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Graduate Certificate Program in Foundations of Business

Boost your business career while making progress toward an MBA with this accelerated online business certificate program offered by UMass Lowell's AACSB-accredited Manning School of Business.

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Put Your Business Career on the Fast Track

Sharpen your financial, management, and marketing skills and advance your educational and professional goals with this Graduate Certificate program in Foundations of Business from UMass Lowell — a top-ranked, public research university. This online business certificate program, which consists of 6 eight-week courses, is designed for those who hold a technical, liberal arts, education or other non-management degree who are interested in working toward an MBA.

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Complete in 9 Months

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Variety of Financial Aid and Scholarships Available
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One of the Most Affordable Tuitions in the Nation
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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 five percent of business schools worldwide.

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.

Employment in management occupations is projected to grow 5 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for management occupations was $105,660 in May 2019, which was the highest wage of all the major occupational groups.
—U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2020

Students who successfully complete the Foundations of Business certificate program and are subsequently accepted into UMass Lowell's Master's Degree in Business Administration program can apply certificate courses in which they receive a B or better to their MBA degree.

Gain Valuable Knowledge for Today's Workplace

With this graduate business certificate program, you will position yourself for success by deepening your professional knowledge of a diverse range of pertinent topics such as:

  • Organizational behavior and the practice of management
  • The preparation and understanding of financial statements
  • Quantitative tools used in operations management and analysis
  • The formulation and implementation of marketing strategies
  • Analytical techniques and theories applied to financial decision making
  • Achieving competitive business advantages in a global environment

One Success Leads to Another

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

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Graduate Certificate Program in Foundations of Business
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Master's Degree in Business Administration

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.

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 3.0 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 3.0 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. Please submit your completed form to: UMass Lowell Registrar's Office, 220 Pawtucket Street, Lowell, MA 01854-5129. Forms can also be scanned and emailed to thesolutioncenter@uml.edu.

Course Descriptions

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. 2 credits. 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.
Prerequisites:

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

Introduces students to the finance function in a firm. Students are exposed to a variety of analytical techniques and to theory applied to financial decision making. Study will include effects of major financial decisions such as investment, financing and dividends on the value of a firm, in the light of their risk-return relationship under the assumption that the maximization of shareholder wealth is the goal of management. Pre-requisites: MBA or Certificate Programs or Permission of MBA Director. 2 credits. 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.
Prerequisites:

ACCT.5010, MBA/MSEM or MGFB

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. 2 credits.
Prerequisites:

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

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. 2 credits. P: Open to MBA, Business Certificate or Master of Engineering students
Prerequisites:

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

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. 2 credits.
Prerequisites:

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

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. 2 credits. 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.
Prerequisites:

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

Tuition & Fees

At UMass Lowell, we believe that students should have as much information as possible up front so they can make informed decisions before enrolling in a degree program or signing up for a course.

Tuition for all undergraduate courses offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition for all online graduate courses is also the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition is priced per credit. To calculate the tuition for a course, simply multiply the per-credit tuition by the total number of credits per course. Exception: If the total number of course contact hours is greater than the total number of credits, the per-credit tuition is instead multiplied by the total number of contact hours.

Fall 2021 Tuition

 Per Credit / Contact Hour
Graduate Online Courses
(Except Graduate Online Business*, IT, Engineering and Education Courses)
 $575.00
Graduate Online Business* Courses $655.00
Graduate Online IT and Engineering Courses** $590.00

*Applies to courses with the following prefixes: ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST, POMS offered through the Manning School of Business

**Applies to courses with the following prefixes: CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, MECH, PLAS offered through the Francis College of Engineering. Applies also to MSIT courses in the Master's in Information Technology, Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity and the Graduate Certificate in Systems Models and Management.

The cost to audit a course will be charged the rates listed above.

Additional Fees
Registration Fee per Term $30.00
Late Fee for Nonpayment $50.00
Fee for Graduate Degree and Certificate Applications $50.00

Looking for Financial Assistance?

UMass Lowell offers a variety of financial aid and scholarship options.
Learn More »
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Registration

Current students can register using SiS Self-Service. New students who have not already applied and been accepted to a program must use the Non-Degree Registration Form.

You can take courses without being officially enrolled in a certificate or degree program, but you must meet course prerequisites. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Class size is limited. We recommend that you register early to reserve your place in class.

For more information, please visit our Registration Page.

New Students

If you have not already applied and been accepted to a program.
Register with Non-Degree Reg. Form

Current Students

If you have applied, been accepted to and are currently enrolled in a program.
Register with SIS Self-Service

Questions?

Program Support:
Contact: The Manning School of Business
Email: MBA@uml.edu
Phone: (978) 934-2848
Email our Advising Center for assistance, or call 800-480-3190 to speak with an advisor.

Please Note: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented within this website, the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies reserves the right to implement new rules and regulations and to make changes of any nature in its program, calendar, locations, tuition and fees. Whenever possible, appropriate notice of such changes will be given before they become effective. In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Applying into an Online Graduate Certificate Program

UMass Lowell Graduate Certificate Programs provide knowledge and expertise that are vital in today's rapidly changing workplace. In many cases, graduate certificate courses may be applied toward a master's degree at UMass Lowell. Most graduate certificates consist of four courses, for a total of 12 graduate credits. This is a great way to earn a graduate-level credential on the way to earning your master's.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Holders of an appropriate bachelor's degree

HOW TO APPLY?

Learn more about specific application requirements for your program of interest. When you're ready, you can apply online or download an application at http://www.uml.edu/grad.

There is a $50 application fee for all programs except engineering, for which there is a $75 application fee. NO Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for graduate certificate programs. Credits earned from a graduate certificate may be used toward a related graduate degree with the approval of the graduate program coordinator. Students who complete a graduate certificate with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better in a UMass Lowell graduate certificate program may be able to waive the GRE when applying to a related master's degree. Graduate Certificate Programs must be completed within a five-year period with a minimum 3.0 grade point average and with not more than one course with a grade below B. Courses completed for one certificate may not be used for other certificates. Once you have completed all of the courses required for your certificate, please complete and submit the Graduate Certificate Clearance Form.

For specific information regarding any of the above application materials (which may vary for some programs), please see UMass Lowell's Graduate Application Requirements at https://www.uml.edu/Grad/Process/.

Applications can be completed and submitted at any time during the year. Each application is processed — and each applicant notified — as soon as all admissions materials have been received and reviewed. For additional details, please visit https://www.uml.edu/grad/.

Graduate Program Admissions Requirements

Admission to all graduate programs at UMass Lowell is contingent upon successful completion of a bachelor's degree. In many cases, applicants may register for a course before they have formally applied into the program; however, students requiring financial aid may want to wait until they have been formally accepted into the program to ensure that their course(s) will be covered. Contact UMass Lowell's Office of Graduate Admissions if you have questions about the application process.

Please Note: Test requirements for graduate applications have been temporarily waived. Learn more.
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Questions Regarding Your Graduate Application?

Email Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or call 800-656-4723 (for U.S. students) or 978-934-2390 (for international students).

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!

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