Business Essentials Certificate (Online

Director: Celene M. Kalivoda, DBA

INTRODUCTION

Gannon University is a student-oriented teaching university. This philosophy guides our approach to curriculum design, teaching, and advising. We recognize and understand the dramatic changes ongoing in the world of business. Our approach is to pay careful attention to each student, challenge them to grow, and help them to reach their own personal and career objectives. Courses in the Business Essentials Certificate are rigorous and challenging by design, but the faculty is prepared to work with each student to build the skills needed for the business world of the 21st century.

The purpose of the Gannon University Business Essentials Certificate Program is to provide a flexible program to students seeking an opportunity for more in-depth business knowledge and/or seeking career advancement. This Graduate Certificate is a 12-credit program that can be completed in one year. Courses are delivered online, in a 7-week format.

Students who complete the Online Business Essentials Certificate can continue into the Online MBA program. All 12 credits of required coursework from the Certificate will transfer towards the 30 credit requirements of the Online MBA program.

CERTIFICATE OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this certificate, students will be able to: 1. Critically evaluate evidence that influences decision-making in firms 2. Articulate management issues, ideas, theories, and solutions to a range of audiences in written and oral form 3. Apply knowledge to theory in problem-solving through the application of appropriate business theories, principles and data 4. Explain the relationship among the core, functional areas of business and the context of their roles in today’s business environment

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

For all students: • A Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from an accredited college or university • A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. • If your undergraduate GPA is less than a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, there are two options: – Take the GMAT and achieve a score of 1050 using the formula: 200 x (undergraduate GPA) + GMAT score. – GMAT requirement may be waived based on professional experience following the Program Director’s review of application • A completed application for admission • Official transcripts from all prior institutions • TOEFL scores if English is not a first language

ACCREDITATION

This graduate certificate is recognized by the Business Administration program accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a global accreditation body for business schools.

CURRICULUM

The Gannon Online Business Essentials certificate is a professional program. Students in the program begin studies with varying academic backgrounds and professional experience. For Online certificate candidates whose undergraduate degree is in a field other than Business and/or who have not obtained the prerequisite skills required for the required courses in the certificate, Gannon has partnered with Peregrine Academic Services for students to take Academic Leveling Courses (ALC) to obtain the prerequisite/ foundational competencies.

An ALC is a course that provides a summary or overview of key concepts related to competencies required as foundational knowledge in the program. As a program prerequisite, the ALC sequence ensures that students have demonstrated an appropriate level of competency in order to maximize success with the online certificate coursework. For the Gannon University Online certificate program, the ALCs will be completed by students holding a Bachelor’s degree in a non-business field. Upon successful completion of the ALCs, students may progress into the required courses.

Online Academic Leveling Modules (5 required)

Required for non-business bachelor’s degree holders only; Offered through Peregrine Academic Services: • Foundations of Accounting • Foundations of Quantitative Research Techniques and Statistics • Foundations of Marketing • Foundations of Business Integration and Strategic Management • Foundations of Business Finance

Gannon Online Business Essentials Certificate Required Courses

GMBA 601 Managerial Accounting GMBA 651 Marketing Management GMBA 661 Financial Management GMBA 774 Strategic Management

STANDARD GRADING SCALE

Numerical Grade 97+ 93-96.99

Letter Grade

A+ A 90-92.99 A87-89.99 B+ 83-86.99 B 80-82.99 B77-79.99 C+ 70-76.99 C Below 70 F

Grade Points (per credit hour) 4.0 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 2.7 2.3 2.0 0

ACADEMIC LEVELING COURSES

See Peregrine Academic Services Website for Descriptions of the Academic Leveling Course Modules below:

Foundations of Accounting Foundations of Quantitative Research Techniques and Statistics Foundations of Marketing Foundations of Business Integration and Strategic Management Foundations of Business Finance

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

ONLINE MBA CORE COURSES

GMBA 601 Managerial Accounting

3 credits Prerequisite: Foundations of Accounting A study of the accounting information utilized in the control and evaluation of managerial decision making. The focus is cost accumulation, cost allocation and control. Critical attention is placed upon budgeting, cost-volume-profit relationships, and variance analysis as they relate to production, working capital management, and marketing decisions.

GMBA 651 Marketing Management

3 credits Prerequisites: Foundations of Marketing An examination of the marketing system and the use of various marketing applications such as marketing research, advertising research, and consumer behavior to assist the marketing manager in the major decision areas of targeting, product planning, channels of distribution, personal selling, pricing, promotion, branding, and development of integrated marketing programs.

GMBA 661 Financial Management

3 credits Prerequisites: Foundations of Quantitative Research Techniques and Statistics and Foundations of Business Finance A study of risk and risk management, including advanced analysis of the investment decision using the Markowitz portfolio model and the capital asset pricing model. Other areas of study include the financing and dividend decisions, sources of short and long- term capital, and current asset management.

GMBA 774 Strategic Management

3 credits Prerequisites: Foundations of Business Integration and Strategic Management A study of how the organization plans for its long-term survival based on analysis of the impact of changes in the economic, social, legal, competitive, and technological environments. Uses of long- range strategic planning for competitive advantage are examined and discussed.