Frequently Asked Questions

What will I gain from participating in the Business Essentials program?
Will participating in the Business Essentials program help me get into an MBA program?
May I take the program one course at a time?
How do the two parts of Business Essentials differ?
Can I use the Business Essentials course work toward completing my undergraduate degree requirements?
What are the criteria for admission to the Business Essentials program?
Why is business experience recommended?
Can I be successful in the program if I have never had a business course?
Do I need to be a manager in an organization in order to enroll?
What if I can't attend all the class sessions?
What if I get partway through a semester and have to withdraw?
How long will it take to complete the Business Essentials program?
Will there be homework or outside reading?
May I attend one part of Business Essentials at one Penn State location and complete the second part of the program at a different Penn State location?
As a Business Essentials participant, will I have access to other Penn State resources?
Who will be in the class with me?
Do I need to take the GMAT to participate in the Business Essentials program?
When do classes begin, and what is the class schedule?
What are the costs of the program?
Whom can I contact for further information?

1. What will I gain from participating in the Business Essentials program?
The Business Essentials program offers a unique opportunity for professionals at the beginning or early stages of their careers, but without any academic business education, to develop basic business acumen. The program is also an opportunity for more experienced professionals to refresh their academic business background. For both groups the program will help build or refine business skills critical for success in a multifunctional business environment. In this intensive program you can gain the business knowledge you need to complement your technical or other professional skills, and increase your effectiveness in any business environment. You can emerge from the Business Essentials program with a foundation in general business disciplines, ready to excel in the workplace.

2. Will participating in the Business Essentials program help me get into an MBA program?
The Business Essentials program can provide you with a strong sense of the fundamentals of business and what you might expect in an advanced business degree program. You will even make a final presentation--MBA style--to co-participants. However, the program is not designed as a step-up to an MBA or as an MBA prep program. The Business Essentials program is designed for those who wish to obtain a meaningful business credential in a compressed time frame and do not want to commit to a lengthier MBA program.

The Business Essentials course work may address some business prerequisites for particular MBA programs, especially for persons with a nonbusiness background. However, completion of the Business Essentials program is unrelated to admission to any MBA program. Acceptance into an MBA program generally depends on many factors, and completion of the Business Essentials course work may not have any bearing on an admissions decision, nor satisfy any particular MBA course work requirements. Those interested in obtaining an MBA degree should discuss prerequisite or admission requirements with an MBA program adviser.

If you do choose to pursue an MBA after participating in the Business Essentials program, we believe that you'll be better prepared for MBA course work.

3. May I take the program one course at a time?
The program is not designed to be taken one course at a time. Business Essentials is taught in two parts, and each part consists of two courses. In each part the content of the two courses is integrated so that a comprehensive understanding of the content in one subject depends on an understanding of the content in the other. Class discussions, assignments, projects, case activities, and grading are related in the same way. In each part of Business Essentials the students will take two academic-credit courses simultaneously.

4. How do the two parts of Business Essentials differ?
In Business Essentials: Strategic Decision Making and Performance, participants can learn about both strategic decision making and accounting-based performance. Because managers put business strategy to use by designing tactics to be implemented and measured using financial and accounting-based metrics, it is impossible for a manager to strategize appropriately if he or she does not understand how to measure and evaluate firm performance, which requires accounting and basic financial knowledge.

In Business Essentials: Organizational Culture, Employees, and Customers, the focus is on dealing positively with people both inside the organization (as employees) and outside the organization (as customers). Managers must not only successfully work together with other people; they must also motivate others to accomplish tasks. It is important for managers to be able to create an organizational culture in which employees thrive. However, managers must look externally as well, because creating a productive organization is not enough to succeed in business. Managers must also know how to motivate, persuade, and meet the needs of, their customers. Having a firm grasp of the strategic and tactical tools of marketing will help the firm increase its customer base and market share.

5. Can I use the Business Essentials course work toward completing my undergraduate degree requirements?
Business Essentials is not designed as a degree completion program. It is designed for those who already possess a baccalaureate degree and work experience, as well as for students with junior- or senior-standing and graduate students . If you are admitted to the program without a baccalaureate degree and are interested in completing a Penn State baccalaureate degree, you should discuss your plans with an undergraduate academic adviser (814-865-3443) to determine whether the Business Essentials course work can satisfy any requirements for a degree you plan to pursue.

6. What are the criteria for admission to the Business Essentials program?
Program applicants should have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or be students with at least junior- or senior-standing, including graduate students. Participants will also benefit in having at least one year of full-time work experience, either in a multifunctional business environment or in an entrepreneurial or consulting role that requires consistent interaction with such organizations. Alternatively, student applicants who have at least junior or higher academic standing may be admitted.

