotiation process, including identifying the objectives, challenges and motivations of each party, the various transactional structures that can achieve each party's objectives and the ethical, professional, political, and social issues that can arise in a business negotiation.

In this course students will apply strength-based approaches to support organizations through technological disruption. Key topics such as digital disruption, strategic innovation, digital transformation, and ethical considerations when adopting new technologies will be addressed with focus on leveraging strengths to navigate and capitalize on opportunities in times of change. Additionally, students will develop an understanding of how emerging technologies impact industries and business models, and how to navigate technological change to seize opportunities and mitigate risks.

Prerequisites

Take MGMT-110

Organizations cannot avoid change and must embrace it if they wish to remain competitive. However, oftentimes organizational change initiatives fail as a result of poor decision-making, leading to organizational discontent. The goal of positive change leadership is to lead individuals and groups toward opportunities for growth. It entails understanding the factors that cause people to resist change, assisting them in embracing change, and taking the initiative to foster a change-friendly environment within the organization.

Prerequisites

Take MGMT-110 and MGMT-210

Students will explore the field of Organization Development, with particular emphasis on the strength-based research, theory, and tools emerging in the social sciences that are informing modern approaches to organizational change. Students will explore concepts including appreciative inquiry, positive orgranization scholarship, positive psychology, design theory, and the rise of sustainable enterprises.

Prerequisites

Complete MGMT-210

In MGMT 465, students will learn that a values-driven strategy is based on a culture and structure defined by fundamental core values that are shared by all stakeholders. In contrast, traditional structures may emphasize authoritarian relationships and rigid decision-making processes. In a values-driven culture, individuals connect their personal values with the organization's principles, resulting in a more engaged and collaborative workforce. Management and leadership set an example by embodying the ideals they espouse, creating a more stable organization over time.

Prerequisites

Take MGMT-110 and MGMT-210

In this final course for CPS business majors, you will complete a comprehensive project that integrates the knowledge you have gained throughout your business program into a work-based learning activity. You will work collaboratively with the instructor, your peers, and, if you choose to, a mentor. Through the project, relevant readings and discussion,you will become reflective and integrative thinkers and self-directed learners.

Prerequisites

108 completed credits

Written Communication

Complete the following two courses:

This course introduces students to the foundational concepts needed to communicate effectively in writing for academic study and professional development. Students will also learn to read critically to evaluate an author's message. Students will be introduced to rhetorical modes and their role in the development of written communication. Students will also learn how to use revision strategies to create written communication that meets its intended purpose for its intended audience

This course builds on students' proficiency in the writing process and rhetorical modes to introduce the use of sources in written communication. Students will practice information literacy as they learn to determine information needs from sources, develop effective search strategies, and incorporate sources in written communication, legally and ethically.

Prerequisites

Complete ENGL-100

Oral Communication

Complete the following course:

This course draws on fundamental concepts of contemporary communication research to help students identify and develop strategies to become effective and versatile communicators across media and settings. Students will examine and respond to a range of interpersonal situations through the critical evaluation of the three essential components of all communication: its purpose, audience, and context. Students will leave the course with the ability to reflect on and adapt their strategies to successfully and consistently communicate for a range of purposes across diverse settings.

Collaboration

Complete the following course:

This course draws on fundamental concepts of contemporary group communication research to help students identify and develop strategies to communicate effectively in small groups and teams for the cooperative purpose of advancing common goals. Students will draw on listening and responding strategies learned in COMM-130 Interpersonal Communication and apply them to communicating as a leader or member of a small group. They will also learn how to recognize and manage the types of conflicts that can arise in small groups. Prerequisite: COMM-130 Interpersonal Communication

Prerequisites

Complete COMM-130

Inquiry & Analysis

Complete the following course:

Students will learn and apply critical inquiry skills to analyze persuasive communication created by others and to develop persuasive communication/arguments of their own to solve problems in professional, civic, social, and personal contexts. Specifically, students will learn to recognize fallacies in logic; apply inductive and deductive reasoning strategies to the interpretation and development of persuasive communication; evaluate the validity of sources; and develop logically sound persuasive communication. Students will explore the roles of self-awareness, empathy, and ethics in the context of critical inquiry and the development of arguments.

