The commercial fundamentals certificate provides useful business skills in Excel and other Microsoft applications, sales, social media, and communication. In addition, students develop an understanding of how to use spreadsheets to create and monitor simple financial statements in a small business setting.

This certificate is offered by BYU-Idaho, with support and resources from BYU-Pathway Worldwide.

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Essential Knowledge and Skills

Outcomes

Create professional spreadsheets using advanced functionality to visualize and solve business problems.
Understand and manage the accounting cycle and cash flow of a small business.
Design and launch a social media campaign to promote a business.
Improve sales in organizations through persuasive selling skills, including finding, asking questions, highlighting features and benefits, overcoming objections, negotiating and closing, and service after the sale.
Improve workplace communication by applying non-verbal, listening, relationship-building, public speaking, persuasion, and other interpersonal communication skills.

Certificate of Commercial Fundamentals

Program Requirements

This certificate builds into the Applied Business Management degree.

This is an introductory certificate.

Certificate

15 CREDITS

Associate

60 CREDITS

Bachelor's

90–96 CREDITS

Certificate of Commercial Fundamentals

Course Code

Course Name

# of Credits

BUS115

Business Applications

BUS115 — 3 credits

Business Applications

Students will acquire, develop and apply intermediate spreadsheet analysis skills in a business context as well as demonstrate basic database use. After individually completing spreadsheet tutorials and assignments, students will then develop and apply their skills in business projects and exams. The projects and exams, which are designed to be realistic and representative of business activities students might encounter in the workplace.

SMMBC105

Introduction to Social Media Marketing

SMMBC105 — 3 credits

Introduction to Social Media Marketing

This introductory course will give you an overview of the evolution and purpose of Social Media and why it is a disruptive wave of innovation. In addition, you will learn how it affects your personal and professional life, including the importance of personal branding and how these principles can be applied in the professional world. You will learn about the history, purpose, anatomy, best practices, current trends, and pros & cons of the top eight social platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, Snapchat, and blogs. In addition, this course will help you build foundational knowledge and professional skills on these nine social media platforms. You will learn how to research, use strategy and tactics, create engaging content, establish a following, and understand legal issues that confront social media. You will gain a high-level understanding of key marketing principles and strategies, as well as how companies use social media for marketing, analytics, customer service and more. You will have the opportunity to create a marketing campaign for an organization, pitch it, and effectively execute and evaluate it. You will also evaluate the future of social media for businesses and how it affects you personally and professionally. This course was developed with the subject matter expertise and oversight of the LDS Business College (LDSBC). See the Course Sharing Policy in this catalog.

COMM175

Communication Essentials

COMM175 — 3 credits

Communication Essentials

For Non-Communication majors, this course helps give a basic foundation in interpersonal communication and public speaking skills and principles. Through a combination of exercises and discussions, students develop the tools to continually work toward more effective communication.

MKT120

Sales & Customer Relations

MKT120 — 3 credits

Sales & Customer Relations

This beginning course is designed to introduce the student to the benefits of persuasive selling and building relationships. Skills learned and practiced will benefit the student for a lifetime. Self-confidence will increase as a result of the opportunity to practice the skills of persuasive presentations. Provides an opportunity for the student to explore the possibility of a career in sales, but will benefit the student in any career chosen.

GS170

Career Development

GS170 — 1 credits

Career Development

In this course, learners will discover and strengthen the skills they need to successfully obtain or improve employment. Students will focus on creating professional documents (e.g., resumes and cover letters), networking, interviewing, and job shadowing.

BUS180

The Cycle of Cash

BUS180 — 2 credits

The Cycle of Cash

The Cycle of Cash course provides the financial tools, skills, and judgment students need to read financial statements and make correct financial decisions for a small business or new venture. This course will also review what it takes to start, acquire or sell a small business.

For questions about this program, contact BYU-Pathway Support

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Looking Ahead

Potential Employment

Customer service representative

Account manager
Sales position
Marketing assistant

Why choose this certificate?

Commercial fundamentals training will give you the experience and tools to understand the finances and improve the sales of small businesses, create effective social media campaigns and organizational spreadsheets, and improve communication through negotiation, collaboration, listening and persuasion.

BYU-Pathway has found that certain combinations of certificates lead to better job opportunities. Most degrees have a recommended plan of certificates that will help students increase their income and improve their employment possibilities.