General and Advanced Business Studies
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE || International PROGRAM
The General and Advanced Business Studies Certificates offer flexible training for professionals at various career stages. Students can customize their learning through a broad selection of courses in marketing, leadership, finance, and global strategy, building either foundational skills or advanced expertise to meet evolving career goals.
These Certificates Are Perfect For…
The General and Advanced Business Studies Certificates are ideal for professionals and students seeking to strengthen core business competencies or build advanced specialization. Whether you're looking to enhance your strategic planning capabilities, implement effective negotiation tactics, or make data-informed decisions in dynamic business environments, these flexible one or two-quarter programs offer a customizable path to meet your career goals.
What you'll learn...
- Build a strong foundation across key business functions including strategy, marketing, finance, leadership, and operations
- Strengthen your ability to make informed, ethical decisions in fast-changing professional environments
- Improve your communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills
- Customize your learning path to align with your career goals and emerging industry trends
Program Structure and Requirements
General Business Studies Certificate
Complete three 4-unit professional courses (total 12 units) from approved UCSB PaCE business courses:
Course prefixes: BUSAD, ECON, MGMNT, or TMP (X400–X499 level)
Advanced Business Studies Certificate
Complete six 4-unit professional courses (total 24 units) from the same set of approved business courses.
Course prefixes: BUSAD, ECON, MGMNT, or TMP (X400–X499 level)
Pursuing Both Certificates?
Students may earn both certificates, but courses may not be double-counted. A total of nine unique courses (36 units) is required to complete both.
Employment in management occupations is projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035
Over 70% of employers find challenges recruiting candidates with robust analytical and managerial competencies, underscoring need for professional training
Individuals holding professional certificates experience an average earnings increase of approximately 20% compared to high school graduates
Available Courses by Topic Area (All 4 Units Each)
Students may select courses from the following offerings to fulfill their required units for either certificate track
| Marketing, Communications, & Business Development | Units | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUSAD X409.65 – Marketing Principles & Practices | 4 |
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| MGMNT X477 – Developing a Digital Marketing Strategy | 4 | N/A |
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N/A |
| MGMNT X477.1 – Web Analytics for Marketing | 4 |
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N/A |
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N/A |
| MGMNT X479 – Business and Personal Branding | 4 |
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N/A |
| MGMNT X482 – Public Relations | 4 | |
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| MGMNT X410 – Business Development and Sales | 4 |
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| BUSAD X409.11 – International Marketing | 4 |  |
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N/A |
| BUSAD X411.1 – Strategic Business Development for the Global Marketplace | 4 |
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N/A | N/A |
| MGMNT X450 – Business Strategy and Decision Making | 4 |  |
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| Leadership, Human Resources, & Organizational Management | Units | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUSAD X435 – Foundations of Business Leadership | 4 |
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| BUSAD X450.33 – Building and Leading High Performance Teams | 4 | |
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N/A |
| BUSAD X450.40 – Legal Aspects of Employment Practice | 4 | |
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| BUSAD X432 – Negotiation and Influence Strategies | 4 | N/A |
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N/A |
| BUSAD X408L – Business Law | 4 | |
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| BUSAD X450.1 – Foundations of Human Resource Management | 4 | |
N/A | N/A | |
| Finance, Accounting, & Economics | Units | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECON X400 – Principles of Financial Accounting | 4 |
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| ECON X418 – Financial Statement Analysis | 4 | |
N/A |
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N/A |
| ECON X432 – Managerial Accounting | 4 | |
N/A | |
N/A |
| ECON X422A – Intermediate Accounting | 4 | |
N/A |
|
N/A |
| ECON X422B – Intermediate Accounting II | 4 | N/A | |
N/A | |
| ECON X435 – Finance for Business Management | 4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| ECON X427A – Income Taxes (Individual) | 4 | N/A | |
N/A | N/A |
| ECON X427B – Corporate Taxation | 4 | N/A | N/A | |
|
| ECON X433 – Auditing | 4 | N/A | |
N/A | |
| ECON X455.1 – Global Economics | 4 | |
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N/A | N/A |
| Project Management | Units | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TMP X450 - Introduction to Project Management | 4 |
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N/A |
| TMP X451 - Project Planning and Procurement | 4 | N/A | |
N/A |
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| TMP X452 - Project Execution and Risk Management | 4 |
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N/A |
N/A | N/A |
| TMP X454 - Agile Approaches to Project Management | 4 | |
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International Student Application
Non-international students interested in this topic, please contact help@professional.ucsb.edu