At CNCC, it’s everyone’s Business

From graduating seniors determining the next step in their educational paths to adult learners exploring ways to better support their families and businesses, the CNCC Business Program offers something for everyone.

A variety of options to meet different needs

Colorado Northwestern offers three distinct business pathways that revolve around the students end goals. Students looking to continue their education after completing an associate’s degree, CNCC offers the Associate of Arts (AA) in Business degree and the Associates of Arts (AA) in Economics. Both options are designed for students looking to pursue advanced degrees, and thanks to Colorado’s Bridge to Bachelors program, credits are guaranteed to transfer to public colleges and universities in Colorado. The required courses provide a great foundation for pursuing additional higher education degrees and can save students thousands of dollars in tuition cost compared to starting at a four-year institution.

For those looking to complete a degree quickly and enter the workforce, CNCC offers the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) – Business and the Associates of Applied Science – Accounting degrees. The Business degree gives you the business, management and marketing skills necessary for success in entry-level positions requiring foundations of greater responsibility, authority and leadership. The Accounting degree provide students with the training they need to work as bookkeepers, accounts receivable or payable clerks, and other entry-level positions in business.

Working professionals and students in other degree programs looking to stand out in the job market can benefit from the occupational business certificates at CNCC. With options in Business Management and Accounting, certificates provide the foundational skills needed to manage your own business and/or handle basic accounting needs. Either certificate can be completed in as little as nine months making them a quick way to improve business efficiency or set yourself apart from others in the job market.

Delivering Skills for Success

CNCC’s Business programs focus on the critical thinking, human relation, and IT skills required to succeed in today’s business environments. Students who complete the business degrees are viewed by potential employers as having the broad-based education necessary for today’s team-oriented and globally-competitive environment.

Accounting skills are a huge advantage in today’s business landscape. The accounting field is broad and employment possibilities range from retail sales to management, manufacturing, and even health professions.

Additionally, Colorado Northwestern’s business programs help prepare students for success in more nontraditional ways. For example, most of CNCC’s business courses are offered online with a group (cohort) of students in the same program. That provides students with the flexibility to join each class online live, and interact with the instructor, classmates and the material remotely. Becoming comfortable working online while in the college, can payoff big once in a professional environment.

“With quality instruction provided through a variety of class formats including online and remote classrooms, anyone can access a high-demand, versatile degree with high earning potential at CNCC,” says Kathy Powell-Case, Dean of Career and Technical Education on the Craig campus and Business Faculty.

Why CNCC?

Brittany Young, CNCC alum, completed her AA in Business then transferred to Colorado Mesa University to complete her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management. “The relationships you build with your instructors because of the small class size really helped me to start my career,” Young explains. It was a relationship she built while a student at CNCC that led to her first post-college job. Young also touts how easy the process of transferring from CNCC to CMU was for her and how it saved her both money and time to earn her degree.

Nikki Robinson, a current CNCC Business student, is pursuing an AAS degree in accounting. A nontraditional student, she decided to pursue classes in support of her new business. “Owning your own business, you don’t get to do just what you love all of the time. Numbers, math, bookkeeping are a big part of it,” Robinson says. “I’m finding that it is more cost effective to learn to do my accounting myself.”

Career Outlook

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook projects growth of 5% for employment in business and financial occupations between 2019 and 2029. This is better growth than the average for all occupations. A degree in business opens up opportunities in a variety of sectors including business management, human resources, marketing, banking, finance, public administration, accounting and sales. If you are motivated by versatility and options, a career in business may be for you.

To learn more about how the business program at Colorado Northwestern Community College can equip you with the skills you need to launch your career in the field, visit our business program page.

Published March 16, 2021.