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Learn Key Foundational Skills in Business and Finance

Online Business Management Certificate (Noncredit)

Learn Key Foundational Skills in Business and Finance

Online Business Management Certificate (Noncredit)

Format

Online

Number of modules

3

Duration

4 Months
(Five Weeks per Module)

Registration

Open to all
(single module option)

Next Start Date

1 August 2023

Program Fees

$1,999

About the Online Certificate

Employers are increasingly seeking business management professionals. In response to this need, Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning (EELL) created a noncredit certificate program based on coursework from the prestigious University of Virginia Darden School of Business MBA program. The online noncredit Business Management Certificate provides key foundational skills in finance and business, with a focus on data manipulation and analysis. This online program gives individuals the opportunity to learn real-world business principles previously only attainable through UVA Darden MBA or master’s degree programs. Participants have the flexibility to earn the certificate in four months or complete one five-week module at a time and earn the certificate on their own schedule.

This noncredit Business Management Certificate online program gives participants the foundation to grow skills that can be applied anywhere that fundamental business skills are needed. The program provides an opportunity to gain employable skills beneficial for people at different stages of their careers; from those just entering the workforce to career changers to individuals who simply want a better understanding of business essentials.

Download a Brochure

To learn more about the Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning (EELL) noncredit Business Management Certificate and to download a brochure, fill out the fields below. You can also call +1-844-322-2742 to speak with an enrollment representative.

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Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning (EELL) respects your right to privacy. By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails and calls from a representative of Darden EELL, which may include the use of automated technology. Consent is needed to contact you, but is not a requirement to register or enroll.

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Business management skills and financial skills are in very high demand. In fact, business management skills have seen an increase in demand over the last five years (71%) and are expected to keep growing.

Lightcast, 2022

Program Outcomes

By the end of this program, participants will have a fundamental knowledge of the basics of business and finance. They will be able to:

  • Track and manipulate data and communicate financial information.
  • Use statistics to analyze and interpret data in order to support better decision-making.
  • Understand the principles of accounting and how they are used to collect, record and display financial information.

Frequently Asked Questions

This noncredit Business Management Certificate gives you a broad understanding of business and finance concepts relevant to careers across many industries. The program provides an opportunity to gain employable skills for individuals seeking entry level business positions to career changers to individuals who simply want to advance in their current corporate role.

Those who continue their path in business can head towards titles such as the following:

  • Chief executive officer
  • Director of business development
  • Financial manager
  • Sales manager
  • Business analyst

Yes. A certificate in business management is an excellent investment for anyone who wants a better understanding of foundational business concepts and to develop applicable skills. In addition, you will leave with an enhanced portfolio of industry-relevant coursework, which is an excellent way to set yourself apart in job interviews.

Participants can complete this noncredit certificate in four months or opt to register for one module at a time and complete the certificate on their own schedule. The certificate is made up of three modules, and each module takes five weeks to complete. Participants should expect to dedicate three to five hours per week to the certificate program.

Yes. You will receive a certified, noncredit digital certificate issued by the Darden School Foundation by email within a few weeks of successfully completing the certificate program.

Coursework

The online Business Management Certificate (noncredit) is asynchronous, with coursework consisting of video modules, readings, discussion forums and quizzes. The program may also include live sessions. The program utilizes NovoEd, a collaborative platform featuring cohort-based learning. Participants will leave the program with industry-relevant projects and coursework that they can add to their portfolios, which can serve as an excellent differentiator when interviewing for a job.

The coursework stems from the UVA Darden School of Business MBA, a highly ranked national program. Participants who complete this noncredit certificate program may be eligible for course credit toward the Part-Time MBA or the Executive MBA if accepted into UVA Darden School of Business.

As an additional benefit, you can earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) worth up to 6.5 CEUs, which is equivalent to 65 hours of contact work.

Request BrochureStart Registration
campus shot

This module covers the study and practice of commerce, including finance — how money is acquired, managed and invested — and is critical for managers.

Topic 1 – Introduction to Business and Finance
This section introduces key concepts and terms to help you understand the basics of business and finance.

  • Excel Skills: Excel is a tool that has transformed how businesses track and manipulate data and communicate financial information. This section introduces the language of Excel and shows you key features of this tool: formulas, functions and data manipulation.

Topic 2 – Excel Formulas
This series of videos introduces the language of Excel and the use of formulas. You’ll learn to set up a model in Excel, enter inputs and use formulas to create the outputs.

Topic 3 – Excel Functions
Functions are pre-programmed formulas that automate many basic operations you might wish to perform in Excel. These videos demonstrate how to find and use key functions central to the practice of business.

Topic 4 – Excel Working With Data
Excel contains many features that enable you to quickly and efficiently manipulate, structure and “slice and dice” data. These videos introduce how to work with data.

Upon successful completion of this module learners can earn 1.2 – 2 CEUs, which is equivalent to 12-20 hours of contact work.

This module focuses on the time value of money. The time value of money is a fundamental concept of finance and decision analysis.

Topic 5 – The Time Value of Money
This module introduces key terms related to this concept and how to calculate it. You’ll understand how businesses use the time value of money to make decisions about which projects to invest in. The topic also covers business statistics, and the process of analyzing and interpreting data in order to support better decision-making.

Topic 6 – Business Statistics
This module provides an overview of some of the fundamentals of business statistics: the use of descriptive statistics, understanding random variables, deriving information from data regarding the mean, median and mode, testing various business hypotheses and identifying trends and correlations between variables. The topic also covers the economic environment, with a focus on external factors that have a widespread impact on the economy as a whole and shapes individual organizations as well.

Topic 7 – Introduction and Graphic Representation
This module introduces some foundational economic principles including the marketplace, supply and demand, pricing and quantities. It also covers the graphical presentation and analysis of economics.

Topic 8 – Algebraic Representation and Examples
These videos cover the algebraic presentation and analysis of economics, and then walks through a few examples.

Upon successful completion of this module learners can earn 1.2 – 2 CEUs, which is equivalent to 12-20 hours of contact work.

This module focuses on accounting — the language of business; this section provides a systematic way to collect, record and display financial information.

Topic 9 – The Demand for Accounting Information
This module provides information about the fundamentals of accounting. You’ll learn why we have accounting, its general purpose and the different perspectives you often see with accounting reports.

Topic 10 – Transactions and Financial Statements
The videos in this module help you understand the mechanics of moving from economic event into the financial statement. It provides balance sheet examples, describes different approaches to the credit/debit paradigm and an introduction to double entry accounting.

Topic 11 – Accrual Accounting
Accrual accounting is among the most important concepts in accounting because it defines everything we see on the various financial statements. In this series of videos, you’ll learn more about the statement of cash flow, including how they’re prepared, what unique information is presented, and how to read one. In addition, this topic will cover functional activities of the firm, which introduces the firms’ core activities that support organizational strategy. From marketing to financial forecasting, you’ll explore activities that create, capture and sustain value.

Topic 12 – Marketing
Cost is an important variable in lots of business decisions and settings. This module describes various types of costs and the process of determining revenue, profits and contribution. It will also introduce breakeven analysis and how to calculate margins, even in more complex settings across multiple channels.

Topic 13 – Financial Forecasting
These videos describe the relationship between the firm’s financial statements and its sales. By doing some analysis of a firm’s sales, financial forecasting helps us plan and determine our need for additional funds.

Upon successful completion of this module learners can earn 1.5 – 2.5 CEUs, which is equivalent to 15 -25 hours of contact work.

Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning (EELL) is provided by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation.