Students could find several online programs that provide them the management skills and business savvy to become an entrepreneur, small business owner or management professional. Within these programs, students should learn how to invest in their company, manage small teams and develop critical thinking skills. They also should gain the ability to create a business plan and options for funding their company. (1-4)
Entrepreneurship Program Overviews
Community colleges, four-year institutions and online colleges offer online programs in entrepreneurship. These online programs are available at the undergraduate and graduate levels in full- and part-time options. Fully online programs are typical, but students can find programs offered in a blended format that allows them to complete some courses on campus. These programs may cover an additional aspect of entrepreneurship, such as small business, technology or management. Some programs are offered as a specialization within a business administration program. (1-4)
These programs generally place a lot of emphasis on project leadership, quality management, global organization, business decisions and strategic management. Certificate, associate and bachelor’s programs generally allow students to gain hands-on training and experience through collaborative projects, simulations and internships within a business environment. (2, 3) Master’s and doctoral programs generally delve deeper into entrepreneurial strategy, ventures and financing. Graduate programs typically culminate in a final research project, thesis or dissertation. (1, 4)
Career Options
While the main goal of most entrepreneurship programs is to prepare individuals for self-employment or personal business ventures, these programs are also designed to provide graduates with the management skills to succeed in other business sectors. (1-4) Undergraduate program graduates may be prepared for careers as product developers, consultants, venture analysts and marketing analysts. (2, 3) Master of Business Administration or Ph.D. graduates could find positions within health care, marketing, academia, consulting, government or financial services as consultants, professors, managers and directors. (1, 4)
Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), self-employment will see a steady growth of 3.6 percent from 2012-2022. While this is considered slower-than-average for all occupations, specific fields may see a greater job growth. For example, job growth for management analysts was 29.5 percent that decade, and real-estate managers saw an 11 percent increase. (5) Additionally, top executives are projected to see an 11 percent increase from 2012-2022. (6) Although the BLS doesn’t provide wages for business owners, it does provide wages for several fields that include self-employed workers. Profiled below are the mean wages for a few of these fields as of May 2013. (7)
• Chief Executives: $178,400
• Advertising, Marketing and Sales Managers: $124,640
• Construction Manager: $92,700
• Management Analysts: $89,990
• Business Operations Specialists: $69,030
• Market Research Analysts: $67,780
• First-Line Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers: $41,450
Citations
1. Capella University, Entrepreneurship Specialization MBA, on the Internet at http://www.capella.edu/online-degrees/mba-entrepreneurship/ (visited on October 21, 2014)
2. ASU Online, BS Technological Entrepreneurship and Management, on the Internet at http://asuonline.asu.edu/online-degree-programs/undergraduate/bachelor-science-technological-entrepreneurship-and-management (visited on October 21, 2014)
3. Central Penn College, Associate Degree in Entrepreneurship and Small Business, on the Internet at http://asuonline.asu.edu/online-degree-programs/undergraduate/bachelor-science-technological-entrepreneurship-and-management (visited on October 21, 2014)
4. University of Louisville, Entrepreneurship PhD, on the Internet at http://business.louisville.edu/entre-phd-curriculum/ (visited on October 21, 2014)
5. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Self-Employment: What to Know to Be Your Own Boss, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2014/article/print/self-employment-what-to-know-to-be-your-own-boss.htm (visited October 21, 2014).
6. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Top Executives, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/top-executives.htm (visited October 21, 2014).
7. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics, 2014-15 Edition, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2013, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2013/may/oes_nat.htm#11-0000 (visited October 21, 2014).