Business Administration Associate in Applied Science Degree

Master the art of business with an AAS program in business administration. Prepare for leadership in the corporate world.


48%

Job Postings Requiring Communication Skills

$47K

Median First-Year Salary of Graduates

20%

Salary Increase with an AAS Degree


Overview for Business Administration AAS

The business administration program focuses on general business operations and the critical decision-making process required for success in today's fast-paced work environment. You will learn the fundamentals of business planning, communication, and critical decision-making skills–all essential, high-growth skills for the jobs of the future. This program is available for qualified deaf and hard of hearing students.

AAS in Business Administration: Online or On-Campus

The business administration program, offered by RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, blends practical business experiences with theory and teaches you how to apply these concepts in actual business situations through case studies, interactive sessions, and cooperative education work experience. This degree prepares deaf and hard-of-hearing students to enter the workforce immediately following graduation, and is ideal for deaf and hard-of-hearing working professionals who would like to advance their career by enhancing their skills with a degree from this nationally recognized university. While this associate degree is a stand-alone credential valued by employers, qualified students can choose to continue their education.

This degree is for students contemplating careers in marketing, sales, retail, advertising, banking, management, human resources, hospitality, and other related fields. You’ll receive leadership training in addition to becoming proficient in the use of computer software applications necessary to succeed in the business world. Decision-making skills will be stressed throughout the program as well as consensus-building skills that support working in team situations.

Business administration is available as an associate in applied science (AAS) degree or as an Associate+Bachelor’s Degree Program.

The AAS degree in business administration is a career-focused degree program that leads to immediate entry into well-paying careers at the paraprofessional or technician level.

The Associate+Bachelor’s Degree Program in business administration prepares you to complete an RIT bachelor’s degree. In this option, upon successful completion of the AAS degree in business administration, provided you maintain a 2.5 or higher grade point average in the program, you will enroll into RIT's School of Individualized Study, where you can pursue a bachelor’s degree in applied arts and science.

Learn more about the benefits of pursuing an Associate+Bachelor’s Degree Program.

Why Study An Online Degree with RIT/NTID?

  • NTID mission—The primary mission of NTID is to provide deaf and hard-of-hearing students with outstanding state-of-the-art technical and professional education programs, complemented by a strong arts and sciences curriculum that prepare you to live and work in the mainstream of a rapidly changing global community while enhancing your lifelong learning.
  • NTID faculty—Many NTID faculty are deaf or hard of hearing, have years of higher education experience teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing learners, and have specialized experience in their professional fields from working in business and industry.
  • High-quality accessible educational materials and technologies—NTID uses a variety of strategies to make the online learning environment as flexible and accommodating as possible to ensure access, participation, and progress for all deaf and hard-of-hearing learners. Most video instructional materials include ASL interpretation and all videos include captions.
  • Outstanding academic support services—Academic tutoring is available online from your instructors and from qualified tutors familiar with course content and sign language.
  • Personal and career counseling services—Academic advising, personal counseling, and career counseling are provided to all deaf and hard-of-hearing students by the NTID Counseling and Academic Advising Services (CAAS). Every enrolled student receives an assigned NTID academic advisor/counselor to support their personal and academic success.
  • Access and accommodation services—NTID’s Department of Access Services provides interpreters and captionists for in-person classes and Zoom meetings. Students with secondary disabilities also can receive academic accommodations from RIT’sDisability Services Office.
  • Required cooperative work experience—This tuition-free, paid career experience provides you with on-the-job training and work experience in your field prior to graduation. The NTID Co-op and Career Center assists deaf and hard-of-hearing students with their job search and works with employers to facilitate hiring after graduation.
  • Job Placement Rate—95% of deaf and hard-of-hearing students who seek jobs after graduation find one within a year.

Microsoft Certification

NTID's business studies department operates an authorized testing center for Microsoft Office Specialist. Preparatory courses are offered for several exams each semester.

This program is offered on-campus or online.
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Careers and Cooperative Education

Typical Job Titles

Project Assistant Office Manager Technology-Oriented Support Specialist
Sales Support Specialist Relationship Banker Store Supervisor/Manager
Public Relations Specialist Manager Trainee Assistant Manager
Retail Supervisor/Manager Customer Service Supervisor/Manager

Industries

  • Government (Local, State, Federal)
  • Non-Profit
  • Advertising, PR, and Marketing
  • Consumer Packaged Goods
  • Insurance
  • Hotels and Accommodation
  • Retail Stores
  • Human Resources

Cooperative Education

Cooperative education, or co-op for short, is full-time, paid work experience in your field of study. And it sets RIT graduates apart from their competitors. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries. RIT co-op is designed for your success.

Students in the business administration program are required to complete a cooperative education work experience prior to graduation. You may schedule your co-op after completing your second-year academic requirements.

Curriculum for 2025-2026 for Business Administration AAS

Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements

Note for online students

The frequency of required and elective course offerings in the online program will vary, semester by semester, and will not always match the information presented here. Online students are advised to seek guidance from the listed program contact when developing their individual program course schedule.

Admissions and Financial Aid

For the career-focused AAS degree

  • 2 years of math required
  • 1 year of science required
  • English language skills as evidenced by application materials determine associate degree options.

For the AAS degree leading to bachelor’s degree (Associate+Bachelor’s program)

  • 2 years of math required; students interested in engineering, math and science transfer programs should have three or more years of math.
  • 1 year of science required; students interested in engineering, math and science transfer programs should have two or more years of science.
  • Physics is recommended for students interested in engineering.
  • English language skills as evidenced by application materials determine associate degree options.

Specific English, mathematics, and science requirements and other recommendations

  • English: Placement into a First Year Writing course, such as FYW: Writing Seminar (UWRT-150). Students who qualify for Critical Reading and Writing (UWRT-100) will be considered for admission if they are at NMTH-250 or higher in mathematics.
  • Mathematics: Placement into mathematics NMTH-140 or higher. Typically, students entering this major will have completed at least three years of high school mathematics.
  • Science: Placement into science NSCI-250 or higher. Typically, students entering this major will have completed at least two years of high school science.
  • ACT (optional): For the Career-Focused AAS degree, the ACT middle 50% composite score is 14-17. For the Associate+Bachelor AAS degree, the ACT middle 50% composite score is 18-21.

Learn How to Apply

Financial Aid and Scholarships

100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.

RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships

Additional Information

Online Study Restrictions for Some International Students

Certain countries are subject to comprehensive embargoes under US Export Controls, which prohibit virtually ALL exports, imports, and other transactions without a license or other US Government authorization. Learners from the Crimea region of the Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria may not register for RIT online courses. Nor may individuals on the United States Treasury Department’s list of Specially Designated Nationals or the United States Commerce Department’s table of Deny Orders. By registering for RIT online courses, you represent and warrant that you are not located in, under the control of, or a national or resident of any such country or on any such list.

Contact

Program Contact
Offered within the
Department of Business Studies