Business Management
Business Management - AAS-T
Choose Bellingham Technical College’s two-year Associate in Applied Science-Transfer degree in Business Management as a pathway to BTC’s Bachelor of Applied Science – Operations Management degree.
Graduates are also prepared for entry-level positions in industry, government, and non-profit organizations. Students will acquire a background in basic business including accounting, business law, marketing, and economics as well as practical supervisory skills.
In addition to the required core classes, students choose from one of three specialty tracks (Social Media Marketing, Human Resources Specialist, and Operations Management) each comprising three specialty classes.
Employment Information
Data are provided on a program (not credential) level
90% BTC graduate placement rate1
$73,056 starting annual wage2
$99,313 average annual wage2
$143,240 potential annual wage2
Entry Information
When Can I Start?
Students may begin this program Fall, Winter, Spring, or Summer quarters
What are the Minimum Entry Requirements?
Admissions application and assessment testing in Reading, Math and Writing is required. Your score on the test and/or your previous transcripts will determine where you begin your course sequence. Contact Admissions at 360.752.8345 or at admissions@btc.edu for assistance with academic planning.
What are My Next Steps?
Classes
Total Program Credits: 90
Total Program Credits: 90
General Education Core Courses
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES (25 CREDITS) ENGL& 101 English Composition I 5 CR MATH& 146 Introduction to Statistics (required) 5 CR Any two Humanities or Social Science Course from the Approved Transfer Course List 10 CR Any Natural Science with a Lab from the Approved Transfer Course List 5 CR Program Core
CORE COURSES (40 CREDITS) ACCT& 201 Principles of Accounting I 5 CR BUS 191 Technical Communications 5 CR BUS 120 Principles of Marketing 5 CR BUS 210 Human Resource Management 5 CR BUS 285 Organizational Behavior 5 CR BUS& 201 Business Law 5 CR CAP 101 Microsoft Computer Applications 5 CR ECON& 201 Micro Economics 5 CR Program Specialty
SPECIALTY TRACKS (20 CREDITS) Choose either Human Resources Specialist or Operations Management or Social Media Marketing. HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST BUS 137 Introduction to Human Resources 5 CR BUS 138 Introduction to Compensation & Benefits 5 CR BUS 139 Introduction to Employment Law & Labor Relations 5 CR BUS& 101 Introduction to Business 5 CR OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT BUS 152 Introduction to Operations Management 5 CR BUS 153 Introduction to Lean Management 5 CR BUS 154 Creating and Managing a Small Business 5 CR BUS& 101 Introduction to Business 5 CR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING BUS 127 Social Media Marketing 5 CR BUS 128 Search Engine Marketing 5 CR BUS 129 Social Media Marketing Campaign 5 CR BUS& 101 Introduction to Business 5 CR Required Elective Credits
ELECTIVE COURSES (5 CREDITS) Choose Any College Level Course with a prefix of ACCT, BUS, BUS&, or ECON& to total a minimum of 90 credits for the degree. Courses taken to meet the General Education, Program Core, or Program Specialty Track requirements may not be used to meet the Elective Requirement.
Online Synchronous
Hybrid Asynchronous
Hybrid Synchronous
Self-SupportProgram Outcomes
Students will learn core business practices, principles, and theories allowing them to make immediate and significant contributions in the workplace. Students will gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to coordinate human, financial and material resources to achieve organizational objectives while adhering to government guidelines.
Upon completing the Business Management AAS-T degree, students will be able to:
- Effectively communicate in the context of business and in a business environment;
- Use data to engage in effective decision-making;
- Apply ethical and legal principles to the business environment;
- Demonstrate mastery of the core functional areas of business including accounting, economics/finance, marketing, management, and planning & strategy.
Students completing the Social Media Marketing track will also be able to:
- Describe SMART social media goals to achieve successful online campaigns;
- Evaluate a company’s current situation, isolate social media issues and provide solutions by identifying appropriate social media marketing portals to influence consumer and improve the company’s reputation;
- Create a social media marketing plan and track progress in achieving goals with a variety of measurement tools, services, and metrics;
- Use analytics to monitor and evaluate progress.
Students completing the Human Resources Specialist track will also be able to:
- Describe the unique roles of Human Resources professionals and their impact on the organization;
- Explain the primary processes of workforce planning, job analysis and design, training and development, compensation and benefits, and performance appraisal;
- Identify the key federal and Washington state employment laws, regulations, and terminology;
- Develop a written strategic compensation plan.
Students completing the Operations Management track will also be able to:
- Analyze individual and group behavior, and understand the implications of organizational behavior on the process of management;
- Demonstrate an optimized approach to planning, executing, monitoring and controlling projects;
- Describe and discuss the mechanics of operating a small business (pricing, human relations, purchasing, inventory, financial controls;
- Analyze and apply strategies to maintain quality and stability within operations.
Employment Outlook
A Business Management degree prepares students for a career in business, which may stretch across any sector or industry. Career options for students are varied; graduates may begin working as Project Coordinators, Project Managers, Business Analysts, or Executive Assistants and progress to Account Executives, Managers, Associate Directors or Directors. Students who continue their education and obtain a four-year BS or BA, or a 2+2 BAS degree may progress to an Executive Director or Operations Manager level.
Specialty Track Employment Outlook:
Social Media Marketing:
Students pursuing the Social Media Marketing track may begin working as a Social Media Specialist, Digital Engagement Specialist or Public Relations Specialist and progress to Online Community Manager or Social and Community Service Manager. In May 2015, there were about 218,910 related entry-level positions with a median wage of $56,770 (https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2016/youre-a-what/social-media-specialist.htm). ONet classifies this as a new and emerging occupation with a projected growth range of 5% to 9% and a national annual wage of $86,510. The median wage for Bellingham, WA in this occupation is $66,640.
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-1199.10
Human Resources Specialist:
Students pursuing the Human Resources Specialist track may begin working as an entry-level Human Resource Specialist, Training and Development Specialist, Benefits Coordinator or Human Resource Generalist. Small and large businesses, healthcare organizations, government agencies, and education are examples of areas that need the expertise of a human resource management specialist. In May, 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an anticipated .5% rise in this occupation with a mean annual wage of $64,890.
This data is supported by ONet’s findings which report an anticipated growth rate range of 5% to 9% and a median annual wage of $59, 180. It is noted that the median annual wage for this occupation in Washington is reported by ONet as $62,010; 5% higher than the national median wage.
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131071.htm
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1071.00
Operations Management:
Students pursuing the Operations Management track may begin working in a variety of industries including business, advanced manufacturing and information technology. In May, 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an anticipated .3% rise in this occupation with a mean annual wage of $122,090.
ONet reports an anticipated 5% to 9% projected growth for this occupation with a median annual wage (2016) of $99,310. It should be noted that this occupational group is diverse and general in nature.
Faculty & Support
