Program Information

A vast array of careers awaits you with a degree or certificate in the field of business or commerce.  A degree in business leads to careers in Accounting, Consulting, Commerce, Business Administration, e-Business or e-Commerce, Finance, Marketing and Management.  Some people with a business administration degree will choose to work in private retail or wholesale businesses while others will select government work.  Fierce competition is expected for highly competitive and peak-earning positions such as management consultant or business analyst.

No matter where you choose to work, your business degree or certificate brings you to the eye of hiring employers.  It provides you with the flexibility to move among small or large firms.  Your skills combined with your education allows you to keep pace in today’s rapidly evolving business world.  Completion of a business educational program helps you maintain a higher employability status and propels advancement in a broad scope of industries.

CAC offers two pathways in business degrees.

The first is the Associate of Business (ABUS) transferable degree (60-64 credits) into State University Business Programs.  The Associate of Business (ABUS) Degree suits students who plan to transfer to the university to earn a baccalaureate degree in Business-related areas, such as Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Finance, Human Relations, Marketing and Public Administration.

The other is the Business Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree (64 credits) which, if completed, will also transfer all credits to a university, but will be evaluated depending on the program you select at the University.  The A.A.S. does not contain all the Arizona General Equivalency Curriculum (AGEC) and the higher math requirements of the ABUS degree.  See more details in each degree to compare course contents and possible transfer programs.  This A.A.S. degree allows you to stack a specialty certificate or courses, such as Accounting, Management, Hotel and Restaurant Management or Computer Information Science certificate courses towards its fourteen elective credit requirements.  If you plan accordingly, you could earn a certificate within the A.A.S. Business degree to become more marketable.

Two smaller certificates, one in Business (18 credits) and another in Management (24 credits) are also available and credits stack towards the Business A.A.S. degree.  Completing the certificate portion of a degree offers immediate employability in a shorter period of time and provides basic business skills for entrepreneurship ventures.  Students often feel more rewarded after earning a college graduation certificate and then advance to complete the additional degree requirements.  Individuals who already possess a degree, but desire to change career paths, may complete a certificate to enter business employment.