Graduate Business Certificate Requirements

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Faculty

  • Dax Jacobson, Dean
  • Richard Chapman, Project-Based MBA Director
  • Chelsea Dye, Director of Master of Accountancy
  • Michael Keene, MBA Programs Director

Graduate Certificates are available as a program of graduate business study for individuals who:

  • Currently possess a bachelor’s degree and wish to pursue graduate certification in a specific business discipline with or without the completion of an MBA.
  • Already possess a graduate business degree and wish to enhance or update their skills.
  • Are completing a MBA or MBATC degree and desire additional specialization in a single business discipline.

Between 8 and 24 graduate semester hours are required to complete a Graduate Certificate. A certificate may be completed in conjunction with the MBA degree or the MBATC degree. Students who desire to complete more than one graduate certificate may apply required course and/or elective credits to only one certificate. Individuals without prior undergraduate coursework in business, or who graduated with a business degree five or more years ago must complete prerequisite courses as identified in the respective certificate requirements. Students must declare their certificate program with the MBA Graduate Directors prior to applying for graduation. Courses must be completed at Westminster University.

In-Person Certificates

The following certificates are delivered in a live, on-campus format

Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting

Faculty Champion: Chelsea Dye, Associate Professor

A Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting is available as a program of graduate business study for individuals who:

  • Already possess a graduate business degree and wish to enhance or update their skills.
  • Are completing a MBA or MBATC degree and desire additional specialization in a single business discipline.

The Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting requires 12 graduate semester hours. The 12 semester hours must be taken at Westminster University. Individuals without prior undergraduate coursework in accounting, must complete prerequisite courses as identified in the certificate requirements. Students must formally declare their accounting certificate with the Graduate Program Advisor prior to graduation.

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Prerequisite Courses 24  
ACCT 350 Intermediate Accounting I  4 ACCT 313
ACCT 360 Intermediate Accounting II  4 ACCT 350
ACCT 374 Cost Accounting  4 ACCT 213
ACCT 454 Auditing  4 ACCT 360
ACCT 467 Accounting Information Systems  4 ACCT 313; BUSI 300
ACCT 474 Individual Income Taxation  4 ACCT 313
II. Required Certificate Courses 12  

For Westminster MBA/MBATC students: Complete twelve credit hours in graduate accounting courses that must include 2 hours of audit and 2 hours of taxation from the following:

Audit
MACC 608 Auditing and Attestation 2 co-requisite: MACC 653
MACC 653 Advanced Audit 1 co-requisite: MACC 653
Tax
MACC 611 Advanced Topics in Federal Taxation 2  
MACC 622 Taxation of Corporations I 2  
MACC 624 Taxation of Pass-Through Entities I 2  
MACC 630 Federal Taxation of S-Corporations 2  
Additional Options
MACC 603 Financial Accounting Research 2  
MACC 604 Governmental and Non-Profit Accounting 2  
MACC 620 Accounting Ethics 2  
MACC 650 Corporate Governance 1  
MACC 651 Financial Accounting and Reporting 2  
MACC 652 Business Regulation 2  
MACC 653 Advanced Audit 1 co-requisite: MACC 608
MACC 655 Forensic Accounting and Financial Investigations 2  
For students with an MBA from another institution, the following courses are required:
MBA 604B Financial Statement Analysis 2  
MBA 630C Managerial Accounting 2 MBA 603B, 604B
Total Hours for the Program 18  

 

Graduate Certificate in Business Management

Faculty Champion: Michael Keene, Associate Professor

This Graduate Certificate requires 8 graduate semester hours of coursework described below:  

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 8  

 

MBA 605C Communication 2  
MBA 615C Strategy 2  
MBA 625C Leadership 2  
MBA 635C Marketing 2  
Total Hours for the Graduate Certificate in Business Management 8  

Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership

Faculty Champion: Michael Keene, Associate Professor

This graduate Certificate requires 8 graduate semester hours of coursework described below:  

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 8  

 

