Program Description

The Business Management Associate Degree program is intended to provide learners with general business skills. Learners will study accounting, management, leadership, business law, human resource management, communication and other topics to develop the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully manage and lead in today's ever-changing global economy.

Found in These Career Fields:

Approximate Program Cost

$11,078
Tuition & Fees: $10,596
Books & Supplies: $482

Starting Salary

$23,500–$86,673
Average, based on the NTC Graduate Outcomes Report

Financial Aid

Available
Total financial aid offered may not exceed the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA).

Available

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An aerial view of NTC's Wausau Campus main entrance on a sunny summer day. Trees and greenery frame the spacious side walks that lead up to the light-brown brick building.

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Detailed Program Information

Take a deeper dive into the details of this program. This section offers information to help you evaluate whether the program fits your goals, interests, and timeline. Use it as a tool to guide your decision-making process.

Availability

Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.

100%
at Wausau
100%
at Antigo
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at Medford
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at Phillips
100%
at Spencer
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at Wittenberg
100%
at Online

* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.

Outcomes

Graduates will be able to…

  • Control business processes
  • Direct individuals and/or processes to meet organizational goals
  • Organize resources to achieve the goals of the organization
  • Plan the operations of a business across functional areas

Careers

Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:

  • Owner/Entrepreneur
  • Supervisor
  • Process Manager
  • Operational Manager
  • Manager

Courses

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In this program, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is embedded across courses to strengthen student learning while keeping expectations high and outcomes career-relevant. Faculty position AI as a guided learning partner — one that supports curiosity, improves reasoning and builds workplace-ready communication — while holding students accountable to NTC AI standards for ethical, transparent and responsible use.

Active Learning: Students use AI in real time to ask questions, clarify concepts and explore “what-if” scenarios tied to course content. This allows class time to shift from passive review to active application — discussion, reflection and problem-solving — where students explain their thinking and make decisions using evidence.

Industry Inspired: Because AI tools are increasingly common in business settings, students practice using them the way professionals do: to organize information, draft and refine messages and evaluate options. They learn that AI can speed up early thinking, but that credibility and quality depend on human judgment — especially when communicating with customers, teams, and stakeholders.

Mapped to the Competencies: AI activities are intentionally aligned to program competencies such as critical thinking, professional communication and decision-making. Students evaluate AI-generated responses for accuracy, bias and relevance, then verify and improve their work using course resources and credible sources. They also use AI to build study plans, generate practice questions and check understanding — helping them become more independent learners.

Throughout the program, students follow NTC AI standards by documenting appropriate use, protecting sensitive information and taking full ownership of final submissions. The result is a Business Management graduate who can learn quickly, think critically and contribute confidently in an AI-enabled workplace.

Learn more about Our Commitment to AI Integration

Pathways

Pathways at NTC are designed to help you progress toward your career and education goals, one step at a time. Many programs are structured to build upon each other, allowing you to earn valuable credentials along the way.

If you begin with one of the following programs, you will earn credit towards this Business Management Associate Degree:

The Business Operations Technical Diploma will provide you with 52% (32 of 62 credits) of the total credits in this Business Management Associate Degree

Accreditation

This program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), 11520 West 119th Street, Overland Park, KS 66213.
 
For additional information, please visit our Accreditation page.

Transfer Information

You can continue your education to earn a four-year degree in a variety of ways.

Program Transfer

General Transfer

All associate degrees transfer to a variety of programs at other partner colleges to give you the opportunity to continue your education in other areas of study.

View all transfer guides

Cost of Attendance

2025–2026 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance

The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student’s cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student’s financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.

Please Note: this COA budget estimate assumes full-time attendance for two semesters — Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
Expenses Student Living With Parents (Home) Student Living on Own (Other)
Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring)
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,932*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,286.60*
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,932*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,286.60*
Living Expenses (Housing & Food) $3,182 $10,305
Books / Supplies $1,463 $1,463
Transportation $4,103 $4,103
Personal Expenses $3,065 $3,065
Loan Fees $85 $85
Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance
In-State
$16,830
Out-of-State
$19,184.60
In-State
$23,953
Out-of-State
$26,307.60

* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2025–2026 academic year. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.

For the 2025–2026 academic year, the Wisconsin Resident tuition rate is $152.85 per credit plus a minimum $5.00 material fee and $13.44 per credit activity fee. Out-of-State resident tuition is $229.28 per credit plus a minimum $5.00 material fee and $13.44 per credit activity fee.

Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.

Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.

NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.

For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.

NTC Financial Aid Office

715.803.1647
financialaid@ntc.edu

Admissions Process

Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.

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What’s Next?

We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.