The Associate of Business degree is designed for students who intend to transfer with junior status to a four-year college or university for a bachelor degree in a business-related field.

This degree allows early choices for those planning a professional career in business, management, accounting, marketing or a related field.

Earn This Degree Online.

The purpose of the Associate of Business degree is to provide the academic knowledge and skills for successful transfer to meet higher education goals.

Students who complete an Associate of Business degree at WNC are expected to demonstrate that they

  • Articulate and demonstrate their personal employment related knowledge, skills and abilities.
  • Evaluate the impact of various economic systems and policies.
  • Summarize, record, analyze, interpret and communicate accounting and financial information for decision-making.
  • Devise, implement and evaluate managerial decisions, actions and outcomes.
  • Apply technology to aid in communications and decision-making.
  • Present research, data, analysis and conclusions through written and oral means.
  • Describe the changing landscape of the global market and its impact on the United States.
  • Summarize the impact of social, ethical, legal and diversity issues within contemporary business.
  • Develop business, financial and marketing plans for established and emerging businesses.

Bachelor Degree Pathways

WNC has 2+2 partnerships with UNR and many other institutions to make completing your degree at WNC and transferring later as smooth as possible. The Associate of Business degree is designed so students may tailor it to meet degree requirements for a variety of majors at transfer institutions.

Accounting
Use your strength in math and numbers for public, industrial, tax, managerial or government accounting. Many opportunities are available because finance and budgets are the backbone of every organization.

Economics
Work for the government, businesses or nonprofit organizations as an economic and statistical analyst. Provide cutting-edge economic research, and assist public and private decision makers in practical ways.

Finance
Skilled with numbers? Make them work for you in financial management, banking, investments and insurance careers. You will learn the skills to credibly weigh in on fiscal matters dealing with business investment and stock and mutual fund research and analysis.

Management
Planning, organizing and leading people and projects are key components for all organizations and business. Students can expect to learn about human resources, general business management, entrepreneurship and related topics.

Marketing
Become a vital component of a company or organization by having the ability to provide strategic insight. Identify customers, develop ad campaigns, conduct business development research and explore new areas of brand promotion.

General Business
For students who dont desire to specialize in one area of business, this career pathway gives them a diverse background in many areas of a business, including accounting, sales, management, finance, marketing and business law, to maximize their skills and potential to rise to a top spot in a large company.

International Business
Gain a better understanding of global markets and various business regions of the world. With the worlds economy increasing global, this well-paid field provides job possibilities such as foreign service officer, interpreter, trade coordinator, accounting manager, economist, business development director, sales manager and more.

Information Systems
Become a professional in high demand with a large salary by learning how to strategically and effectively apply technology to a business. These highly coveted professionals are invaluable to employers across a variety of business sectors and are qualified to serve positions including application analyst, cybersecurity analyst, data analyst, data scientist, database administrator, systems analyst, information systems manager, IT consultant and more.

Program Requirements
27 units


Accounting: 201, 202
Economics: 102, 103, 261, 262
Information Systems: 101
Marketing: 210
Mathematics: 176
NOTE: If student does not meet the prerequisite for MATH 176, MATH 126 may be used as a degree elective and should be taken in the first semester.

Transfer Requirement or General Electives 12 Units
Students should take courses that meet requirements for their major at their intended transfer school. Students planning to transfer to the University of Nevada, Reno should obtain a transfer handout from WNC Counseling Services or the UNR Transfer Center.

Recommended: BUS 101
For UNR transfer, COM 101 or 113 and 2 courses from Anthropology 101, Political Science 231, Psychology 101, Sociology 101 are recommended.

Course Title Units
General Education Requirements minimum 21 Units
English/Communications 6-8 Units
English: 100 or 101, 102
Fine Arts 3 Units
Art: 100, 101*, 124, 135, 141, 160, 211, 214, 231, 260, 261
English: 261
History: 203
Humanities: 101
Music: 121, 124, 125, 176
Music: Ensemble: 101*, 131, 135
Theatre: 100, 105*, 180
* Course may not meet the fine arts requirement at all universities. Please see a counselor.
Humanities 3 Units
Core Humanities: 201, 202, 212
English: 200, 223
History: 105, 106, 208, 209, 247
Philosophy: 101, 135, 200, 203, 204, 207, 210, 224, 225
UNR transfer students, choose at least one of the following courses:
Core Humanities: 201, 202
History: 105, 106
Philosophy: 200, 207, 245
Mathematics
See Program Requirements
Science 6 Units
Anthropology: 102, 110L
Astronomy: 109, 110, 120
Atmospheric Sciences: 117
Biology: 100, 113, 190, 191, 200
Chemistry: 100, 121, 122
Environmental Studies: 100, 101
Geography: 103, 104, 116, 121
Geology: 100, 101, 102, 103, 105, 201
Nutrition: 121
Physics: 100, 151, 152, 180 & 180L
Note: Completion of CHEM 121 or BIOL 190, BIOL 223 and BIOL 224, and BIOL 251 fulfills the science general education requirement.
Social Sciences
See Program Requirements
U.S. & Nevada Constitution 3-6 Units
Must meet both requirements. Choose from:
Core Humanities: 203
History: 111
History: 101 and one of the following:
HIST 102, HIST 217, PSC 100, PSC 208
Political Science: 101, 103

Suggested Course Sequence


Course Title Units
First Semester
ENG 101 Composition I 3
ECON 102 Principles of Microeconomics 3
MATH 176 Introductory Calculus for Business & Social Sciences 3
Fine Arts Course 3
General Elective 3
Second Semester
ENG 102 Composition II 3
ECON 103 Principles of Macroeconomics 3
IS 101 Introduction to Information Systems 3
Science Course 3
U.S./Nevada Constitution 3
Third Semester
ACC 201 Financial Accounting 3
ECON 261 Principles of Statistics I 3
General Elective 3
Humanities Course 3
Science Course 3
Fourth Semester
ACC 202 Managerial Accounting 3
CON 262    
MKT 210 Marketing Principles 3
General Elective 6