Business Essentials

This online certificate program incorporates consolidated, highly focused curriculum to provide you with a solid understanding of four key business concepts and how you can apply them at work.

Eligibility

Non-business majors with at least one year of college completed

Duration and Format

11 weeks online

Deadline to Apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

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Boost your business IQ.

Make better business decisions and gain skills to help you succeed in four key business areas: accounting, finance, management, and marketing.

The Business Essential Certificate is ideal for recent graduates, working professionals, and students looking for a flexible and time-efficient way to gain essential business skills boost your job performance, improve your business, or explore new opportunities. You will:

Increase your business fluency
Gain important skills valued by employers
Learn business tools and best practices
Gain a competitive advantage on the job or in the job search

Online Format

Self-paced within each module

Program Cost

$1,800

Session Start Dates

January, May, or September

Program Highlights

Curriculum specifically designed for non-business majors
Essential business concepts in four key areas
Flexible, self-paced, online format
Faculty-curated videos and online discussions

Who is this for?

Business Essentials is ideal for anyone who is looking for a flexible, time- and cost-effective way to gain key business competencies, including:

Current or recent college graduates
Working professionals
Entrepreneurs or small business owners
Individuals considering future graduate-level study in business

This program has rounded out my education...complementing my engineering knowledge with knowledge of how these technologies function in real-world markets. It is rare that people possess knowledge in both of these fields... It gave me a huge advantage in my career.

William Vieth (Engineering '14, Law '19)

Law Clerk, Desmarais LLP

Curriculum

Curriculum covers four key business competencies.

Marketing

What is marketing?
Marketing mix
Consumer behavior
Consumer decision process
Global marketing
Marketing research
New product development
Product life cycle
Segmentation, targeting and positioning
Branding/brand equity/rebranding
Pricing
Supply chain management
Promotions/marketing channels
Ethics and marketing
Different types of marketing specializations

Accounting

Role of accounting within organizations
Walkthrough of the financial statements (definitions and discussion of key items)
Role of the balance sheet (key assets, liabilities, and components of owner equity)
Role of the income statement (overview, revenues, expenses, margins, SG&A, and others)
Statement of cash flows and working capital.
Case study–tracking resources and measuring performance within organizations
Using financial information for planning, decision making, and control

Finance

Learn the fundamentals of core investing and financial concepts

Management

Organizations and the role of the manager
Organizational design
Competitive strategy
Business models
Competitive environment
Understanding firm performance
Decision making
Competition
Role of business in society

Program Faculty

Mark A. White

Associate Professor of Commerce
Director, McIntire Business Institute

Kathy Crosby

Instructor

Adam S. Koch

Associate Professor of Commerce
Area Coordinator—Accounting

Jeremy Marcel

Associate Professor of Commerce
Area Coordinator—Management

Take the Next Step

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and there is no fee to apply. The next session begins in September.

Request Information