Prerequisites

Complete ENGL-110.

Technology Literacy

Complete one of the following courses, unless your program requires a specific course:

This course is an historical overview, and examination of the evolution of digital, film, and print media, and their functions. Students will identify and analyze contemporary problems of the media such as the legal, social, economic and psychological implications of their relationships with society. They also will examine the ways in which marketing and PR professionals utilize the mass media channels to reach their intended target audiences.

This course explores the complex and evolving relationship between human beings and technology. Through a multi-disciplinary approach that draws on fields such as sociology, psychology, philosophy, and history, students will examine the ways in which technology has shaped human culture, identity, and values, as well as how humans have influenced and continue to influence the development, adoption and use of technology.

Quantitative Literacy

Complete the following two courses:

Mathematical reasoning, when applied to everyday and professional lives, has two dimensions: logic for deterministic situations and probabilities for non-deterministic situations. This course aims to help students develop these mathematical reasoning skills.

Accurate and appropriate visual data representation is increasingly critical in today's work environments. Students will develop skills in data organization, manipulation and interpretation in a way that supports data-driven decision-making and effective communication of numerical data

Scientific Literacy: Natural Sciences

Complete one of the following courses, unless your program requires a specific course:

Introduces students to the biochemistry and physiology of nutrition and exercise. Emphasis will be placed on human body systems such as musculoskeletal, digestive, respiratory and circulatory, and their relationship to nutrition and fitness. Students will also study the biochemistry of energy conversion as it relates to exercise physiology. Laboratory sessions are designed to reinforce, by a hands-on approach, the principles discussed in lecture. Course includes two laboratory hours per week.

Students learn the biology, genetics, chemistry, and physics involved in the forensic investigation of crimes. A wide range of topics are studied including DNA, entomology, fingerprinting, trace evidence, serology (blood, saliva, and semen), blood spatter, and chemical analysis of drugs, alcohol, and other compounds. Students apply their new knowledge of forensic science through the use of case studies and laboratories. This course includes two laboratory hours per week.

Students will develop the ability to apply scientific methods to understand the natural world, to identify scientific aspects of daily life, and to evaluate the quality of scientific information based on its source and the methods used for its generation.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Global/Cultural Understanding

Complete the following course:

This course will introduce students to major streams of social justice thought, including historical social justice movements, theoretical problems having to do with social equality, personal freedom, marginalization, and stigmatization, and the ways in which civic and professional communities respond to these issues.

Arts & Humanities

Complete any two of the following courses, unless your program requires a specific course(s):

With pressure and release, a window opens and closes, recording light on a sensor. The simple action captures the instinct, judgement, and skill of the person behind the lens. This class will begin a study of the art and craft of photography. Students will develop their vision and their understanding of how to achieve it. Solid skills will be learned and many doors will be opened.

A survey of the continuing change experienced in art since the 15th century. Students will examine how an image is achieved as well as the significance of the subject represented. Individual inquiry concerning the nature of art is encouraged.

Students learn to appreciate films through the critical analysis of various elements of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound. The course introduces the conventions of classical Hollywood cinema, considers the work of one major director (auteur), and surveys selected international and independent films. Students view and discuss films each week.

Students in the course will explore the cultural history of the music genre broadly referred to as rock. Students will explore the social, economic and political contexts that are influenced by and that influenced each style in the United States. By listening, watching, reflecting upon, discussing and writing, students will explore how music takes on meaning, personally, and culturally. Topics and themes include the relationships between and among gospel, country, funk, folk, disco, rap and hip hop; the role of business and technology in those relationships, and political or transgressive elements of rock music.

Students will apply communication theory and research to address the particular challenges to communicating effectively in organizations. Students will learn how to identify organizational communication problems, analyze those problems, and generate effective solutions. Students will examine the relationship between organizational structure and specific communicative practices, and how communication practices by organizational members establish, maintain, or change organizational culture. They will also learn how to anticipate communication deficiencies in organizations, and use communication as a means to facilitate organizational development and innovation.

