Management Certificate

Cerro Coso IWV campus

What can I do with this?

The Management Certificate

  • Provides students with the management skills necessary to succeed in today's technological business environment.
  • Helps students develop a general understanding of business, apply critical thinking skills to technical and managerial issues, make ethical decisions in a managerial context, and apply management, supervision, and leadership skills in a diverse and complex environment.

What can I do with this?

You can use this to:

  • Enhance career opportunities as a:
    • Retail Store Manager
    • Restaurant General Manager
    • Project Manager
    • Social Services Manager
    • Construction Manager
    • Accounting Manager
    • Social Services Manager
    • Administrative Services Manager
    • Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Manager
    • Compensation and Benefit Manager

Employment of administrative services managers is expected to grow 15 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Source: US Department of Labor Statistics

What will I learn?

  • To demonstrate a general understanding of the nature of business.
  • To apply critical thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation) to technical and managerial issues in a business environment.
  • To demonstrate the ability to make ethical decisions in a managerial context.
  • To recognize skills necessary to provide management, supervision, and leadership in a diverse and complex environment.

Program Learning Outcome Assessments


Today's workforce needs to be able to navigate a continuous stream of information, trends, and practices in a fast-paced, competitive global economy. Today's workforce needs creativity, collaboration skills, communication skills, and the ability to think critically. These are the sought-after skills today's business demands—these are the skills that define success.

—American Management Association®


What courses do I take?

Note: Some courses within the major may have a required prerequisite. If you feel you have equivalent knowledge and skills to those included in the prerequisite course through professional experience, licensure, or certification, you have the opportunity to submit a Prerequisite Challenge to be reviewed by the faculty chair. For the Prerequisite Challenge to be considered, you must submit documentation/verification to substantiate the basis for the challenge. Please consult a counselor for more information regarding Prerequisite Challenge.

Complete all of the following courses:

C-ID: BUS 110 Introduction to Business

Advisory: ENGL C101

54 hours lecture. This is a survey course in business providing a multidisciplinary examination of how culture, society, economic systems, legal, international, political, financial institutions, and human behavior interact to affect a business organization's policy and practices within the U.S. and a global society. Topics include the impact of these influences on the primary areas of business including the following: organizational structure and design, leadership, human resource management, organized labor practices, marketing, organizational communication, technology, entrepreneurship, legal, accounting, financial practices, the stock and securities market.

C-ID: ACCT 110 Financial Accounting

Advisory: BSOT C070, BSOT C072

72 hours lecture. This is the study of accounting as an information system, examining why it is important and how it is used by investors, creditors, and others to make decisions. The course covers the accounting information system, including recording and reporting of business transactions with a focus on the accounting cycle, the application of generally accepted accounting principles, the financial statements, and statement analysis. It includes issues relating to asset, liability, and equity valuation, revenue and expense recognition, cash flow, internal controls, and ethics.

C-ID: ACCT 120 Managerial Accounting

Prerequisite: BSAD C101. Advisory: BSOT C070

72 hours lecture. This is the study of how managers use accounting information in decision-making, planning, directing operations and controlling. It focuses on cost terms and concepts, cost behavior, cost structure and cost-volume-profit analysis. It includes issues relating to cost systems, cost control, profit planning, and performance analysis in manufacturing and service environments.

C-ID: BUS 125 Business Law

Advisory: ENGL C101

54 hours lecture. This course covers the fundamental legal principles pertaining to business transactions and is an introduction to the legal process. Topics include sources of law and ethics, contracts, torts, agency, criminal law, business organizations, and judicial and administrative processes.

Advisory: BSOT C121, ENGL C101

54 hours lecture. This course presents the principles and techniques of effective written and oral business communication. Students discuss, critique, and practice business-writing strategies to produce messages, letters, reports, and presentations, while developing critical thinking skills. Students are evaluated on their knowledge of grammar, writing skills, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Advisory: BSAD C100, ENGL C101

54 hours lecture. This course introduces the principles and methods of the effective use of human resources in organizations. Students gain an understanding of human resources involved in recruitment, selection, and placement of employees based on training, experience, and abilities. Topics of total compensation, employee-management relations, and global human resources management are also covered.

Advisory: BSAD C100, ENGL C101, IT C101

54 hours lecture. This course introduces students to the principles of project management. Topics include project management theory, project initiation, planning, and implementation. Additionally, techniques for selecting, monitoring, and controlling are introduced. Students make extensive use of project management software to track resources, tasks, and milestones.

Advisory: BSAD C100, ENGL C101, IT C101, MATH C055

54 hours lecture. This course teaches students how to use computer applications and critical thinking skills to analyze and solve real-world business problems with analytics. Students integrate the use of word processing, spreadsheet, database management, and other software tools to manage and analyze data in order to solve problems. Emphasis is placed on the use of software tools, analysis, and modeling techniques to manage and manipulate data sources for business decision-making.

Advisory: ENGL C101

54 hours lecture. This course covers the formal organization, its environment and structure. Elements of planning, decision making, organizing, staffing, leading, controlling, and evaluating are covered. Case studies, competency (experiential) exercises, and projects are used to develop managerial skills. This course is a “capstone” for business career students.

C-ID: BUS 140 Business Information Systems, ITIS 120 Computer Information Systems

Advisory: ENGL C101

36 hours lecture/54 hours laboratory. This course is an examination of information systems and their role in business. The course focuses on information systems, database management systems, networking, e-commerce, ethics and security, computer systems hardware, and software components.

Program Pathways

All classes needed for this certificate are available at the following campuses: CC Online

See Counseling for specific help with enrolling and completing this major.

How can I afford it?

This certificate requires 32.0 units and will likely take 3 semesters.

Approximate Total Costs

CA Residents

32.0 units

at $46 per unit

Equals $1,472 in tuition and fees

Plus approximately $1,920* for books and supplies

Total cost $3,392 for 3 semesters

Non-residents

32.0 units

at $388 per unit

Equals $12,416 in tuition and fees

Plus approximately $1,920* for books and supplies

Total cost $14,336 for 3 semesters

*This is an estimate. Actual costs will vary.

Need help? Financial Aid can help with fee waivers and scholarships and other aid. Make sure to fill out your FAFSA every January.