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.

Requirements

At least one year of college completed and a current resume

Deadline to Apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Duration and Format

11 weeks online

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Online Format

Asynchronous, with four live webinar sessions

Program Cost

$1,800

Session Start Dates

January, June, September

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

Program Highlights

Curriculum specifically designed for non-business majors
Essential business concepts devoted to accounting, finance, marketing, and management
Flexible, self-paced, online format
Curated videos and online discussions led by UVA faculty
Real-world case studies featuring a Fortune 500 company

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.

Strategy

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

Marketing

What is marketing?
Marketing mix
The 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 component of owners’ 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

Introduction to corporate finance
The financial system
Analyzing financial performance and financial ratio analysis
Financial mathematics: the time value of money
The investment decision (how organizations spend money)–decision tools, computing future cash flows, and making decisions
The financing decision (how organizations raise money)–risk vs. return and capital structure
The dividend decision (how organizations distribute money)