Prerequisites

Complete COMM-130

Specific application of common tools for writing in the working world. Students will be instructed in rhetorical strategies of professional writing including style, report formats, editing, document design, and integration of visual aids. Students will complete a semester-long writing project; oral and written reports associated with the process of problem-solving within the project will be included.

Prerequisites

ENGL-112 or COR-125

Students will learn how to create conditions for successful conflict engagement, a necessary skill for any professional. The course focuses on the foundational capacities to remain calm and connected with oneself and others. In this state students can access helpful ideas and responses and be their best selves regardless of environment. Improving facility for conflict creates stronger relationships and reduces fear. By the end of the course, students will understand that disagreement and difference can become a source of personal and interpersonal growth.

Ethics refers to accepted standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do in various contexts, typically in relation to rights, obligations/duties, benefits to society, fairness, consequences, and virtues. In this course, students will explore both theoretical and practical dimensions of ethics in order to 1) define ethics and identify ethical positions and principles, 2) critically reflect on how ethics impacts individual and collective responsibility, decision-making, and action, and 3) apply ethics to the personal, civic, and professional contexts.

Prerequisites

ENGL-110

This course introduces students to the fundamental elements of technical writing (clear, concise, and targeted)that are common among seven forms of technical communication: email correspondence, editing,employment communication, proposals, long, formal reports,oral communication, and inventions. Through peer reviews and writing workshops, students develop the ability to write and edit text that precisely targets its audience. This course emphasizes deepening and broadening students' writing, speaking, and thinking abilities in a non-lecture-based, hands-on, discussion-centered classroom.

Prerequisites

ENGL-112 or COR-125

Social Sciences

Complete any two of the following courses, unless your program requires a specific course(s):

Provides a comprehensive analysis of the fundamentals of substantive criminal law. Students will learn the essential elements of crimes and the rationale underlying criminal law. The nature of jurisdiction, the criminal act, the criminal state of mind and matters affecting responsibility for criminal conduct are included.

This course focuses on the rules and procedures governing how the American criminal justice system must process individuals suspected, accused, and convicted of law violations.

This course provides students with a broad overview of the history, theory, and fundamentals of criminal investigation. Students are introduced to the basic responsibilities of investigators and protocols for report writing, evidence collection, and preparation of cases for trial. They also learn specific investigative techniques for different types of crimes, such as crimes involving violence and property, terrorism, and hate crimes, and, where appropriate, compare investigative protocols from other legal cultures.

Prerequisites

Take CRIM-120, CRIM-121.

Principles of Economics introduces the fundamental concepts of economics - the study of how people manage resources, and how they react to scarcity. This course focuses on both microeconomics (the behavior of consumers and companies) and macroeconomics (large-scale economic factors such as employment and interest rates), so that you'll gain a broad understanding of how a modern market economy functions, how decisions in business settings are informed by economics, and how economics applies to your everyday life.

Students will study important themes in the social history of the United States since the Civil War. This course allows students to expand their critical thinking skills through an examination of primary and secondary sources. Themes might include: the evolving status of women; the immigrant experience; the concept of the American dream; the paradox of freedom vs. slavery; the minority experience; the tensions between social classes. Students will be evaluated primarily on writing assignments.

In this course, students will explore broad, foundational knowledge in psychology, including its history, major theorists and a survey of psychology subfields such as developmental, cognitive and social psychology. Students will also describe and assess the role of ethics and social responsibility in the study and application of psychological theory and practices.

In this class, students will explore how social relationships, groups, societies and culture develop and change over time. From a sociological theory foundation and employing the sociological imagination, students will examine the impact of social structures, institutions, and systems on individual lives. Students will apply sociological research methods to investigate sociological phenomena in their own lives.

Differentiate your business management bachelor's degree with a specialized track or customized sequence of courses. Make sure to speak with your advisor, so they can get you set up on the right pathway to reach your goal. Don't see a track that piques your interest? Talk with your advisor about additional options. 

