If you’re in the middle of your career business certificate or are in the process of establishing your own business, you might be wondering how you can take your career or your business to the next level. One way of doing this is by gaining a business certificate. This is a professional qualification that teaches you the fundamental skills needed to run and expand your business. If you decide to take the plunge and enroll for next semester, here is what you can expect in your business certificate program.
1. Online learning
Online learning doesn’t have a lengthy, rigid structure of lectures and study time that you are unable to commit to. For professional programs, this is quite the opposite. Designed with working professionals in mind, a course such as the online business certificate program at Kelley School of Business prioritizes flexibility. As the school hosts its lectures online, you are not tied to attending weekly on-campus lectures—which often can be difficult to commit to due to childcare issues and after-work traffic—instead of enabling you to study in the comfort of your own home. An online program of course also means that you can look beyond your local area for further education—if you’re based in Idaho, you can still attend a program based in Indiana.
2. Flexible learning
Business certificate programs are also flexible in other ways, aside from many being taught online. A certificate consists of several modules, which you can choose to study one after the other, making up a comprehensive program of learning. Alternatively, if you are unable to commit right away to the full program due to other commitments, you can often choose to take one module at a time. Also, gaining a professional certificate is often a lot cheaper than a college degree. With the added ability to mix and match modules at different times, this allows you to gain your certification at your own pace while spreading the cost of payments. However, many institutions do offer discounts on multiple modules booked at the same time.
3. Integrated learning
You might previously have decided against studying a theory-heavy college degree, choosing instead to develop your skills and experience in an entry-level role in the industry rather than in the classroom racking up debt. A business certificate program will assume some knowledge of the business world, building on that knowledge in an integrated program to develop essential skills and boost your business and career plan. You will study the functional areas of a business and how they work together to ensure the optimum running of a business: management, accounting and finance, marketing and analytics, and operations.
Armed with these new skills and understanding, you can assess your own business plan or career plan and identify new areas for work and expansion, thus ensuring that you pass your certificate with everything you need to take your business and your career to the next level.