MBA 645C Ethics and Governance 2  
MBA 655C High Performance Organization 2  
MBA 665C Global Management 2  
One Leadership Elective Approved by Program Director  2  
Total Hours for the Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership 8  

 

Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Business Skills

Faculty Champion: Richard Haskell, Associate Professor

This Graduate Certificate requires 8 graduate semester hours of coursework described below:  

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 8  

 

MBA 610C Data 2  
MBA 620C Economics 2  
MBA 650C Operations 2  
One Analytics Elective Approved by Program Director  2  
Total Hours for the Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Business Skills 8  

 

Graduate Certificate in Executive Financial Management

Faculty Champion: Richard Haskell, Associate Professor

The Graduate Certificate requires 8 graduate semester hours.

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Certificate Courses 8  
MBA 630C Managerial Accounting 2  
MBA 640C Executive Financial Decision Making 2  
MBA 660ECC & 660EH Investment Strategy and Applications (or other electives approved by program director) 4  
Total Hours for the Graduate Certificate in Executive Financial Management 8  

 

Graduate Certificate in Technology Commercialization

Faculty Champion: Michael Keene, Associate Professor

The Graduate Certificate in Marketing requires 8 graduate semester hours.

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Certificate Courses 8  
MBATC 641 Organization, Technology, and Society 2  
MBATC 644 Intellectual Property Strategy 2  
MBATC 647 Marketing Innovative Products 2  
MBATC 651 New Product Development 2  
Total Hours for the Graduate Certificate in Marketing Management 8  

Online Certificates

The following certificates are delivered in an asynchronous online format

Graduate Certificate in Business Strategy

Faculty Champion: Richard Chapman, Professor

The Graduate Certificate in Business Strategy requires 8 graduate semester hours. The certificate utilizes competency-based education and courses are delivered online.

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Certificate Courses 8  
MBA PRJ4.1 Managing in a Global Environment 1  
MBA PRJ4.2 Leadership Evaluation 1  
MBA PRJ4.3 Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility 1  
MBA PRJ4.4 Corporate Structure 1  
MBA PRJ4.5 Analysis of Business Level Strategy 1  
MBA PRJ4.6 Personal Leadership Improvement 1  
MBA PRJ4.T Strategy Implementation 1  
MBA PRJ4.F Developing an Operating Plan 1  
Total Hours for the Graduate Certificate in Business Strategy 8  

Graduate Certificate in Leadership

Faculty Champion: Richard Chapman, Professor

The Graduate Certificate in Leadership requires 8 graduate semester hours. The certificate utilizes competency-based education and courses are delivered online.

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Certificate Courses 8  
MBA PRJ1.1 Negotiations and Conflict Resolution 1  
MBA PRJ1.2 Salary Negotiation 1  
MBA PRJ1.3 Vendor Contracts and Negotiation 1  
MBA PRJ1.4 Creativity and Competitive Advantage 1  
MBA PRJ1.5 Internal Organization 1  
MBA PRJ1.6 External Environment 1  
MBA PRJ1.T Manage Teams to Improve Organizational Performance 1  
MBA PRJ1.F Presentation & Defense Business Strategy 1  
Total Hours for the Graduate Certificate in Leadership 8  

Graduate Certificate in Marketing Management

Faculty Champion: Richard Chapman, Professor

The Graduate Certificate in Marketing Management requires 8 graduate semester hours. The certificate utilizes competency-based education and courses are delivered online.

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Certificate Courses 8  
MBA PRJ2.1 Data Analysis 1  
MBA PRJ2.2 Pricing Strategy 1  
MBA PRJ2.3 Product Portfolio 1  
MBA PRJ2.4 Market Research 1  
MBA PRJ2.5 Promotional Strategy 1  
MBA PRJ2.6 Globalization 1  
MBA PRJ2.T Manage Teams to Improve Communication 1  
MBA PRJ2.F Develop a Marketing Plan 1  
Total Hours for the Graduate Certificate in Marketing Management 8