International Business Degrees Online

Welcome to Penn State Altoona and thank you for your interest in the associate degree in business. We have exciting opportunities for you in our program. You will work with highly qualified faculty in business, law, management, marketing, and information systems. An advantage of the associate degree in business is that it provides you with an academic credential at the end of two years as a full-time student or the approved 60 credits at your own pace as a part-time student. This is a great starting point to improve your career opportunities either in a new position or in your current job.

Upon completion of the associate degree in business, you may also choose to proceed seamlessly to the bachelor of science in business here at Altoona or to selected other majors in the Penn State system. You will work with an experienced faculty member as your academic advisor.

You will have the opportunity to participate in an elective business internship as part of your curriculum. Internships provide valuable experience before graduation and a great resume item. Some of our past students have had very interesting internships with local sports organizations, local retailers, manufacturing organizations, and non-profit organizations. Both students and host companies have been very pleased with this experience.

You may want to participate in the Society of Business club and meet local entrepreneurs or participate in the Students in Free Enterprise competition.

Sport and recreation are big business these days. By combining your interest in sports with a solid understanding of business, you will be well positioned for an exciting career in this multi-billion dollar industry. The four-year Sport and Recreation stream of the Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship program offers a combination of theory and real world experience through Directed Field Studies. What this means is you can get a jump on a business career in professional sport, community recreation and personal fitness.

Experience wanted

The expertise you can gain in this program includes:
creative problem-solving
leadership and persuasive communications
adaptability
identifying and researching business opportunities
understanding the role of sport and recreation in society

Career choices

Graduates will be prepared for employment or self-employment in the sport and recreation sector. You may work with professional or amateur sports organizations, private or nonprofit fitness centres, recreation facilities or sporting goods manufacturers.

Your job title could be:
Director of community relations — promote teams and players throughout the community.
Athletic services coordinator — be responsible for athletes’ training, travel and long-term development.
Executive director — take a leadership role in the overall operations of a sports and recreation company.
Marketing manager — use your detailed understanding of a company to create and implement a marketing strategy that will help move the organization forward.

Double the expertise

Students earning a Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship — Sport and Recreation degree benefit from taking courses within both the Bissett School of Business and the Department of Physical Education and Recreation Studies. This gives you the sports savvy from the Department of Physical Education and Recreation Studies, and the business skills and aptitudes from the Bissett School of Business.

Diploma option

You can choose to exit the applied degree program after two years with a Diploma in Business and Entrepreneurship — Sport and Recreation.

Other streams

In addition to the Sport and Recreation stream, Mount Royal also offers a Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship in Small Business or International Business. This program earned national recognition as the most innovative Applied Business and Entrepreneurship undergraduate degree from the Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurs.