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Business

Bachelor’s degree specialization in small business management and entrepreneurship

Prepare to lead and grow a small business

Small businesses reflect that a good idea — paired with strong business skills and enough hard work — can build a fulfilling livelihood and legacy. Earning a bachelor’s in business with our Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Degree specialization can be an excellent way to start your journey toward small business management and ownership.

This program offers courses that focus on product development, AI and strategic decision-making, customer relations, e-commerce, and other small business skills you’ll need for success as an entrepreneur.

Our Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Specialization can be earned as a part of the following bachelor's degree programs in business:

Classes start every 8 weeks
Request info
Call 866.338.7934
Minimum Completion Time1
2 years
8 months
OR
Normal Completion Time2
4 years

Accelerate on your schedule

Earn your bachelor's degree in business with our Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Specialization in as little as 2 years and 8 months1 on an accelerated schedule or follow a normal schedule and complete your program in 4 years.2

1Minimum schedule does not include breaks and assumes 3 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 12-19 credit hours a semester per 12-month period.
2Normal schedule assumes 2 semesters of enrollment in 12-19 credit hours per semester per 12-month period.

  • 01 Knowledge and skills
  • 02 Careers
  • 03 FAQs
  • 04 Catalog download
Knowledge and skills

What you'll learn

Our small business management and entrepreneurship degree specialization covers the following topics:

Administration and management

Understand the fundamental management theories that drive organizations and programs forward. Develop skills in leadership, planning, project management, and resource management.

AI applications for business

Learn how to use AI tools to predict cash flow trends, conduct market research, track customer behavior, optimize inventory management, draft reports, and perform other essential business tasks.

Business plan writing

Draft a comprehensive business plan for a small business, including executive summary, company description, target market, competition, marketing and sales, operations, management structure, future development, and financials.

E-commerce

Explore online marketing, retail, payment, and order fulfillment. Learn about various e-commerce models for business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), and consumer-to-consumer (C2C) websites.

Operational issues

Address unique issues for small business management, including improving the success rate, financing, determining the effect of regulations, and obtaining information to improve performance.

Sales and marketing

Gain knowledge of principles and methods for promoting and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, and sales.

Customer and personal service

Demonstrate the principles and processes of personal service, including conducting customer needs assessments, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluating customer satisfaction.

Accreditation matters

Being accredited means we’ve met rigorous quality standards and are committed to giving you the education you deserve. Our accreditations and recognitions include:

  • Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP): Our Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Business Management, and Technical Management with a Specialization in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship are accredited by ACBSP, acbsp.org, demonstrating they have met standards of business education that promote teaching excellence. Learn more about program outcomes and student achievement.3

  • The Higher Learning Commission (HLC): Institutionally, DeVry University is accredited by HLC www.hlcommission.org. Our Keller Graduate School of Management is included in this accreditation.

Learn more about our
accreditations
ACBSP logo
Careers

Career opportunities in business management and entrepreneurship

When you earn our Small Business and Entrepreneurship Specialization, you may consider careers such as:

  • Administrative services manager

  • Business development manager

  • Business manager

  • Construction manager

  • Customer relations manager

  • General and operations manager

  • Retail store manager

  • Small business owner

  • Social and community service manager

Frequently asked questions

Can I earn a small business management degree or entrepreneurship degree online?

Yes! Here at DeVry, we offer our Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Degree Specialization in both an online and hybrid4 format. The online format is a great option for people who are already working but want to develop skills that can help them work toward starting and managing their own small business.

Are small business management and entrepreneurship the same thing?

Small business management and entrepreneurship are not identical, but they do overlap in several key areas:

  • Entrepreneurship refers to the practice of starting a business, from conceptualization to product development and execution.
  • Small business management is the practice of managing the activities that take place at a small business to ensure productivity and efficiency goals are being met.

Not every small business manager is an entrepreneur, but most entrepreneurs perform small business management duties when starting their company.

Academic catalog
2025 - 2026 academic catalog
View academic catalog
Program guides
Business Administration: Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship
View program guide
Business Management: Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship
View program guide
Technical Management: Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship
View program guide

1Minimum schedule does not include breaks and assumes 3 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 12-19 credit hours a semester per 12-month period.

2Normal schedule assumes 2 semesters of enrollment in 12-19 credit hours per semester per 12-month period.

3Conferral and assessment data is available for all DeVry and Keller ACBSP-accredited programs. For a full list of our ACBSP-accredited programs, visit our Accreditation page.

4Program, course, and extended classroom availability vary by location. In site-based programs, students will be required to take a substantial amount of coursework online to complete their program.