Business Fundamentals Graduate Certificate

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The Graduate Certificate in Business Fundamentals is designed to provide students for whom an MBA is not a viable option with a basic graduate-level introduction to successful business policies and practices.

Admission

All certificate students must meet the same admission requirements as degree seeking students.

In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants should have earned an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.4 or a GPA in graduate course work of at least 3.2. GRE or GMAT scores are generally required. A completed graduate degree may be accepted in lieu of test scores at the discretion of the admissions committee.

Prospective students should apply to begin the program and take GSBA 520 in the fall or spring term. Individuals applying for admission while or after completing GSBA 520 may apply for admission in the fall, spring or summer. Applications are submitted online through the USC Graduate Admissions Website at gradadm.usc.edu. A complete application includes the online application form, test scores, responses to essay questions, and official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, whether a degree was completed or not. Current USC students and alumni need to submit transcripts from only those institutions attended since the applicant last applied to USC. The application fee is not required of current USC students or USC alumni.

For more information, visit marshall.usc.edu/BFNBP.

Program Requirements

The program requires successful completion of the following 16-unit program with a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for all course work applied to the certificate and an overall graduate GPA at USC of at least 3.0.

Required (13 Units)

ACCT 509 Concepts of Financial and Management Accounting Units: 4
GSBA 520 Business Fundamentals for Non-Business Professionals Units: 3, 4
GSBA 528 Marketing Management Units: 3
or 3 units of MKT courses selected from a list of electives published on the program Website
GSBA 543 Managerial Perspectives Units: 3 or 3 units of MOR courses selected from a list of electives published on the program Website

Elective (3 Units)

Select one additional course from those identified above or from a list of elective options published on the program Website and available from the program adviser. The elective selected may not duplicate prior graduate course work and must be approved by the program director. Enrollment in some courses may require additional preparatory course work to satisfy prerequisites, subject to approval of the instructor.

Note:

For current USC graduate students, courses credited to the Graduate Certificate in Business Fundamentals for Non-Business Professionals may be completed in conjunction with course work required for a program in which the student is already enrolled. Applicability of these courses to the student’s primary degree program is determined by the student’s home department.

For USC alumni, courses completed in conjunction with an individual’s prior degree may not be credited toward the certificate. Appropriate substitutions for required courses will be determined and documented by the program director.

Successful completion of the program is acknowledged by a certificate awarded by the university.