  • Business Development and SalesPolish your sales techniques by learning how to establish trust with prospective customers and understanding key ways to negotiate offers to secure a customer’s purchase
  • Healthcare Administration: Apply the concepts of organizational development and human resource management to healthcare systems and institutions to strategically and efficiently provide patients with high-quality healthcare accessibility and delivery
  • Human Resource Management: Hone your business and people skills to retain employees effectively, identify ethical and legal HR practices, examine employee behaviors, and determine an organization's work environment challenges to manage an HR department successfully 
  • Information Technology Fundamentals: Use essential network components, fundamental cybersecurity concepts, and key functions of database design to examine data and test and develop applications
  • Marketing: Apply foundational marketing knowledge like consumer behavior, digital marketing, and integrated marketing communication to build effective marketing campaigns, support business decision-making, and demonstrate the value of marketing to business success
  • Project Management: Learn to plan, organize, and manage resources to effectively meet business goals and objectives, build and maintain project budgets, and successfully handle stakeholder expectations and concerns

Graduates of the business management bachelor's online program will demonstrate the following industry-specific skills, knowledge, and competencies:

  • Utilize strengths. Cultivate and leverage an organization's assets and human strengths to help transform workplace culture and optimize performance
  • Use business acumen. Identify, contextualize, and utilize core business functions to address business challenges
  • Communicate effectively. Utilize effective communication methods that motivate, articulate, generate and achieve desired results
  • Be fair-minded. Contribute meaningfully to diverse, fair, and inclusive teams and organizations
  • Use business technology for advantage. Identify technology that captures, analyzes, and shares organizational data and information, and creates business value
  • Think systemically. Use systemic and critical thinking to evaluate and address complex organizational issues

Champlain College Online's business faculty, led by Department Chair Dr. Albert Orbinati, are expert practitioners in the field. Their industry expertise ensures that our business management curriculum is aligned with the needs of employers, and reflects the skills today’s business professionals need for success. Classes led by our seasoned experts will give you real-world insight into the business world, and create a rich community of career-focused learning.

Alumni of the Champlain College Online bachelor's in business management program work in corporations, small businesses, government organizations, and nonprofits nationwide, including:

  • City of Burlington
  • Comcast
  • Department of Defense
  • IBM Corporation
  • Hypertherm
  • Legum & Norman
  • MetLife
  • Middlebury College 
  • Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
  • Small Business Administration (SBA)
  • People's United Bank
  • UBS Financial Services
  • Vermont Air National Guard
  • Wachovia Bank

Titles our alumni hold include:

  • Account Manager
  • Bookkeeper
  • Business Opportunities Specialist
  • Capital Improvement Program Manager
  • Financial Control Representative 
  • General Manager
  • HR Generalist 
  • Lead Business Systems Analyst
  • Logistics Readiness Squadron Enlisted Manager
  • Office Management Specialist
  • Policy Services
  • Program Assistant 
  • Sales Effectiveness Manager
  • Strategic Planner

Tuition & Costs

Online Undergraduate Tuition Fall '23 - Summer '24

$335 per credit
$1,005* per course
$290** per credit for alumni who earned a degree from Champlain, on-campus or online
$250 per credit for military service members (family members see truED tuition)
$150 One-time graduation fee

*Based on a 3-credit course; cost will vary if course is a different number of credits

** Starts Summer 2024, not retroactive 

See the undergraduate cost of attendance and fees here

What To Expect at Champlain Online

Expect Convenience

Go to school wherever and whenever is best for you, on the device of your choice.

Expect A Career Focus

Relevant and immediately applicable coursework gets you ready for your next career move

Expect Support

Your dedicated academic advisor provides the support you need to meet your academic goals

Expect Superior Faculty

Learn from practitioner faculty working in the field, with real-world experience and knowledge.

Why Champlain

Tom Cianchetta, Bachelor's Degree in Business Management

Superior Faculty

"The classroom environment was great, and the faculty were very helpful in terms of reaching out and being available. All of my professors were willing and ready to call, email or text whenever I needed them."

Tom Cianchetta Bachelor's Degree in Business Management
Digital Sales Manager, Epsilon

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Learn what you can expect from our online bachelor's in business management program.

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