General Business

This program is designed to provide a broad formal business education for those students thinking of starting their own business. It provides great latitude in course selection to allow students to tailor the program to their goals.

35-40

The goal of the General Business Certificate of Achievement is to provide a comprehensive, adaptable foundation in business principles for students, particularly those who aspire to start and manage their own businesses. The program objectives focus on delivering core competencies in accounting, legal environments, and business operations, while offering flexible elective pathways to suit individual entrepreneurial goals.

Upon completion of this certificate, students will be able to:Evaluate the legal, ethical, and economic environments of business to make sound operational decisions.Analyze financial information to manage resources effectively and plan for business growth.Apply core business principles to real-world scenarios, including business planning, market analysis, or global trade.Design a customized business education pathway that directly supports their specific entrepreneurial or career objectives.

M

This certificate utilizes an existing inventory of high-demand courses from the Business department. It does not require the creation of new curriculum. Instead, it smartly packages these courses to serve a distinct student demographic: aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. It functions as an excellent entry point into higher education, serving as a standalone credential for business founders or as a stackable stepping-stone toward an Associate Degree in Business Administration.

General Business certificates are standard offerings across the Los Angeles Regional Consortium (LARC) service area, found at neighboring institutions such as Los Angeles City College or West Los Angeles College. However, the unique value of Pierce College's certificate lies in its intentional design for entrepreneurship and its high degree of student choice. While other programs may prescribe a rigid sequence of corporate-focused courses, this certificate’s "great latitude in course selection" caters specifically to the diverse, diverse entrepreneurial landscape of the local community, ensuring it complements rather than needlessly duplicates other regional offerings.

60-70

N/A