Q&A: Earning Your Bachelor's in Business Administration Online

It's important to shop around when searching for an online BSBA program, as prices can vary widely.

First, you'll want to select a nonprofit university instead of a for-profit university. Universities that operate as for-profit businesses, such as DeVry and the University of Phoenix, are often more expensive than nonprofit schools, and degrees from for-profit programs are typically less prestigious. It's also difficult to transfer credits from for-profit schools. That means you're paying more to get less. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, attending a for-profit program (when compared to a nonprofit) results in worse job and career outcomes, increased student loan debt and a higher risk of loan default.

Next, you'll want to look at tuition and determine the number of credit hours required for your degree. Many universities charge by the credit hour, so if you have approved transfer credits, you'll subtract that number from the degree requirements to get a more accurate sense of your expenses. Bachelor's degrees are federally required to meet a minimum of 120 credit hours, but Maryville University requires 128 for its online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. At $500 per credit hour, that comes to $64,000 (assuming you don't have transfer credits). The online BSBA at Drexel is $521 per credit hour, which would be $62,520 for 120 credits. Missouri State charges $295 for each undergraduate online credit hour; if you need the full 120 credits to graduate, that'd be a tuition of $35,400 not including fees.

Make sure to watch out for added fees as you compare programs. Auburn University, for instance, charges $501 per credit hour for its online BSBA, but it also charges a $38 "professional fee" per credit hour. That comes to $64,680 for all 120 credits. Arizona State University has in-state and out-of-state tuition rates for online business administration students. Arizona State's per credit hour tuition for non-residents in the online business program is $707, which totals $84,840 for 120 credit hours.

A-State is a nonprofit university, and its online BSBA program costs $269 per credit hour, including required fees. The entire 120-credit degree is $30,960, and you can pay tuition as you go.

That depends on how many courses you take each semester. It also depends on your transfer credits. Online programs are often accelerated, however, so an online BSBA may take less time to complete than an on-campus degree.

A-State's accelerated online BSBA divides semesters in half, which means courses take only 7 weeks to complete. Traditional semesters and courses typically take 15 weeks to complete.

Each university and degree program has its own unique requirements, but most admissions boards will require some combination of high school and/or college transcripts with a set minimum GPA. Many online bachelor's programs will require SAT or ACT scores for students who haven't attended college previously, and some will require students who only attended college for a short time to submit SAT or ACT scores as well.

A-State's admission criteria for the online BSBA follow this rubric, and the online application allows you to specify your status as a transfer student or as a freshman who has never attended college (the application form is customized accordingly). A detailed list of requirements is as follows:

• An official high school transcript with at least a 2.75 GPA or GED score of 500 (if taken prior to 2002) or 525 (if taken in or since 2002). The above requirement is waived for students who've successfully completed 13 or more transferrable college credit hours.
• Official test scores (ACT, SAT, ASSET or COMPASS):
  • ACT composite score of 21 or greater, and a minimum sub-score of 19 for Math, Reading and English
  • SAT test score of 1,070 or greater
  • Minimum ASSET scores of 46 for Writing, 44 for Math and 45 for Reading
  • Minimum COMPASS scores of 89 for Writing, 45 for Math and 88 for Reading
  • Scores are valid for a period of five years from the date of exam. If your scores are more than five years old, and you don't meet the waiver requirements that follow, you'll need to retake one of the aforementioned standardized tests.

• The test score requirement is waived for students who've successfully completed 24 or more transferrable college credit hours.
• A minimum cumulative college GPA of 2.0 on previous college coursework is required, if applicable.
• Students may be considered eligible for admission based on the completion of English Composition I, English Composition II or Writing Fundamentals with a grade of C or better.
• Students may also be considered eligible for admission based on the completion of College Algebra or Intermediate Algebra with a grade of D or better.
• International students may need to provide proof of English proficiency.
• International students are also required to provide English-language copies of attested or notarized transcripts. Additionally, transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services, Educational Credential Evaluators or another independent agency.

Many universities accept transfer credits from regionally accredited institutions. Beyond that, policies vary, so be sure to check with your chosen program. Some universities, for instance, place a cap on eligible transfer credits. The lower the cap, the more courses you'll be required to retake and pay for again.

A-State accepts up to 90 credit hours for transfer. If you meet this limit, the cost of completing your bachelor's degree is only $8,070. In addition to previous credits from a regionally accredited institution, A-State will also consider credits from Advanced Placement (AP) courses, the College Level Examination program (CLEP), military service education and experience, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) and formal non-collegiate courses. For non-collegiate courses, credit must be recommended by the Directory of National Program on Non Collegiate Sponsored Instruction, and in the National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs.

We've spent a lot of time designing the curriculum specifically to make it very flexible, because we understand students are going to bring in transfer credits and we want to make sure those tap into their degree. We know it's important for our students to get out in that career field or advance where they're at, and we want to make sure that they get there as quick as possible.

– Dr. Jill Simons, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Undergraduate Studies at A-State