High-quality business education is widely available throughout each of the 50 states. While such prestigious educational institutions as Harvard and Stanford are well known around the world for their business education programs, almost any American educational institution can provide you with a quality business education. Many state-funded educational institutions, whether large or small, whether in urban and rural settings, offer good value in business education for the money spent. A noteworthy bonus is the fact that business degrees from the United States are highly respected and valued around the world.
Three basic types of institutions deliver education for business in the United rcs data States, at least one of which is right for you. Business and technical schools offer intensive programs from one to two years in length that focus on quickly preparing students for employment in business occupations. Junior and community colleges offer primarily two-year associate's degree programs that focus around business-related study leading to either employment or more education. Colleges and universities offer primarily four-year bachelor's degrees in a wide variety of business-related fields. These degrees include a broadening liberal arts component involving study in the humanities, mathematics, and social and natural sciences combined with a more narrow professional focus on a variety of business subjects. Bachelor's degree business programs are designed to prepare well-educated people who are able to function effectively in the complex business world. Many American colleges and universities also offer Master's and doctoral degrees for those wanting highly specialized business education.
The American system of education, especially its business education component, prides itself on its flexible program structures that meet student needs. Business education is organized around modules called courses, each of which lasts one semester (about 15 weeks) or one quarter (about 10 weeks). A student typically enrolls in four to six courses at a time. There are either two semesters or three quarters in the regular nine-month academic school year-plus an option for summer school courses, making efficient year-round business study possible. Some schools even reduce their fees for international students during summer school sessions.
Employed students can study full-time or part-time. Courses are offered during days, evenings and occasionally on weekends to accommodate students' schedules. Increasingly, education for business includes internships or other forms of cooperative education, giving students the chance to apply what they are learning in the classroom in the real business world. This practical firsthand experience helps students to bridge the gap between school and work, and it makes students better qualified workers when they seek jobs. Business-related professional organizations also complement classroom business education, allowing students opportunities to assume leadership roles, to function in teams, to accomplish goals and to interact with business professionals.