Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Certificate
Degree
Certificate (Eligible for federal aid as a stand-alone certificate or if combined with AS degree)
Overview
The certificate in Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship meets the needs of those who have some business experience, have earned other certificates from an applied technology college, or currently operate a small business or plan to in the near future. It focuses on basic skills needed to operate a small business including accounting, marketing, office technology, entrepreneurship, and management skills.
Career Opportunities
This certificate prepares students to operate their own independent business or to assist other small business owners in the operation of their small businesses.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the certificate, successful graduates will be able to:
- Understand and apply basic and practical accounting principles to small businesses
- Demonstrate an applied understanding of Excel and QuickBooks
- Develop the skills to plan, build, organize, draft a plan to start a small business
- Understand and apply social media marketing principles and platforms, by developing simple marketing strategies and monitoring basic analytics in relation to a small business
- Demonstrate key managerial and leadership skills such as delegation, follow up, planning, organizing, and employee development
- Analyze data to create, develop, and implement solutions to keep a small business competitive and identify complex business problems
Course Requirements
Students are responsible to examine the course description of each course listed below for details of prerequisites, which must be satisfied before registering for the course.
Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Certificate Required Courses
| ACC 101 or ACC 180 | Financial Accounting I or Accounting for Non-Accounting Majors | 3 credits |
| BAP 115 | Excel and Introduction to Technology | 1 credit |
| BUS 101 | Survey of Business | 3 credits |
| BUS 125 | Applied Marketing Skills | 1 credit |
| BUS 185 | Innovation for Competitive Advantage | 3 credits |
| BUS 215 | Small Business Management | 3 credits |
| ENTR 150 | Entrepreneurship | 3 credits |
| ENTR 250 | New Venture Creation | 3 credits |
| Total Credit Hours: | 20 |
Graduation Requirements
1. Minimum of 20 total semester credit hours as outlined
2. Grade of C or higher in all program-specific courses
3. Cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher
Recommended Sequence of Courses
Individual student circumstances, such as the need for a smaller course load or the number of preparatory English or Math courses a student must take, may require additional semesters to complete the program. Please see your academic advisor for assistance.
First Semester
ACC 101 or ACC 180, Financial Accounting 1 or Accounting for Non-Accounting Majors, 3 credits
BAP 115, Excel and Introduction to Technology, 1 credits
BUS 101, Survey of Business, 3 credits
BUS 125, Applied Marketing Skills, 1 credits
ENTR 150, Entrepreneurship, 3 credits
Total Semester Minimum Hours 11
Second Semester
BUS 185, Innovation for Competitive Advantage, 3 credits
BUS 215, Small Business Management, 3 credits
ENTR 250, New Venture Creation, 3 credits
Total Semester Minimum Hours 9
Total Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship Certificate Minimum Credit Hours 20