Business Leader Track
Build the business acumen. Lead the startup. Get hired.
🎯 Target Outcome
| Attribute | Details |
| Degree | B.A. in Liberal Arts, Business Administration |
| Focus | Entrepreneurship, Business Development, Sales, Management |
| Total Cost | Under $2,000 |
| Timeline | 9-12 months |
📊 Credit Breakdown
| Category | Credits | Source | Cost |
| Liberal Arts Core | 15 | CLEP via Modern States | $0 |
| Business Foundations | 15 | CLEP via Modern States | $0 |
| Business Depth | 15 | Saylor Academy | $25 |
| Professional Electives | 15 | Google/Salesforce/Meta | ~$150-300 |
| Transfer Total | 60 | (75% of degree) | |
| Newlane Residency | 60 | Complete at Newlane | $1,500 |
| Degree Total | 80 | | ~$1,700-$1,825 |
📚 Phase 1: Follow Liberal Arts Core (15 Credits)
🏢 Phase 2: Business Foundations via CLEP (15 Credits)
Cost: $0 — All prep via Modern States (free vouchers)
| Exam | Credits | ACE Recommendation |
| Principles of Management | 3 | 3 lower-division |
| Principles of Marketing | 3 | 3 lower-division |
| Financial Accounting | 3 | 3 lower-division |
| Introductory Business Law | 3 | 3 lower-division |
| Information Systems | 3 | 3 lower-division |
| Subtotal | 15 | |
📈 Phase 3: Business Depth via Saylor Academy (15 Credits)
Cost: $25 — $5 proctoring fee per exam
💼 Phase 4: Professional Electives (15 Credits)
Choose one path based on your career goals:
🅰️ Path A: Project Management & Sales Operations
Best for: Operations roles, sales ops, consulting, startup operations
Salesforce Sales Operations Certificate Details:
- ACE ID: PATH-0022
- Credits: 1 semester hour, lower-division
- Subject: Selling Fundamentals
- Length: ~3 months (10 hrs/week)
- Skills: Salesforce Sales Cloud, CRM, reports, dashboards, lead management
🅱️ Path B: Marketing & Product
Best for: Marketing roles, product management, growth, GTM
🅲 Path C: Entrepreneurship Focus
Best for: Founders, consultants, side hustlers
💼 Phase 5: Newlane Degree (60 Credits)
Total Cost Summary
| Component | Low Estimate | High Estimate |
| Liberal Arts Core (CLEP) | $0 | $0 |
| Business Foundations (CLEP) | $0 | $0 |
| Saylor Academy (5-7 courses) | $25 | $35 |
| Coursera Subscription (3-6 mo) | $147 | $294 |
| Newlane Degree Completion | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| TOTAL | $1,672 | $1,829 |
Credentials Earned
Upon completion, you’ll hold:
| Credential | Issuer | Value |
| B.A. in Liberal Arts, Business Administration | Newlane University | Nationally accredited degree |
| Google Project Management Certificate | Google | PMI-accredited, 100+ PDUs toward CAPM/PMP |
| Salesforce Sales Operations Certificate | Salesforce/Coursera | CRM & Sales Cloud proficiency |
| Meta/IBM Certificates (Path B) | Meta/IBM | Industry-recognized |
Go Further. Pursue a Masters Degree at a fraction of the cost of traditional school. Save more money and time if you can speak spanish
Option 1: ENEB (European Business School of Barcelona)
| Program | Cost | Duration | Notes |
| MBA + Master’s Dual Degree | ~$300-500 | 12-18 months | Via Universidad Isabel I |
| Master in Project Management | ~$300 | 12 months | Spanish “Título Propio” |
| Master in AI for Business | ~$300 | 12 months | Includes digital transformation |
| Master in Big Data & BI | ~$300 | 12 months | Data analytics focus |
ENEB Details:
- Degrees certified by Universidad Isabel I de Castilla (accredited Spanish university) as Titulo Propio
- Evaluated by US FCEs (WES, ECE) as equivalent to completed Graduate Credits
- Can be accepted for PhD admission at some US universities, YMMV
- 100% online, self-paced
- degreeforum.net ENEB thread — 380+ pages of discussion
Option 2: Hellenic American University (HAU)
| Program | Cost | Duration | Accreditation |
| MBA | $3,500* | 2 years | NECHE (Regional) |
HAU Details:
- $3,500 limited-time offer for US students (Nashua, NH campus)
- Regionally accredited by New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
- 100% online option available
- 11 courses + capstone project
- Can add certificates in: Digital Marketing, Operational Excellence, International Business (Additional Cost)
- HAU MBA Info
Option 3: Western Governors University University (WGU)
| Program | Cost | Duration | Accreditation |
| MBA | $4,805 per term* | 6 Months term (Aggressive pace) | NWCCU (Regional) |
| MBA in IT Management | $4,805per term | 6 Months term (Aggressive pace) | NWCCU (Regional) |
| MS in Management and Leadership | $4,805per term | 6 Months term (Aggressive pace) | NWCCU (Regional) |
WGU Details:
- $4,805 for US students only (Self-Paced 6 months terms)
- Regionally accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- 100% online
- Competency based, proctored exams.
- Includes industry certifications
- WGU MBA Info
Option 4: Signum Magnum College (SMC)
| Program | Cost | Duration | Accreditation |
| Executive MBA | $2,000 | 18 months, self paced | MFHEA (Malta/EU) - EQF Level 7 |
SMC Details:
Option 5: Stack Multiple Credentials
| Credential | Cost | Time | Value |
| Google Project Management → CAPM | ~$300 | 3-6 mo | PMI certification |
| PMP Certification | ~$555 | Ongoing | Gold standard in PM |
| Salesforce Admin Certification | ~$200 | 2-3 mo | High-demand CRM skill |
| AWS Cloud Practitioner | ~$100 | 1 mo | Cloud fundamentals |
📋 Transfer Checklist
⚡ Speed Run (Fastest Path)
For aggressive learners committing 20+ hours/week:
| Month | Focus | Credits |
| 1 | CLEP: English, Math, Psychology | 9 |
| 2 | CLEP: Sociology, History, Management | 9 |
| 3 | CLEP: Marketing, Accounting, Law, Info Systems | 12 |
| 4 | Saylor: Ethics, Org Behavior, Communications | 9 |
| 5 | Saylor: Operations, Project Mgmt, Statistics | 9 |
| 6-7 | Google PM + Salesforce Sales Ops | 10 |
| 8-9 | Newlane Residency (20 credits) | 60 |
| Total | | 138 credits in 9 months |
Career Paths
| Role | Median Salary | Key Credentials |
| Project Manager | $95,000 | Google PM, PMP pathway |
| Sales Operations Analyst | $70,000 | Salesforce, Business Stats |
| Operations Manager | $85,000 | Google PM, Operations Mgmt |
| Business Development Rep | $65,000+ | Salesforce, Communications |
| Product Manager | $120,000 | IBM PM, Google PM |
| Startup Founder | Variable | Full credential stack |
| Management Consultant | $90,000+ | MBA + certifications |
📝 Notes
- CLEP exams can be taken at any Prometric center or remote-proctored
- Saylor exams are $5 each, online proctored via SmarterProctoring
- Coursera certificates require paid subscription (~$49/mo) but can be completed quickly
- Newlane accepts up to 75% transfer credits; this track maxes that out
- All credentials are ACE-recommended for guaranteed academic acceptance
- ENEB and SMC degrees require FCE evaluation for US recognition
- HAU is regionally accredited — no FCE needed
🔗 Resources
