Graduate Business Foundation, Certificate
Program Description
The business certificate programs from La Salle University are specially designed to help students quickly build the career-advancing professional competencies that make you stand out to prospective employers. Our flexible academic calendar and multiple start dates per year allow students to continue working while pursuing professional goals. All courses are taught by respected faculty with industry connections and all credits earned through the graduate certificate program can be applied to a La Salle MBA degree.
La Salle University provides an innovative course structure that enables students to develop and strengthen the leadership skills and functional knowledge necessary for the advancement of their current careers and life goals. It is a platform where experienced people from diverse professional backgrounds come together to connect, collaborate and learn.
We offer courses in a flexible format, which provides working professionals with greater flexibility and convenience as they move through the program. We have developed a learning experience that leverages the latest teaching and learning technologies to deliver an environment to deepen our students’ understanding of business and markets, and improve their decision making skills. With the Lasallian emphasis on the value and impact of personalized interactions among professors and classmates, our students are fully engaged in their education.
La Salle’s graduate programs teach our students the application of the latest business and analytical thinking and facilitates the development of their professional and people-oriented skills. In the virtual classroom, our faculty stress the interaction of theoretical knowledge with practical experience and shared ideas. They also challenge our graduate students to maximize their “natural” resources for success. Our professors are committed to the Lasallian tradition of teaching, which means being accessible, focusing on the individual, and contributing to a sense of community.
La Salle understands the lifestyles of its graduate students and is committed to making sure it is as easy as possible to register for courses, meet with a professor or take a semester off, if necessary.
The School of Business and the Graduate Certificate Programs are accredited by the most prestigious worldwide business school accrediting organization AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Mission
School of Business' Mission
Experiential and engaged learning is at the heart of everything we do. We provide excellence in business education through the integration of current business concepts with diverse experiential learning opportunities. As a Catholic Lasallian university, we are committed to the principle that all knowledge is practical and empowering, filled with the capacity to transform lives. Anchored by a foundation which affirms the value of both liberal arts and professional studies, our students are prepared to lead engaged and fulfilling lives marked by a commitment to the common good.
Graduate Business Certificate Program Mission
La Salle University’s Graduate Business Certificate Programs enable students to develop and strengthen the leadership skills and functional knowledge necessary for the advancement of their current careers and life goals. It is a program where experienced people from diverse professional backgrounds come together to connect, collaborate and learn.
Program Specific Information
Business education has been part of the La Salle curriculum since its founding in 1863. The School of Business, one of three schools in the University, was established in 1955, and its MBA program began in 1976. As a business school in a Catholic, Lasallian University, students are taught fundamental business knowledge and skills within an ethical framework which emphasizes the primacy and value of human dignity.
Accreditation
The Business School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) which establishes standards designed to ensure excellence. Less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools are accredited by AACSB. As an AACSB-accredited business school, the Dean’s office and faculty use continuous quality-improvement processes to ensure that the many offerings of the School of Business are of the highest quality.
Admission Deadlines
The deadline to complete an application for admission consideration is 2 weeks prior to the start of that term. Applicants must have all documentation submitted two Friday's prior to the start of that particular term to be eligible for admission consideration for that term.
Contact the graduate business office if you have any questions at gradbusiness@lasalle.edu.
Admission Requirements
The Graduate Admission Committee evaluates each applicant’s interest, aptitude, professional experience and prior academic success to assess his/her potential for achievement in graduate business studies. Note that an undergraduate business degree is not necessary for admission to the Graduate Business Foundation Certificate Program. The structure of this graduate certificate lends itself to those students without an undergraduate degree in business.
Before an applicant will be evaluated, he/she must submit the following information:
- Application (Online)
- Official transcripts from the college/university from which a bachelor's degree was earned, and, if applicable, Master’s degree. Applicants will be notified additional transcripts must be submitted for advising purposes.
- Test scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or, with permission of the Director, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Based on prior academic and/or professional success, the admission requirement to take the GMAT/GRE may be waived or deferred. Please see the section below "Waiver of GMAT or GRE".
- Professional resume
Waiver of GMAT or GRE Requirement
Applicants that have earned a master's degree or higher from a program accredited in its disciple will be waived from the GMAT or GRE exam requirement. Additionally, applicants with an undergraduate business degree from an AACSB-accredited program who have a minimum overall grade point average of 3.2 or above are not required to complete the GMAT or GRE exam for admission into the program.
The GMAT (or GRE) may be waived for additional applicants at the discretion of the Admission Committee upon reviewing an applicants overall profile.
The GMAT/GRE may be deferred and eventually waived if an applicant has graduated with a 3.0 GPA in any undergraduate discipline and has at least 2 years of business experience. These students are eligible to take up to 12 credits in the program. If the student achieves a B- or better in each course and an overall GPA of 3.3, the GMAT/GRE will be waived. Students that qualify for a GMAT waiver may not be eligible for financial aid loans until they are fully (regularly) accepted to the program.
Admission Process
Students can begin the admissions process by completing an application on our website here.
