A.A. in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies

Put your best foot forward as you learn to navigate the expectations of professional settings, prepare for careers in media and healthcare, and gain confidence in the impact you’ll make.

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John Dee Bright College | On-Campus

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What You'll Learn

Dive into a learning community that gives you the tools and self-assurance to step boldly into new opportunities. In Bright College’s Associate of Arts degree in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies, you’ll prepare to thrive in diverse settings as you lay a foundation for your future.

For Bright College students, you’ll understand how modern workplaces operate through project-based, collaborative, and hands-on instruction. Engaging, interdisciplinary seminars grounded in Drake’s core liberal arts education integrate multiple perspectives and invite dynamic discussions among students and faculty.

360-degree support means that everyone here champions your success. Faculty advisors and mentors point you toward real-world settings for exploring your passions and acquiring vital career skills. In and out of class, a close-knit, supportive cohort of fellow Bulldogs inspires you to reach your full potential.

The curriculum prepares you to make immediate contributions in any organization, emphasizing critical thinking, problem solving, digital literacy, and cultural sensitivity. Whether you enter the job market or pursue a bachelor’s degree at Drake, you’ll be ready for whatever challenge is next.

About the A.A. in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies

Full tuition coverage is provided for Iowa residents who are Pell Grant eligible.
Affordability is a top priority. We work hard with all students to provide adequate resources to fund their education.
Admission to bachelor’s-level studies at Drake is guaranteed after successful program completion.
Students fulfill Drake’s general education requirements while acquiring transferable skills for careers with for-profit businesses and enterprises of all kinds or as entrepreneurs.
72.9% of Bright College students have entered a four-year degree program after graduation, including at Drake or another institution.
Apply easily, with a simple, test-free admission process.

Program Facts

On-campus
Full time
Cohort-based
63 credit hours for the A.A.
Complete in 21 months (including one summer session)

A.A. in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies

Learn the language of business and the culture of organizations while gaining practical skills that add value to any team. You’ll benefit from a curriculum anchored by broad, interdisciplinary seminars and short, high-intensity professional skills classes.

Transfer Pathways at Drake

Students who successfully complete the Associate of Arts in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies at Bright College are guaranteed admission to Drake. Take advantage of generous financial aid as you embark on your next milestone. Dozens of programs can be completed in as little as two additional years. Popular pathways include Advertising, Public Relations, Health Sciences, and Business Studies.

Leah Huizar

Associate Professor, English

Jerrid Kruse, Ph.D.

Professor, Education

Two students in Drake's A.A. in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies program learn about J-Term trips from a faculty member

J-Terms

Change up the pace with a month-long course held in January of each year. These shorter, intensive learning experiences let you focus on specific topics that connect your major with practical, career-relevant skills.

A student enrolled in Drake's A.A. in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies program presents their seminar project to a group of classmates

Interdisciplinary Seminars and Practicum

Instead of lots of classes in narrow areas, you’ll take wide-reaching seminars that cross multiple disciplines and link concepts to real-world applications along with short, intensive professional skills courses.

Two students enrolled in Drake University's associate degree program pose in front of the Bright College sign with their graduation caps on

Professional Education

Graduate with the skills most highly sought by employers in all fields. You’ll prepare through applied, team-based courses and extensive professional exposure, including direct engagement with client organizations in your final semester.

Students from Drake's A.A. in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies program meet for a study session in a campus common area

Learning Communities

With a cohort model, you’ll move through your classes with the same set of peers. In this supportive, collaborative community, you’ll find that you celebrate each other’s achievements, whether academic, personal, or professional.

A handshake agreement between a hand with a bracelet and another with a blue shirt cuff

Internships

Apply for optional internships in the spring of your second year, where you can hone your individual skills in hands-on learning environments in a wide range of professional organizations in the Des Moines metro area.

Students from Drake's A.A. in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies program proudly crouch by the mural they painted outdoors

Student Organizations

This is your community. Join any of Drake’s more than 150 student organizations to connect, try new things, gain professional experience, and take on leadership roles.

Careers & Skills

All types of companies look for critical thinkers, clear communicators, effective team-builders, and creative problem-solvers. As a student in Drake’s Associate of Arts in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies program, you’ll graduate with these incredible assets, ready to adapt and thrive in new environments.

Whether you carry them into a new job, a bachelor’s program, or both, this is just the starting point for all that awaits.

Employers

Des Moines International Airport
Broadlawns Medical Center
Neighborhood Law Group
Watercress Financial
Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services
Iowa Veterinary Services
Iowa Urban Media

Skills

Analyzing problems in their wider context
Collaborative problem-solving
Critical thinking
Data and media literacy
Effective communication
Intercultural understanding

A student from Drake's A.A. in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies program meets with their career counselor

Salary & Growth Outlook

The average salary for jobs in media and communications as of 2024. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

We are looking for creative, driven learners who want the opportunity to do college differently—those eager for the challenges of teamwork, innovation, and creative problem solving in a uniquely supportive environment focused on 21st-century, real-world learning.

Applications open in September of the year preceding fall enrollment. Applicants will submit:

High-school transcripts
Two brief personal statements in response to provided prompts
Names and contact information for up to two references

After submission and our initial review, some applicants may be invited to a brief interview before the admission decision is finalized. Admitted students applying for financial aid will be required to file their FAFSA^® by June 1st.

Apply Now

“This is a space where all voices are valued. Every opinion counts. We are learning and growing together.”

Abena Sankofa Imhotep, JB’23

Advertising, BAJMC

Blends creativity and strategy to teach campaign development, media planning, and digital content creation for careers in advertising and marketing.

Public Relations, BAJMC

Help organizations connect with the audiences they want to reach while learning the research, planning, and communication skills that will help you launch a career.

Health Sciences: Clinical and Medical Sciences, BS

Intending to serve patients as a physician, allied health professional, or aspire to make scientific breakthroughs? The Bachelor of Health Sciences, Clinical and Medical Sciences Track may be for you.

Take the Next Step

Experience college reinvented. Choose a unique path forward with Bright College’s accessible and practical associate degree program in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies.

Contact

Grace Wenzel (she, her, hers)
Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission and Bright College Recruitment
Office of Admission
P 515-271-2091
E grace.wenzel@drake.edu

Request Info Visit Apply

Students from Drake's A.A. in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies program in their caps, gowns, and sashes during commencement