BOE11 - Professional Certificate in Business Essentials (Mini-MBA)
Program Description
The Professional Certificate in Business Essentials (referred to as the Mini-MBA) is a short-term, noncredit microcredential program designed to equip working professionals with fundamental business knowledge and skills for immediate real-world application. The certificate program will be specifically designed to prepare individuals with essential business competencies through targeted, skills-focused learning modules. The program will also incorporate input from industry partners to ensure skills are transferable across sectors and will address defined competency gaps within the regional workforce by offering flexible, accessible, and industry-relevant learning experiences.
The professional certificate will feature 6 subject-specific, modules covering core business domains such as marketing, supervisory management, finance/budgeting, business operations, leadership, and strategic management. Learning objectives will combine traditional and competency-based approaches to ensure mastery of essential business skills. Each module will culminate in an authentic assessment, enabling participants to earn a skill-specific digital badge (i.e., a verifiable credential which can be viewed by current or potential employers on the participants LinkedIn profile), upon successful demonstration of mastery.
Details
Program Dates: September - December 2025
Modules: Six required following a sequence
Format: Online synchronous/asynchronous
Additional details (module outlines, instructors, scholarships) on Mini-MBA coming soon!
Required Programs:
- Module 1: Leadership & Strategic Thinking
- Module 2: Supervisory Management & Team Leadership
- Module 3: Organizational Behavior & Change Management
- Module 4: Financial Literacy & Budgeting
- Module 5: Data Analytics and Business Intelligence
- Module 6: Project Management & Agile Methodologies
Dr. Ruth Barratt's areas of expertise include online learning and development, building high performance teams and business ethics.
Dr. Bianca Reyes is an Assistant Professor of Business and Organizational Leadership at MSOE with over nine years of experience in project management, human resources, and learning and development. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Adler University, an MBA from MSOE, and is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work. Dr. Reyes has designed and delivered training for industry leaders, taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology, leadership, and business, and has served as a dissertation chair and faculty mentor. Her teaching approach integrates adult learning theory, Bloom’s taxonomy, and real-world applications to prepare students for leadership in dynamic organizational settings.