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Graduate Certificate Program in Foundations of Business

Gain essential business skills that prepare you for high-paying management and operations roles while progressing toward an MBA through our flexible, affordable graduate certificate in business online.

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Why Earn a Graduate Certificate in Business Online?

Elevate your career trajectory with UMass Lowell's Foundations of Business program. Our online graduate certificate in business is meticulously crafted for professionals like you, whether you're aiming to transition into business roles, enhance your managerial acumen, or lay the groundwork for an MBA.

Delve into a comprehensive curriculum that mirrors the core of an MBA program, providing you with essential business knowledge. Each course is delivered in an accelerated 8-week format, allowing you to progress efficiently while balancing other commitments. This online business certificate program is for those who hold technical, liberal arts, education or other non-management degrees and are interested in working toward an MBA.

Career Outlook

Whether you're preparing for leadership, pivoting to a new industry or enhancing your current role, our business foundations certificate will help you develop a solid understanding of accounting, finance, marketing, operations and organizational strategy—skills that are vital in any business setting.

1.09M
Jobs (2023)
+3.9%
% Change (2023-2035)
$124.3KK/yr
Median Advertised Salary
102,337
Annual Openings
Source: Lightcast, 2025

Occupations

By completing our online graduate certificate in business, you position yourself for roles such as:

  • Managers
  • Project management specialists
  • Accountants and auditors
  • Financial managers
  • Chief executives
  • Human resource managers
  • Sales representatives
  • Marketing managers
  • Business operations specialist
  • Management Analyst
  • Consultant
"According to the U.S. Department of labor, the median annual wage for managers was $122,090 in May 2024, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $49,500."
— —U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025

Key Takeaways

Our graduate certificate in business online offers a well-rounded foundation in core business disciplines designed to mirror the essential components of an MBA.

  • Financial Accounting: Grasp the fundamentals of financial statements and their role in business decisions.
  • Business Financial Analysis: Learn to apply analytical techniques to financial decision-making processes.
  • Marketing Fundamentals: Understand how to formulate and implement effective marketing strategies.
  • Operations Fundamentals: Explore quantitative tools used in operations management and analysis.
  • Organizational Behavior: Study the behavior of individuals and groups within organizations to enhance management practices.
  • Global Enterprise and Competition: Gain insights into achieving competitive advantages in a global business environment.
AACSB Badge This program is offered through UMass Lowell's Manning School of Business, which is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) — an elite distinction earned by less than six percent of business schools worldwide.

Learn more about AACSB accreditation »

Why Choose UMass Lowell?

  • Flexible Learning: Study entirely online, accessing course materials at your convenience.
  • Affordable Tuition: Benefit from one of the nation's most cost-effective graduate programs.
  • Expert Faculty: Learn from seasoned professionals and academics in the field. Manning School of Business faculty and instructors are dedicated to excellence in teaching and research, and the program’s challenging, relevant curriculum is aligned with current industry trends and employer needs.
  • One step closer to your MBA: Students who successfully complete the Foundations of Business certificate program are subsequently accepted into UMass Lowell's Master's Degree in Business Administration.
  • Global Recognition: Earn a credential from an AACSB-accredited institution, a distinction held by less than 7% of business schools worldwide.

One Success Leads to Another

Apply credits from lower credentials to higher ones. Our programs are designed to build upon themselves:

Curriculum Outline

This 12-credit, graduate-level certificate program consists of the following six courses. Courses taken online meet over a period of 8 weeks.

Course Descriptions

ACCT.5010 Financial Accounting (2cr)

An introduction to financial accounting within the context of business transactions and business decisions. This course is a broad introduction to using accounting information from the user's perspective with little emphasis on traditional debits, credits, journal entries and ledgers. Emphasis is placed on preparing and understanding financial statements.

Notes:

If not currently matriculated in a Manning School of Business program, please contact the MBA Staff at MBA@uml.edu or call 978-934-2848 for permission to take courses.

Requirements:

MBA/ MSF/MSEM/MGFB/PSM or PHD.

FINA.5010 Fundamentals of Finance (2cr)

This course introduces students to the finance function in the context of the modern corporation. Students are exposed to a variety of analytical techniques and to theory applied to financial decision making. Specific topics include financial statements and cash flows, risk and rates of return, the time value of money, stock and bond valuation, and determination of a firm's cost of capital. The course concludes with an introduction to a major financial decision for a firm: analyzing capital investments.

Notes:

If not currently matriculated in a Manning School of Business program, please contact the MBA staff at MBA@uml.edu or call 978-934-2848 for permission to take courses.

Requirements:

ACCT.5010, MBA/MSEM or MGFB

MGMT.5010 Organizational Behavior (2cr)

Introduces students to management and organizational behavior. Its general purpose is to study and understand the behavior of individuals and groups in organizations. It is directed toward behavioral action components and emphasizes the close relationship between the study of organizational behavior and the practice of management. Pre-requisites: MBA or Certificate Programs, or Permission of MBA Director.

