AAS Business Enterprise
Associate of Applied Science in Business Enterprise

The Associate in Applied Science Degree in Business Enterprise prepares students to think, plan,a nd manage like business owners. This program builds an entrepreneurial knowledge base for persons interested in small business ownership. This program also is designed for students who desire to pursue or advance into (if currently employed) positions of frontline management in the retail and service industries, including retail stores, restaurants, hotels/motels, banking, and other service establishments.

Program Competencies

• Demonstrate college-level proficiency in reading, writing, and oral communication.

• Apply math skills appropriate to the task.

• Use information technology to locate, process, and present information effectively and ethically.

• Perform basic accounting procedures including the preparation and interpretation of financial statements and recordes for both service and manufacturing operations.

• Apply management and leadership principles and theory.

• Apply aspects of legal, regulatory, and ethical principles.

• Identify business strategies to market products or services and address customer service needs.

• Apply critical thinking skills to analyze and solve business problems based on logical reasoning.

• Identify new business opportunities and quantify their value.

• Apply human resource management methods to recruit, manage, train, motivate, and maintain a productive workforce.

• Identify and apply practical business procedures to include inventory, cash management, and gross margin analysis.

Program Assessment

Candidates for the Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Enterprise at Arkansas Northeastern College are required, as a condition of graduation, to participate in the outcomes assessments conducted by the academic units of the College, including general education. The ASK Business Institute Exam is administered in the semester the student completes their degree requirements.

Key Questions

Are you good at taking responsibility?

• Business managers and owners must take responsibility for their own actions as well as the actions of people that he/she manages.

Do you work well with other people?

• Business managers and owners rarely work alone; they must work with and, in many cases, lead other people; strong interpersonal skills are essential.

Do you consider yourself a dedicated person?

• Being a successful business manager demands a strong sense of dedication to one's career, employees, co-workers, and place of business.

Do you mind working extra hours when needed?

• Because business management requires responsibility and dedication, working extra hours is common to get the job done.

Will the Business Enterprise degree prepare me to start my own business?

• Yes, but the degree is no substitute for experience. The AAS in Business Enterprise will equip you with the knowledge to evaluate business opportunities and to run your own business; however, most successful business owners gain hands-on experience with their specific product or service before launching their own businesses. The Business Enterprise degree better prepares you to acquire a job to gain such experience if you do not already have it.