Associate Degree in Applied Business

The program combines core business units covering areas such as management, finance, marketing, human resources, project management, entrepreneurial and innovative thinking, and business planning with a choice of streams and electives in students' areas of interest. The course content has been developed in consultation with industry experts and they are actively involved in its delivery.

The first year serves as a foundation year, where you will learn the skills to apply your new business knowledge to a range of situations. In the second year, you'll be extended to supervisory level as a practitioner.

A key feature of the course is the focus on hands-on learning, where you will develop knowledge and skills through experiential education opportunities such as industry placements, fieldwork, case studies and data-driven decision making. This aims to enhance students' problem solving, communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership skills by assisting you to 'learn through practice'. It has been designed to make university study a little less daunting, and a lot more practical.

In this course, you can choose from the following streams:

• Business Improvement

Career Outcomes

Graduation from the Associate Degree in Applied Business can provide an entry opportunity for those who have not worked in business settings, accelerate progression through a graduate's present organisation, or open up new career paths and opportunities. It will also provide substantial credit into the Bachelor of Business. This course provides graduates with paraprofessional level of business knowledge and practice applicable across industries. The career options of graduates may also be influenced by their chosen specialisation. A graduate's chosen specialisation might lead them to paraprofessional-level roles within that industry.

New to Applied Business and never worked in the industry before?

For those graduates new to Applied Business, this qualification could assist you to gain roles such as trainee positions with managers, team leaders, field officers, and researchers.

Already working and want to fast track or leverage off past experience?

For those graduates already working in Business, an Applied Business qualification may enable you to progress from assistant positions to managerial roles, lead a small team, become specialists, salespersons and liaise better with suppliers or customers.

Potential types of employers:

• Small and medium businesses;
• Accountancy firms;
• Financial services;
• Event organisations;
• Sport organisations;
• Tourism organisations;
• Health and well-being consultants;
• Non-for-profit organisations; and
• Project management companies.

Completion of the Associate Degree in Applied Business requires 200 credit points including:

• Core (100 credit points)
• Stream (50 credit points)
• Electives (50 credit points)

In both years of the degree you should undertake four core applied business units, two stream units, and two electives.

You may exit at the end of the first year of the course (minimum eight units) with a Diploma of Applied Business.

Please note that the availability of streams may vary from year to year dependent on student numbers and availability of required units.

You may be eligible for advanced standing (i.e. credit points) in this associate degree if you:

• Have completed an award such as a Diploma or Advanced Diploma at the University, from TAFE or another institution;
• Are currently studying another associate degree at the University or at another institution;
• Have completed studies towards a Bachelor degree at the University or from another institution.

Find out more information about how to apply for a credit transfer/advanced standing at Recognition of Prior Learning.