All documents should be sent to the following:
Office of Graduate Enrollment
La Salle University- Box 826
1900 W. Olney Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19141
215.951.1100/ Fax 215.951.1462
grad@lasalle.edu
Because each applicant’s background and profile is unique, the Admission Committee does not establish specific quantitative minimum requirements for admission; the admission committee’s decisions are based on evaluating many factors to determine a student’s potential for success in a graduate business program.
Please refer to the University's Nondiscrimination Policy in the General Reference section of this catalog. Admission is based solely upon an applicant’s qualifications.
Transfer of Credit
Course credit may not be transferred into graduate certificate programs.
Certificate Earned
Graduate Business Foundation Certificate
Required for Program Completion
- Courses
- Between 4 and 7 Courses
- Credits
- Between 12 and 18 Credit Hours
- GPA
- 3.0
Program Goals
The Graduate Certificate program's goals are to deepen our student's business knowledge, develop their organizational and leadership skills, and sharpen their decision making.
- Strategic thinking through integrating discipline-specific business knowledge
- Leadership Skills
- Business-related oral and written communication skills
- Awareness of how the business environment influences decision-making
- Knowledge and skill concerning financial analysis, reporting, and markets
Student Learning Outcomes
The Graduate Certificate program's learning goals are structured to advance our students skills and knowledge in the following areas:
Strategic thinking through integrating discipline-specific business knowledge
- Demonstrate the ability to integrate business disciplines to achieve strategic objectives.
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and evaluate the usefulness of various competitive strategies (e.g., adaptive, market entry, positioning) that firms use within domestic and global markets.
Leadership Skills
- Demonstrates the ability to identify and analyze current leadership style and the ability to develop and enhance leadership skills.
- Demonstrate the ability to work effectively and collaboratively in a team.
Business-related oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrate the ability to prepare and deliver a professional presentation on a business issue.
- Demonstrate the ability to write a clear, concise, and well-organized professional presentation of a business issue.
Awareness of how the business environment influences decision-making
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and analyze ethical and legal business dilemmas and the ability to recommend and defend appropriate solutions and strategies.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how cultural, economic, and political factors shape the management of global business.
Knowledge and skill concerning financial analysis, reporting, and markets
- Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the financial position of for-profit organizations through the examination of financial information contained in balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and footnotes, as well as information gathered from other sources (such as public filings, business news publications, and websites) in order to enable stakeholders (management, shareholders, creditors, etc.) to understand a firm’s progress in maximizing its value to stakeholders.
Academic Standing and Graduation Requirements
All students in La Salle University’s graduate business programs are required to maintain a cumulative scholastic average of 3.0, which translates to an overall G.P.A. equivalent to a B (a B- average is not sufficient). Students whose academic performance falls below this standard are subject to academic review by the Graduate Program Director, and may be required to withdraw from the program, revise their course of study or repeat specific classes.
Students with a cumulative grade point average below 3.0 are automatically in academic jeopardy whether or not they receive written notification of this status, and regardless of the number of credits earned. Students with a G.P.A. below 3.0 should consult with the Graduate Program Director ascertain any potential actions to improve academic success within the program.
To graduate from a Graduate Certificate Program at La Salle, students must:
- Have a minimum of a 3.0 G.P.A. overall within the program,
- Maintain a “C” or better in all the required courses, and
- Receive no more than two grades of “below” a B- in the MBA program.
Should students:
- Fail a course; they may retake the course by paying the current pertinent tuition. No more than two course retakes are allowed in the program.
- Complete all required courses, but fall below a 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. requirement, they will not be eligible to graduate. In this case, the students may retake up to two courses to improve their G.P.A. to a 3.0 or higher, as long as the total number of course retakes in the program does not exceed two courses.
In extraordinary circumstances, a student may be permitted to earn one additional "C" or retake one additional course at the Graduate Program Director's discretion, as long as all other graduation requirements are met.
Transfer of Credit
Course credit may not be transferred into graduate certificate programs.
Tuition and Fees
Students may find the tuition and fee schedule on the Financial Aid website.
Tuition Assistance
There are loan programs available for graduate students. Information about financial aid and the application forms may be obtained from Student Financial Services, La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA 19141 or by calling 215.951.1070.
Academic Requirements
Students must complete between 12 and 18 credits to complete the Graduate Business Foundation Certification at La Salle University. The total number of credits required depends upon the student’s academic and professional background.
Foundation
The purpose of the Foundation area is to provide students with a functional knowledge of business theory in the context of decision-making and management skills. The three foundation courses (2 credits each) are required but may be waived based on a student’s academic and professional background.
The Core
The Core courses (3 credits each) provide students with the theoretical basis and practical applications of marketing, accounting, business analytics and financial management. Through the use of a variety of analytical, problem-solving approaches to business situations, the Core courses expose the students to both the needed depth of analyses and broad business perspectives required for operational, financial and strategic decision making.
