Business Management
Business Management - AAS
Graduates are also prepared for careers 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, each comprising one common course and three specialty courses:
• Human Resources Specialist
• Operations Management
• Social Media Marketing
With the addition of BUS& 101, Introduction to Business, these specialty tracks are also available as short certificates – ideal for incumbent workers seeking to upskill.
Employment Information
Data are provided on a program (not credential) level
73% BTC graduate placement rate1
$82,111 starting annual wage2
$109,442 average annual wage2
$149,399 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?
A completed college admissions application and placement in English and math. BTC uses a Guided Self-Placement process to help you choose the best starting point for your English and math courses. Your selections will determine whether you begin with program coursework or complete prerequisites classes first.
To get started or for help determining your English and math placement, contact the Outreach department at Outreach@btc.edu.
What are My Next Steps?
Classes
Total Program Credits: 90
General Education Core Courses
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES (15 CREDITS) AENGL 100 Applied English 5 CR OR BUS 188 Business English 5 CR OR ENGL& 101 English Composition I 5 CR BUS 150 Math for Business 5 CR OR MATH& 107 Math In Society 5 CR Or higher CMST& 210 Interpersonal Communications 5 CR Required Elective Credits
ELECTIVES COURSES (10 Credits) Business Management students are encouraged to choose elective credits from any 100 level or higher courses with the following prefixes: ACCT, ACCT&, BIOL&, CHEM&, BUS, BUS&, CAP, CMST&, CS&, ECON&, ENGL&, HIST&, HT, HUM&, IT, MATH&, PHYS&, POLS&, PSYC&, SOC&, and SPAN&. Program Core
CORE COURSES (50 CREDITS) ACCT 141 Practical Accounting I 5 CR OR ACCT& 201 Principles of Accounting I 5 CR BIT 100 Survey of Business and Information Technology 2 CR BUS& 101 Introduction to Business 5 CR BUS 120 Principles of Marketing 5 CR BUS 191 Technical Communications 5 CR BUS& 201 Business Law 5 CR BUS 210 Organizational Leadership 5 CR CAP 101 Microsoft Computer Applications 5 CR CAP 114 Microsoft Outlook 3 CR CAP 142 Microsoft Excel 5 CR ECON& 201 Micro Economics 5 CR Program Specialty
SPECIALTY TRACKS (15 CREDITS) Choose either Human Resources Specialist or Operations Management or Social Media Marketing. Students must complete all four classes in one specialty. 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 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT BUS 137 Introduction to Human Resources 5 CR BUS 152 Introduction to Operations Management 5 CR BUS 153 Introduction to Lean Management 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
Program 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 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.ulifeline.org/-1199.1
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.
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes111021.htm
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-1021.00
Faculty & Support
Elizabeth Miller
BusinessContacts
If you have questions about this program or want help with the admissions steps to Bellingham Technical College, please email outreach@btc.edu.
Current students wanting academic planning and support, can connect with the program Instructor(s) or email BusinessITNav@btc.edu