7. Why is business experience recommended?
Practical work experience in a multifunctional business environment (i.e., an environment that generally requires you to interact on a regular basis with colleagues, supervisors, clients, etc., working in different business functions, such as human resources, finance, marketing, operations, manufacturing, etc.) is a key ingredient for success in the program. The Business Essentials faculty believe that having an actual business frame of reference and working experience adds an invaluable dimension and provides a context for the academic content. Concepts and principles are not simply understood in theory, but can be related to actual experience. For this reason, participants will be expected to share their work experiences, as these will provide valuable learning for all participants.

8. Can I be successful in the program if I have never had a business course?
Prior business course work is not a requirement for participation in Business Essentials, although there are some prerequisite concepts that nonbusiness majors in particular should review in order to understand the course content and participate more fully. The program faculty have carefully examined the Business Essentials content for prerequisite knowledge and have identified the following as particularly useful: basic descriptive statistics, some fundamental economic concepts (e.g., supply and demand), and skill using MS Office Word and Excel. Some students may wish to do some prestudy, or additional study during the course, to ensure that they are fully "up to speed." The prerequisites are identified on the course Web site, and readings and Web references are provided for those who need additional background.

9. Do I need to be a manager in an organization in order to enroll?
No. Business Essentials is designed for nonmanagers and as preparation for future positions of greater responsibility or management. In class, participants will be treated as if they already hold top management positions in for-profit organizations. By developing and refining, at an early career stage, the decision-making and performance-enhancing strategies used by effective business executives, participants will begin to groom themselves for future managerial and executive roles.

10. What if I can't attend all the class sessions?
Regular attendance is important because each part of the program is taught in a compressed and integrated fashion, and each class entails a significant contribution to the program. If a participant thinks that consistent attendance may be a problem, we suggest that he or she enroll at a later date. The instructors do understand that adult learners lead busy lives and may be taking this program while carrying out job and family responsibilities.

Because this program attracts busy people who are motivated to accelerate their knowledge of business principles, and demands time, concentration, and thought, it is important that participants respect the needs of each other by being on time; by keeping up with the lessons and assignments, making up missed lessons and assignments; and by notifying the instructor ahead of time if lessons or assignments may be missed.

11. What if I get partway through a semester and have to withdraw?
It is important to remember that each part of Business Essentials consists of two integrated courses. While it is technically possible to drop only one or the other of the two courses, participants will likely need to drop both courses because of the high degree of integration. Because assignments, instruction, and grading are all based on a unified understanding of the content, it is unlikely that a participant will be able to successfully complete the program assignments for just one of the remaining courses, or even determine with certainty which class sessions to attend. If withdrawal from the program becomes necessary, students should review the relevant information at http://www.psu.edu/dus/handbook/ and/or check with an academic adviser regarding withdrawal policies and procedures.

12. How long will it take to complete the Business Essentials program?
The two halves of Business Essentials are both taught each semester. You may begin with either half of Business Essentials in one semester and complete the program by taking the other half in a subsequent semester.

13. Will there be homework or outside reading?
Yes. Participants should be prepared to spend approximately two hours per day on assignments/ reading outside class. Web-based assignments and prereadings form a significant portion of the prescribed study. All assignments and readings are posted on the course Web site.

14. May I attend one part of Business Essentials at one Penn State location and complete the second part of the program at a different Penn State location?
Yes. The Business Essentials program is taught in multiple Penn State locations. The instructors differ from campus to campus, but the curriculum is the same at each location.

15. As a Business Essentials participant, will I have access to other Penn State resources?
As a credit participant, you will have access to the same Penn State resources as any other resident student. Participants should be aware, however, that the use of certain Penn State or Schreyer Business Library datasets for noneducational purposes, i.e., competitive business use, violates library license agreements.

16. Who will be in the class with me?
Your peers in Business Essentials will be working professionals from different organizations, representing a variety of industries. They will have diverse educational backgrounds, areas of interest, and achievements.

17. Do I need to take the GMAT to participate in the Business Essentials program?
No. GMAT scores are not required for admission.

18. When do classes begin, and what is the class schedule?
See the Locations and Schedules page for more information.

19. What are the costs of the program?
The Business Essentials program credit costs are based on Penn State's tuition and fee schedule. Consult the Business Essentials tuition page for more information. Noncredit costs can also be found on the Business Essentials tuition page.

20. Whom can I contact for further information?
Jay Angert
Penn State Continuing and Professional Education
507 Keller Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-863-6718
Fax: 814-865-2074
E-mail: jfa5@psu.edu

Page last modified on Wednesday, February 21, 2007