Foundations of Management Certificate

This three-course graduate certificate program is designed for individuals who have earned a bachelor's degree in a field other than business and want to gain fundamental knowledge, skills, and abilities in business management to improve their opportunities to advance, start a career and/or position themselves to later pursue an M.S. in Management at LMU.

Curriculum

Students who successfully complete all three courses with a grade of B or better will receive a graduate certificate and may choose to continue on into the M.S. in Management program. All three courses will be applied towards the M.S. in Management program.

Financial and Managerial Accounting (BADM 602, 3 units)

The nature, techniques and uses of accounting from a manager’s perspective are covered. Topics include accounting methodology, corporate financial statements and disclosures, alternative accounting measurement techniques, interpreting quality of earnings, strategic planning and operational decision making.

Management and Organizational Behavior (BADM 605, 3 units)

The study of management relates to individual, small group and total organizational systems. This course presents insights from a variety of academic disciplines including management, psychology, sociology and economics, to understand the processes through which people work together in organizations. Topics covered include management principles, leadership, motivation, decision-making, problem solving, communication, organizational culture, teams and performance management. The course also includes a focus on ethical issues and the social responsibilities of managers in a global environment. Class discussions, cases, activities and reflective exercises allow participants to explore and apply insights to their own professional life.

Marketing Management (BADM 606, 3 units)

This course covers the essential principles of marketing management as a vital component of a business operation, emphasizing marketing’s strategic basis and the real-world utilization of both traditional and innovative techniques to influence both the trade and the consumer in making a purchase decision. Conceptualizing marketing as communication, we will take a customer-centric approach to: understanding what distinguishes our target audience, conducting strategic planning, developing the brand via the marketing mix and employing marketing research techniques for both development and evaluation. We will explore how marketing guides business strategy, discovers and creates demand for products and influences product development.

Program Delivery and Schedule

Foundations of Management is an in-person, fall semester program — from the end of August to the middle of December. Classes are offered weekdays and weeknights, and each class consists of 20–30 students.

Admission Information

The fall 2025 semester begins in August; we will begin reviewing applications in January 2025.