5 Benefits of a Business Administration Diploma Over a Degree

Up until now, people have wrongly believed that a diploma of any kind is not worth as much as a degree. This, however, is not true for a number of reasons, and both students and employers are beginning to see a change in the quality and education of college students with diplomas.

While spending a huge amount of money to attend a university for four years and leave with a vague degree and some transferable business skills may be the best option for some, many of us would rather be in a position to begin a career in business straight out of their post-secondary studies.

Here are some reasons to consider a Business Administration diploma over a degree….

Duration of the course

A typical university degree course takes up to four years to complete when studying full-time, with part-time options taking almost twice that long. This is a long chunk of time to commit to something that not everyone is completely dedicated to. 28% of students drop out of a 4-year university degree course after the first year, due to a range of factors. Financial strain, home-sickness, and being unsure of what they want to do are huge contributors to this statistic.

Universities offer the option to change majors and often teach very vague concepts and theories to students, leaving students with some transferable skills but without a clear idea of which career path they are actually going to take. While historical establishments with a school of business may look good on a resume, other universities offer an indistinctive bachelor of business administration that doesn’t actually set students up for a career in business after a long four years.

A diploma course is a lot shorter than a degree and takes the essential aspects and knowledge that it takes to actually carve out a career in business for you to learn. A typical Business Administration diploma can be achieved after as little as 52 weeks of studying, and the program is designed to prepare students for a career in business.

Career-Specific Training

Career colleges that offer a diploma in Business Administration pride themselves on being able to provide education for students that will get them hired into the field they desire. The course does not employ lecturers who are more interested in their tenure or doing research for a university, and instead offers lessons with instructors who have decades of experience and knowledge to share with students. 

A Business Administration diploma focuses on what you need to know in order to be competent and ready for your career. With modules such as economics, project management, entrepreneurship, accounting, human resource management, general management, and marketing communications to set you up for success. They don’t sit you in a lecture hall for hours on end only to lecture you on irrelevant and superfluous topics that you will not actually be required to know when doing the job.

On many career college websites and course descriptions, they will tell you exactly what modules are included in the course, and what careers the diploma is designed for. It’s important to enquire before signing up to any diploma or degree course to ensure that the course is designed for what you need.

Practicum Experience

As well as providing the knowledge and education required to set you up for a successful career in business, diploma courses also offer invaluable practical skills and experience with the help of a practicum.

This is one of the most important aspects of a diploma that is not usually provided by a university degree. The college that you attend will have local contacts, hold networking events, and put you in touch with businesses and people in the industry that you’re looking to get into to help students develop their industry communication skils. They will also provide a company for you to work for during a practicum experience.

A practicum experience allows students to learn the on-the-job skills and knowledge that they would learn by working in the industry, therefore providing them with experience and putting them ahead of other applicants for jobs who have just graduated university and have no experience.

Employers value experience over education these days in many fields, and while a postsecondary certification in Business Administration will always look great on your resume, the work experience provided with a diploma will account for way more than the actual qualification.

Attainable Admissions Requirements

While universities have decades or centuries of reputation as a strict establishment with lots of hoops to jump through before even allowing students to apply, career colleges tend to be a lot more relaxed when it comes to admissions.

Career colleges understand that the people looking for a diploma in a certain subject area are there because they know exactly what they want to do with their future, and they could come from any type of background. While many diploma students achieve excellent GPAs in high school and are looking for the best education they can get in their desired industry, there are also students whose grades weren’t so great. 

Diplomas are made available to young adults who are ready to start moving towards their future, as well as established individuals who have been working in a job that they don’t feel passionate about and are ready for a career change.
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Flexible Learning Options

Diploma courses are offered by colleges who appreciate their students and understand what they want in life, and make it their priority to do what they can to help. While universities follow a strict timetable with annual intake for degrees, colleges understand that not everyone is ready to begin studying in September, and students may have other commitments to attend to outside of studying.

Colleges offering Business Administration diplomas will very often have a regular, perhaps even monthly, intake of students meaning the class size is smaller than at a university and students get a better quality education from instructors who can focus on their needs for the course. 

Online or blended courses are also usually available from a college, and class timetables can be adapted around the lives of the students taking the course. Many diploma students are looking to study while working a job and taking care of children, and career colleges understand this and make changes to their schedule.

Universities often have a history and a reputation for providing knowledge to students who are good enough for their establishment, whereas career colleges pride themselves on learning about the needs of their students, providing the necessary education and skills, and ultimately getting them a career in the industry they desire.

While some careers and industries require postsecondary and postgraduates qualifications to advance, the days of university being considered the best and most beneficial means to furthering yourself and your career are in the past. Students with diplomas often perform equal to or better than university students, and employers now understand that the quality of education provided by a diploma can be better than a degree in many ways.