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Submitter's Information
Jayni Martinez
Curriculum Specialist
South Central Coast
Ventura College
CTE Dean
Debbie Newcomb
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Program Details
Small Business Management
New Program
Small Business and Entrepreneurship (050640)
08/01/25
The Associate of Science in Small Business Management is intended for students who wish to be successful in the business environment, especially those wishing to start, own, or operate a small business. This program is designed to establish a foundation for successfully creating, running and growing small businesses.
Students will acquire the necessary skills, education, and classroom experience to understand how businesses function, the role that management plays in effective business operations, and the many facets of organizational behavior and employee motivation in the workplace. The courses represent the basic business courses to understand the general environment of business, accounting, information technology, marketing, law and general management principles.
The anticipated commencement of the B.S. in Small Business Management program anticipates an initial cohort of 30 students. Leveraging an online course structure, the B.S. in Small Business Management is poised to accommodate larger cohorts in the future.
Year 1: Enrollment: 30; Completers: 15
Year 2: Enrollment: 40; Completers: 30
Year 3: Enrollment: 50; Completers: 45
Year 4: Enrollment: 65; Completers: 55
Program Proposal Attributes
- A.S. Degree (S)
This associate degree is intended for students who wish to be successful in the business environment, especially those wishing to start, own, or operate a small business. This program is designed to establish a foundation for successfully creating, running and growing small businesses.
Students will acquire the necessary skills, education, and classroom experience to understand how businesses function, the role that management plays in effective business operations, and the many facets of organizational behavior and employee motivation in the workplace. The courses represent the basic business courses to understand the general environment of business, accounting, information technology, marketing, law and general management principles. They will be able to apply these skills immediately in their efforts to establish a small business.
Students, who have not yet entered the workforce, and incumbent employees, desiring content knowledge or promotion, will both benefit from this program. Entrepreneurial students who do not plan on transferring and want to start their own businesses will also benefit from the basic foundation achieved from this curriculum.
Occupational Competencies
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
1. Develop an understanding of business and the business environment, locally and globally, with an awareness of markets and feasibility.
2. Analyze business problems, including uses of technology, issues of sustainability, and ethics, while comparing costs and benefits.
3. Synthesize modes of effective communication in business utilizing traditional, digital, and developing media.
4. Analyze, process and prepare financial information within established protocols.
Alignment with the College Mission
The design of this program is consistent with the mission of Ventura College. The college is dedicated to enhancing the lives of students, developing their potential, and serving students with innovative instruction and a focus that includes associate degree and certificate completion and workforce preparation. This program will enable students to develop or enhance their business skills, increase employability skills, and contribute to increasing success for the businesses for which they will work. The program is in alignment with the mission of the college.
Occupational Preparedness
Students who successfully complete this program will attain the basic skills necessary to succeed in a variety of business organizations which may include general business (consumer and industrial), retail, healthcare, telecommunications, accounting, government, education and nonprofit.
This program is not selective and there is no specific entry criteria. There are no additional fees for students beyond the standard community college registration fees, tuition, and textbooks.
Course Units and Hours
n/a
39
60
Course Report
Small Business Management, Associate in Science (AS)
Ventura College
Program Goals and Objectives
This associate degree is intended for students who wish to be successful in the business environment, especially those wishing to start, own, or operate a small business. This program is designed to establish a foundation for successfully creating, running and growing small businesses.
Students will acquire the necessary skills, education, and classroom experience to understand how businesses function, the role that management plays in effective business operations, and the many facets of organizational behavior and employee motivation in the workplace. The courses represent the basic business courses to understand the general environment of business, accounting, information technology, marketing, law and general management principles. They will be able to apply these skills immediately in their efforts to establish a small business.
Students, who have not yet entered the workforce, and incumbent employees, desiring content knowledge or promotion, will both benefit from this program. Entrepreneurial students who do not plan on transferring and want to start their own businesses will also benefit from the basic foundation achieved from this curriculum.
Occupational Competencies
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
1. Develop an understanding of business and the business environment, locally and globally, with an awareness of markets and feasibility.
2. Analyze business problems, including uses of technology, issues of sustainability, and ethics, while comparing costs and benefits.
3. Synthesize modes of effective communication in business utilizing traditional, digital, and developing media.
4. Analyze, process and prepare financial information within established protocols.
Occupational Preparedness
Students who successfully complete this program will attain the basic skills necessary to succeed in a variety of business organizations which may include general business (consumer and industrial), retail, healthcare, telecommunications, accounting, government, education and nonprofit.
This program is not selective and there is no specific entry criteria. There are no additional fees for students beyond the standard community college registration fees, tuition, and textbooks.
Catalog Description
The Associate of Science in Small Business Management is intended for students who wish to be successful in the business environment, especially those wishing to start, own, or operate a small business. This program is designed to establish a foundation for successfully creating, running and growing small businesses.
Students will acquire the necessary skills, education, and classroom experience to understand how businesses function, the role that management plays in effective business operations, and the many facets of organizational behavior and employee motivation in the workplace. The courses represent the basic business courses to understand the general environment of business, accounting, information technology, marketing, law and general management principles.
Program Requirements
Includes course requirements and sequencing that reflect program goals.
