W. P. Carey School of Business

An applied business degree is ideal for those looking for growth in their current roles or are preparing for leadership and management positions. In this program, you’ll gain a variety of business skills, such as:

• Analytical research and problem solving.
• Cross-functional communication and collaboration.
• Data analytics and visualization.
• Global applications and cultural sensitivity.
• Leadership and management.
• Personal ethics and integrity.

Additionally, you can tailor your learning by choosing up to two specializations in your areas of interest. Explore topics in more than 15 focus areas ranging from human resources and diversity, equity and inclusion to human factors engineering and marketing. This provides you with the opportunity to direct your learning and tailor coursework to your professional goals.

The careers an applied business degree prepares you for

Employers of all sizes and industries value broad-based business skills. Whether you want to advance in your current role, seek opportunities in a new organization or follow entrepreneurial pursuits, you’ll be on the path to accomplish your goals.

As a graduate, you can pursue a wide array of careers in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. You may find opportunities in communications, leadership and management, human resources, sales, training and more.

How does this program compare to a business administration degree?

While both programs provide insight into business practice and strategy, they have key differences. ASU Online’s bachelor’s in business administration concentration emphasizes building general management and operations skills.

By comparison, this applied business degree allows you to explore multiple areas of interest. You’ll have the flexibility to take courses in a variety of disciplines and understand how they integrate to form valuable business solutions.

Human resources professionals are necessary to every organization, making candidates with a specialized degree highly sought after. This program prepares you for careers in this dynamic field by exploring how human resources influences every stage of employment from identifying business needs to managing the end of employment cycles.

You’ll graduate ready to lead organizational excellence across various industries and government sectors with abundant employment opportunities and the potential for a rewarding salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for this role is projected to grow 6% from 2023 to 2033, which is faster than the average for all occupations. The roles are well paid, too, with a median annual pay of $140,030 as of May 2024.

The knowledge and skills you’ll develop

This program begins by providing you with foundational business knowledge crucial for managerial roles. As you advance, you’ll focus on core human resources functions and develop the skills to handle the complexities of modern workforce needs, such as:

• Analytical and critical thinking
• Effective communication
• Global and cultural sensitivity
• Leadership
• Legal knowledge
• Personal ethics and integrity
• Relationship management

Through a curriculum that blends theoretical study with practical applications using traditional texts, real-world case studies and contemporary business literature, you’ll gain comprehensive knowledge in assessing, selecting, developing, managing, compensating and guiding employees. This dual approach ensures you not only grasp the strategic importance of human resources management but also acquire hands-on skills to thrive in various organizational environments.

Mentorship and networking opportunities

This program offers ample opportunities to build a strong foundation in human resources management through mentorship and networking. As a student, you'll join the Society for Human Resource Management National Chapter, gaining access to invaluable resources tailored to your human resource concentration courses. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage in HR mentoring workshops each semester featuring guest speakers who share insights on resume writing and interviewing skills, as well as conduct mock one-on-one interviews with industry professionals. Many students choose to enhance their studies with internships, gaining valuable mentorship from practitioners and faculty with real-world experience, including former HR executives from Basis Education and Employers Council.

Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), this program delivers the critical thinking, team-building, communication and information technology skills needed to thrive in your career. All of that, plus close ties with major local, national and international accounting firms, provide a competitive edge in the job market. Upon graduating from this program, you’ll be prepared for careers in public, corporate and governmental accounting or personal financial planning and portfolio analysis.

Additionally, this bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Accountancy and Data Analytics (MACC)

Please note, this program is not available to students with BA, BS or MS degrees in accountancy, and the courses are not available to non-degree students.

Will this degree support me in becoming a CPA?

The CPA designation isn’t critical for all accounting career paths, but becoming a CPA could be advantageous in the accounting profession. CPA requirements are set by each state, and all states require a minimum total of 150 credit hours. Students are encouraged to review the requirements of the state(s) in which they intend to seek a CPA license. Each state has a board of accountancy that can provide this information. Visit the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) for additional information.

The skills you’ll gain in this bachelor’s in accounting

This program explores authentic business processes and strategies, including the latest software and technologies. In your courses, you’ll study database analysis, financial reporting and analysis, federal income taxation and ways to use accounting data for internal decision-making processes. You’ll also gain a range of transferable skills, such as:

• Critical thinking
• Ethical decision making
• Problem solving
• Written and oral communication

You’ve probably heard about data breaches at major businesses or maybe your personal information has been compromised. Cybercrimes such as these are a threat to most every organization and business. Thus, information security officers who can recognize and prevent these crises are in high demand. 

This information security degree concentration equips you with the skills needed to organize, manage and safekeep a business’s cyber infrastructure. Businesses will turn to you to understand privacy regulations and keep their data, and that of their clients, out of the hands of others.

What is information security?

Information security is the process of keeping private information safe from unauthorized users, thus preventing information theft, manipulation or destruction. Information security is vital to businesses as unauthorized access to private data can lead to revenue loss, loss of client trust or even the eventual end of a business.

How this degree prepares you to be an information security analyst

Today's organizations rely on cyber infrastructure to conduct business transactions with their customers and business partners. Throughout this information security concentration, you’ll develop the requisite digital expertise needed to assist these businesses in finding solutions to cyberthreats and minimizing risks within their organizational processes and transactions. 

You’ll graduate with the core business, critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary in understanding how digital infrastructure should be organized and managed within business policies and frameworks.

Join the next generation of financial planning professionals by gaining the knowledge and skills needed to develop solutions for your clients’ personal financial needs. This program’s curriculum prepares you to assist clients in navigating life’s most important personal financial decisions, including financial investments, insurance needs and estate and tax planning.