A student may qualify for a waiver of one of the Core courses, based upon their undergraduate degree earned. In this case, a student may replace the course with an elective.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | ||
| MBA 601 | Financial Accounting | 2 |
| MBA 602 | Financial Markets | 2 |
| MBA 603 | Business Economics for Managers | 2 |
| The Core | ||
| MBA 690 | Creating Customers Through Effective Marketing Management | 3 |
| MBA 691 | Managerial Accounting for Decision Making, Planning, and Control | 3 |
| MBA 692 | Financial Performance: Control and Measurement | 3 |
| MBA 693 | Business Analytics for Informed and Effective Decision Making | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Course Sequence
A student's course sequence and timing will be based upon prior academic achievement, professional experience and the student's program completion plans. The sequencing is also dependent upon the university's course schedules for each academic year. Upon acceptance to the program, students will receive a Model Roster with the course requirements and a recommended course sequence to complete their graduate certificate.
- It is recommended for students to take one course per term for those that are currently working full-time. However, many students will pair two of our 2-credit foundation courses together in one term.
- Students must complete the Foundation Courses before progressing to the Core Courses.
The foundation courses are only offered in 8-week terms. However, they are generally offered five times per year. The terms begin in August, October, January, March, and May. New students can enroll in any of the five-starts.
Automatic enrollment has been implemented for the graduate certificate programs. All registration is done by the graduate business office, and students will not have to register on their own. The graduate business office will follow the recommended course sequence provided at the time of acceptance.
Course Descriptions
This course is an introductory study of financial accounting. It includes the study of basic accounting language and concepts, recording financial transactions, preparation and interpretation of financial statements, accounting methods, business decisions, inventory valuations, and methods of obtaining capital.
This course serves as an introduction to the financial system and its relationship to the financing of domestic and international business activity. Financial market components and phenomena such as financial instruments, institutions, flow of funds, market efficiency, interest rate determination and term structure, exchange rates, and the balance of payments are analyzed. The governmental impact on financial markets, manifested through monetary and fiscal policy and regulation, is also covered. An introduction is given to the concept of financial asset valuation and the time value of money. The emphasis is on the significance of these elements for conducting the financial affairs of businesses.
This course is designed to teach the principles of both micro and macro economics and to help the students understand the economic events that shape the world, markets and businesses. The course develops students' abilities to interpret how businesses form and operate under various market situations. Topics such as supply and demand, elasticity, relevant cost definition and relationships, profit optimization, market characteristics and long-run profitability implications, resource costing, and global market competitive responses are studied. The course further examines the role and activities of the various economic sectors consisting of households, businesses, and governments, and how those actions impact the state of the economy. The roles of government and the Federal Reserve are evaluated and their impact examined. Topics such as Gross Domestic Product, economic growth, inflation, unemployment, fiscal policy, monetary policy, banking, international trade, and exchange rates are studied.
The course shows how the techniques of marketing management can be used to attract and satisfy customers while building long-term business profitability. Topics include (1) market, consumer, and competitive analysis; (2) segmentation, targeting, and positioning; (3) product development, pricing, promotion, and distribution; and (4) marketing strategy and planning.
This course focuses on the firm's management accounting system as its primary information system. It examines the problems of cost measurement, planning, coordination, control, and performance evaluation. It explores how accounting systems address business problems and evolve in response to the changing economic environment. The course will relate ethical and global issues to managerial accounting topics. The students will explore and analyze "real world" data and apply their gained knowledge to contemporary managerial accounting problems and cases.
This is a survey course focusing on how managers can construct a decision-making process focusing on maximizing the value of the firm. Because the majority of financial decisions require an estimate of future events, considerable time will be spent investigating how to achieve the above objectives, subject to the constraints of an uncertain future. Outside readings, case studies, and text material will be used to integrate current financial theory with pragmatic financial decision making. A working knowledge of the basic concepts in finance, accounting, and statistics is assumed. The use of an electronic spreadsheet is needed for homework assignments and case analysis.
This course introduces students to the growing field of business analytics. Business analytics is the use of data, information technology, statistical analysis, and quantitative methods and models to support effective organizational problem solving and informed decision making. The course includes methods, tools, and techniques for summarizing and visualizing historical data, which is relevant to descriptive analytics -- the use of data to find out what has happened in the past or is currently happening; methods, tools, and techniques for extracting information from existing data in order to determine patterns, which is relevant to predictive analytics -- the use of data to find out what will happen in the future; and methods, tools, and techniques for optimization, which is relevant to prescriptive analytics - the use of data to determine the best course of action in the future.
Faculty
Interim Dean: Michael Moll, M.B.A.
Program Director: Nicole Blair, M.B.A., M.S.
Professors: Ambrose, Borkowski, Cooper, Fornaciari, Jiang, Tavana, Wentzel
Associate Professors: Chia, Kennedy, Lafond, Leauby, Pierce, Reardon, Szabat, Ugras
Assistant Professors: Adams, Bruce, Coyle, DiPietro, Dynan, Otto, Radetskiy, Varzgani
Program Contact Information
Graduate Business Office
Founders' Hall Room 233
gradbusiness@lasalle.edu
(215) 438-6676
Staff Contact Information
Nicole Blair, Director of Graduate Business Programs
(215) 438-6676
blairn@lasalle.edu
If you have any questions regarding the Graduate Business Certificate programs, please contact: gradbusiness@lasalle.edu