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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Graduate Certificate  
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The Graduate Certificate in Business Development is designed to provide business professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively start new businesses, market products and services, sell effectively, analyze data, and make strategic business decisions.

A QUICK LOOK:
TIME COMMITMENT: 3 hours in class(virtual)/week+ 2 to 4 hours applied project work/week
COURSE DURATION: 
Courses are taught in 8 week blocks
TIME TO COMPLETION: Complete in as few as 2 semesters or take up to 7 years

 

METHOD OF DELIVERY: Hybrid (some in-person, some face-to-face)
TYPICAL IN-PERSON CLASS SIZE:
Fewer than 15 students
# REQUIRED COURSES: 5 courses (15  credit hours -6 required, 9 elective)

 

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

We understand that working professionals looking to advance their careers, learn new skills or change industries require not just flexibility in a program, but exceptional, engaging, relevant material. 

  • WHO CAN APPLY? The certificate can be completed as a part of the WSU MBA Program in the Goddard School of Business and Economics or as a stand-alone certificate.
  • DELIVERY: The courses will be conducted in eight week blocks. Select courses may be available face-to-face, some may be virtual.
  • PREREQUISITES: Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or be in the final stage of completing the undergraduate degree. Prerequisite classes may apply for select courses. See course description below. Basic computer competency is required.
  • GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Students must complete all program courses with a grade of “C” or higher. In addition, the overall program GPA must be 3.0 or higher.
  • CREDIT HOURS: 15 total credit hours including 6 required hours and 9 elective hours. The following is a list of available courses: 
 

TWO (2) REQUIRED COURSES
 

SELECT TWO (2) OF THE FOLLOWING ELECTIVES
 

SELECT ONE (1) OF THE FOLLOWING ELECTIVES
 

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
 

  • Understand the opportunity environment.
  • Discover and identify the source of entrepreneurial opportunities.
  • Generate an organic and iterative Business Model Canvas.
  • Develop the Value Proposition.
  • Conduct a First Screen of an entrepreneurial opportunity per the Business Model Canvas.
  • Evaluate market demand associated with an entrepreneurial opportunity.
  • Evaluate industry factors salient to the favorability of entrepreneurial opportunities.
  • Select opportunities and design your opportunity to exploit the weaknesses of incumbents.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
 

  • Business development is projected to grow much faster than most professions over the next decade according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 
  • Utah's unique and dynamic entrepreneurial environment has created an unusually high demand for people with business development skills.
  • Because of increasing local and national demand for business development skills, salaries in this field are moving upward quickly.

 

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