This program is best suited for those seeking client-facing roles in the financial services industry. Students interested in working in corporate finance should check out the corporate accounting degree concentration, whereas those looking to become accountants should check out the bachelor’s in accountancy.

Personal financial advisor: An in-demand and high-paying career

As the population ages and life expectancy rises, the demand for financial planning services will increase. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of personal financial advisors is projected to rise 13% between 2022 and 2032, with 25,600 job openings projected each year, on average, during that time. That’s much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations.

These roles are well-paid, too, with the median annual salary being $95,390 as of May 2022, per the BLS.

What you’ll learn in this program

Throughout your coursework, you’ll become skilled across multiple dimensions of the financial planning process. You’ll learn how to value financial assets and assess portfolio risk and performance. You’ll also become familiar with tax strategies and calculations around income realization, exclusions and deductions, passive activities, considerations of business forms, property transactions and the taxation of gift and estate transfers. Additionally, you’ll gain a variety of transferable skills, including:

• Communication.
• Critical thinking.
• Data analysis and quantitative reasoning.
• Management.
• Problem solving.

In this program, you’ll build a strong foundation in business while gaining a specialized understanding of legal considerations. You’ll study how laws shape business formation, daily operations and strategic decisions. Courses explore the U.S. legal system and key areas of business law, including contracts, compliance, human resources, intellectual property and taxation.

You’ll also examine the broader legal and regulatory climate that impacts business policies and risk management. Through coursework, you’ll strengthen skills in logic, negotiation, case analysis, critical thinking and problem solving. This concentration prepares you to evaluate legal issues, navigate complex challenges and lead with confidence where business and law intersect.

Who’s a good candidate for this program?

This program is ideal for those interested in bridging passion for business and law and who want to stand out when applying for future roles. You’ll graduate prepared to navigate regulatory challenges, reduce risk and contribute to strategic decisions in a wide range of industries.

This program is also a great fit if you have experience or interest in areas such as administration, legal support, policy, compliance or management. Entrepreneurs and professionals seeking to better understand how legal regulations shape business operations and decision-making may also find it to be a good fit for their goals.

Note: This is not a pre-law degree ideal for those looking to become lawyers. Although ASU Law does accept students who graduate from this program, this degree was designed for law needed for business use, such as case studies and negotiations.

Sports business spans principles of accounting, marketing and finance in sports and recreation. Professionals in sports business must understand how to approach revenue generation and fan engagement, while working with athletics, leagues, teams and more. The field explores how business, media and sports interact for mutual benefits and profitability.

There isn’t another online sports business degree concentration in the nation that’s housed within a business school as prominent or nationally ranked as the W. P. Carey School of Business. As a student, you’ll receive a world-class business education through the lens of sports. You’ll also work with professors who serve as consultants to many prominent sports entities, while being sought out as experts in their fields by the Arizona Republic, Sports Business Journal and other leading industry publications.

Transferable skills for sports management and other careers in business

Whether you’re already working in the sports industry or you’d like to better understand the role of business in sports, this program may help you reach your professional goals. You’ll gain expertise on best practices for marketing, analytics, revenue generation and more. You’ll also develop theoretical and practical skills that’ll apply directly to the sports industry and almost any business context, such as: 

• Critical thinking.
• Organization
• Perseverance.
• Persuasion.
• Problem solving.
• Teamwork.
• Verbal and written communication.

Understand the business of sports

As sports evolve to maintain relevance in the increasingly fragmented world of business and entertainment, the sports industry must approach revenue generation and fan engagement from an unexplored lens. This bachelor’s in business with a sports business concentration exposes you to business, marketing and sports management principles that apply to a competitive and changing landscape. 

From consumer behavior to strategic business processes, this program provides you with a well-rounded skill set to work in the industry. You’ll complete coursework that’ll teach you how to interact with a variety of stakeholders in the expanding domain of sports. These stakeholders may include sports leagues, teams, mega-events, collegiate athletics, media, sponsorship, retailers and venues, among others that support and facilitate sports-related activities.

Supply chain managers streamline procurement, manufacturing and logistics processes to ensure goods and services are available to customers. They also manage the flow of materials, finances, information and labor from product or service design to customer delivery, emphasizing quality and efficiency throughout the process.

In this field, you may work with suppliers from across the world to achieve business goals. Supply chain professionals also help businesses work with vendors to establish efficient, cost-effective methods for sourcing supplies, as well as technical, maintenance and janitorial services.

The skills you’ll develop in this supply chain management degree

Throughout this program, you'll develop skills in procurement, production and logistics. You'll also graduate with competencies in negotiation, planning and strategy development, alongside gaining expertise in project management, process design and capacity planning. This highly ranked program is regularly updated by leading faculty to stay ahead of the latest industry trends and innovations.

Additionally, this bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Science in business analytics.
• Master of Science in supply chain management.

What industries are hiring supply chain managers?

Supply chain management expertise is in high demand across a multitude of industries. Supply chain managers play a pivotal role not only in manufacturing sectors but also in retail, health care, technology and government, coordinating the acquisition and flow of goods from raw materials to finished products. These professionals ensure that everything from office supplies and capital equipment to essential services are procured efficiently, contributing to the smooth operation of businesses and service organizations alike. Whether it’s optimizing the supply chain of a multinational corporation, streamlining service delivery in a hospital or improving efficiency in a tech startup, your skills will help maintain the delicate balance of quality, cost and speed that modern markets demand.