Riverland Community College

The Department offers high quality, flexible, affordable oncampus and online educational opportunities in a culturally sensitive learning environment promoting lifelong learning and community engagement while enhancing personal development.

Would you like to develop a solid business foundation to support your educational goals?

The Associate in Arts (AA) degree with a Business Concentration is designed specifically for liberal arts students who want to develop a strong business foundation as they work toward transferring to a non-Minnesota State university, out-of-state university, or private university.  The curriculum is designed for students planning to transfer and pursue a College of Business degree in accounting, business administration, economics, finance, human resources, international business, management, or marketing.

If you are undecided about your major, this could be an ideal choice for you because of the exposure to a variety of subject areas. The Business credits required for this concentration provide a clear perspective on a variety of business careers. Earning your AA with a Business Concentration is equivalent to completing the first two years of a bachelors' degree.

All full-time Riverland Business faculty members have advanced degrees plus work experience. They maintain membership in professional business organizations to help them stay current in their field. Smaller class sizes at Riverland mean that you get more personalized attention from instructors and many students tell us this helps them establish a solid foundation for success. Oncampus and online classes are distinct advantages of this program. If you prefer, you can complete this major totally online.

A student successfully completing this degree will be able to

• Apply critical thinking processes to ethically analyze and evaluate business situations.
• Demonstrate the ability to use application software, technology, and other resources to research, analyze, and integrate data to solve business problems.
• Prepare and present oral, written and group materials that inform, persuade, and influence others.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively work in a team environment to achieve goals.
• Apply the principles of accounting, finance, and economics to evaluate fiscal decisions.

Basic Program and Job Skill Areas

Learning: Business students are expected to have strong study skills. Counselors recommend spending a minimum of two hours studying for each credit. A 3-credit lecture class equals 3 hours in class and 6 hours studying outside of class each week. You will be expected to take notes from textbooks and lectures; incorporating the information into assignments and tests. Several of the business courses require strong reasoning skills. Students and graduates apply general principles to specific cases or situations; drawing conclusions from information to make sound recommendations and decisions. It is important to understand cause-effect relationships and apply problem-solving skills.

Reading: Business students read textbooks, general periodicals, trade journals, and newspapers. Reading is a central part of courses and textbooks are written at a college level. Students who transfer to four-year institutions can expect reading assignments of increasing length and complexity. In the business world, graduates can expect to read trade journals, professional reports, and manuals.

Communication: For success it is important that students have good oral and written communication skills, as well as the ability to work with groups to reach a common goal. Writing skills should be at a college level. Written work includes reports, case studies, research papers, and essay tests. In the business world, graduates prepare reports, letters, memos, presentations, and e-mails and use speaking skills on a one-to-one basis and in presentations.

Computer: In the classroom and on the job, expect to use software applications and apply your computer skills. Professional documents are prepared that require critical thinking and problem solving.

Math: Students are required to take a college-level math course, College Algebra. This class has prerequisites, based upon test scores. Students who plan to transfer should review the math requirements at their selected institution. The two required economics and elective statistics classes involve graphing and formulas. The personal finance class includes using percentages to calculate returns. These types of math skills will be used on the job.

Last Updated: July 1, 2019