Requirements:

MBA/ MSF/MSEM/MGFB/PSM or PHD.

MGMT.5110 Global Enterprise and Competition (2cr)

To be taken as last course in foundation core. Is an integrated investigation of global competitive issues to help students understand the processes of organization and technological innovation which permit businesses to achieve competitive advantages in a global environment. This course also deals with the nature and techniques of industry analysis necessary to the formulation of effective global strategy for the firm.

Notes:

P: Open to MBA, Business Certificate or Master of Engineering students

Requirements:

Pre-req: ACCT.5010, FINA.5010,

MKTG.5010 Marketing Fundamentals (2cr)

Describes how marketing strategies and plans of a competitive enterprise are formulated, implemented, and adjusted over time. Behavioral and quantitative aspects are covered, as well as analysis of the environmental forces affecting marketing decisions. Pre-requisites: MBA or Certificate Programs, or Permission of MBA Director.

Requirements:

MBA/ MSF/MSEM/MGFB/PSM or PHD.

POMS.5010 Operations Fundamentals (2cr)

Provides students with an introduction to operations management and operations analysis. The latter furnishes the student with a set of quantitative tools which are useful in designing and operating the former. These techniques are also generally applicable to other functional areas/courses within the MBA Program. Pre-requisites: MBA or Certificate Programs, or Permission of MBA Director.

Notes:

If not currently matriculated in a Manning School of Business program, please contact the MBA staff at MBA@uml.edu or call 978-934-2848 for permission to take courses.

Requirements:

MBA/ MSF/MSEM/MGFB/PSM or PHD.

Graduate Certificate Requirements

Students enrolled in graduate certificate programs through UMass Lowell must complete all courses indicated in the curriculum outline. Students may complete the certificate program at their own pace by registering for and successfully completing one or more courses each semester, depending upon his/her personal time constraints. Students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.000 with no more than one course grade below B to receive the certificate.

The two-credit online courses in this program meet 8 weeks per course, with two opportunities to take the courses during the Fall and Spring semesters, plus one optional 8-week session is available in the Summer (see Calendar for details). Online students generally log into their online course website one or more times per week to retrieve lectures and assignments or to participate in a chat session. Online students should expect to spend 6-10 hours per course each week engaged in course-related activities. For more information on online courses, visit our online program home page.

Completing a Graduate Certificate Program

Graduate certificate courses must be completed within a five-year period with a minimum 3.000 grade point average and no more than one course with a grade below B. Once all courses for a graduate certificate have been completed, students must complete and submit the Graduate Certificate Clearance Form. Students must submit their clearance form to their coordinator. The coordinator will apply them in SIS, Graduation Tracking.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition at UMass Lowell is typically half the cost of private colleges, and our online tuition is among the lowest in the nation. Tuition for online programs offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same whether you live in-state, out-of-state or outside of the U.S.

Summer 2025 Tuition

Cost Per Credit Cost Per 3-Credit Course*

Graduate

Online $600 $1,800
Online Business1 $655 $1,965
All other On Campus courses2 View Here
*Tuition is priced on the listed credit hour unless the contact hour is different. Tuition is then based upon the listed contact hour.
1Applies to ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST and POMS courses.
2Applies to graduate on campus courses excluding select courses

Additional Costs

Cost
Term Registration Fee $30
Returned Check Fee $30
Graduate Engineering and Business Degrees and Certificate Applications $75

Please note: Tuition and fees are subject to change.

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Looking for Financial Assistance?

UMass Lowell offers a variety of financial aid and scholarship options.

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Applying into a Graduate Certificate Program

You can apply anytime. There are no deadlines. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

All applicants must submit:
  • An application
  • An application fee ($75)
  • Official transcripts
  • Official test scores
    • GRE not required
    • If English is NOT the national language in your home country, please submit one of the following English proficiency tests:
      • TOEFL: minimum acceptable score is 90
      • IELTS: minimum acceptable score is 7.0
      • Duolingo: minimum acceptable score is 125
      • ASC English: minimum acceptable level is 6
      • PTE: minimum acceptable score is 64

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution

Additional Information

F1 student visas are not issued for this program.

You may apply to more than one certificate program but can only take 12 credits maximum before enrolling in an advanced degree.

Certificates must be completed within 5 years.

Official transcripts can be sent to us directly from your previous institution either electronically or mailed to:

Graduate Admissions
University of Massachusetts Lowell
839 Merrimack St., Floor 2
Lowell, MA 01854-5104

We cannot accept previously opened transcripts, photocopies, PDF email attachments or faxed transcripts.

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Graduate Application Questions

Please check your application status emails. Still have questions? Contact Graduate Admissions at Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or 800-656-4723. International students: Please call 978-934-2390.

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

Complete Your Online Graduate Certificate Program in Foundations of Business from an Award Winning Public University.

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