Course List | ||
Course ID | Title | Units/Hours |
Required Core Courses |
| |
Introduction to Accounting | 3 | |
Ethics for Business and Accounting | 3 | |
Introduction to Business | 3 | |
Organization and Management | 3 | |
Human Resource Management | 3 | |
Business Law | 3 | |
Business Communications | 3 | |
Microsoft Excel | 3 | |
Required Core Units | 24 | |
Required Concentration Courses: |
| |
Small Business Management | 3 | |
Quickbooks | 3 | |
Marketing | 3 | |
or BUS V49 | Introduction to Social Media Marketing | |
Principles of Electronic Commerce | 3 | |
or BUS V50 | Public Relations | |
Managing Workplace Diversity | 3 | |
Required Concentration Units: | 15 | |
--------------------- |
| |
TOTAL Major Units: | 39 | |
--------------------- |
| |
VCCCD General Education Pattern |
| |
Required Major Units | 39 | |
VC General Education Units | 24 | |
Double-Counted Units | (3) | |
Elective Units | 0 | |
Total Units for the A.S. Degree | 60 | |
Master Planning
Alignment with the College Mission
The design of this program is consistent with the mission of Ventura College. The college is dedicated to enhancing the lives of students, developing their potential, and serving students with innovative instruction and a focus that includes associate degree and certificate completion and workforce preparation. This program will enable students to develop or enhance their business skills, increase employability skills, and contribute to increasing success for the businesses for which they will work. The program is in alignment with the mission of the college.
Occupational Preparedness
Students who successfully complete this program will attain the basic skills necessary to succeed in a variety of business organizations which may include general business (consumer and industrial), retail, healthcare, telecommunications, accounting, government, education and nonprofit.
This program is not selective and there is no specific entry criteria. There are no additional fees for students beyond the standard community college registration fees, tuition, and textbooks.
Enrollment and Completer Projections
The anticipated commencement of the B.S. in Small Business Management program anticipates an initial cohort of 30 students. Leveraging an online course structure, the B.S. in Small Business Management is poised to accommodate larger cohorts in the future.
Year 1: Enrollment: 30; Completers: 15
Year 2: Enrollment: 40; Completers: 30
Year 3: Enrollment: 50; Completers: 45
Year 4: Enrollment: 65; Completers: 55
Place of Program in Curriculum/Similar Programs
The Small Business Management degree pathway was developed in response to opportunities discovered from LMI data, regional employer feedback, and collaborative research with regional four-year institutions. Skills gaps identified by universities and employers included principles of small business management, basic accounting knowledge, ability to use spreadsheets, competency in digital commerce and data, and business ethics. There are currently no institutions in the tri-county area offering a Small Business Management A.S. degree.
In the SCS region, the number of jobs related to Business and Commerce are expected to increase for degree-required positions such as Market Research Analysts and Sales Workers and Business Operations Specialists. In the region, 59% of students are employed within a year after completing a program and experienced an average of +30% change in earnings after exiting.
The Small Business Management degree pathway was developed in response to opportunities discovered from LMI data, regional employer feedback, and collaborative research with regional four-year institutions. Skills gaps identified by universities and employers included principles of small business management, basic accounting knowledge, ability to use spreadsheets, competency in digital commerce and data, and business ethics. There are currently no institutions in the tri-county area offering a Small Business Management A.S. degree.
In the SCS region, the number of jobs related to Business and Commerce are expected to increase for degree-required positions such as Market Research Analysts and Sales Workers and Business Operations Specialists. In the region, 59% of students are employed within a year after completing a program and experienced an average of +30% change in earnings after exiting.
Similar Programs at Other Colleges in Service Area
The Small Business Management degree pathway was developed in response to opportunities discovered from LMI data, regional employer feedback, and collaborative research with regional four-year institutions. Skills gaps identified by universities and employers included principles of small business management, basic accounting knowledge, ability to use spreadsheets, competency in digital commerce and data, and business ethics. There are currently no institutions in the tri-county area offering a Small Business Management A.S. degree.
In the SCS region, the number of jobs related to Business and Commerce are expected to increase for degree-required positions such as Market Research Analysts and Sales Workers and Business Operations Specialists. In the region, 59% of students are employed within a year after completing a program and experienced an average of +30% change in earnings after exiting.
| BUS V30 | Introduction to Business | 3 | Y1, S1 |
| BUS V31 | Organization and Management | 3 | Y1, S1 |
| BUS V33 | Business Law | 3 | Y1, S1 |
| ACCT V03 | Introduction to Accounting | 3 | Y1, S2 |
| BUS V32 | Human Resource Management | 3 | Y1, S2 |
| BUS V38 | Small Business Management | 3 | Y1, S2 |
| ACCT V09 | Ethics for Business and Accounting | 3 | Y2, S1 |
| BUS V45 | Business Communications | 3 | Y2, S1 |
| BUS V62 | Microsoft Excel | 3 | Y2, S1 |
| ACCT V08 | Quickbooks | 3 | Y2, S2 |
| BUS V46 or BUS V49 | Marketing or Introduction to Social Media Marketing | 3 | Y2, S2 |
| BUS V75 | Managing Workplace Diversity | 3 | Y2, S2 |
| BUS V48 or BUS V50 | Principles of Electronic Commerce or Public Relations | 3 | Y2, S2 |
Supporting Documents
South Central Coast Regional Questions
Submission Details
02/06/25 - 11:36 AM
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Return to Drafts
Please list the reason(s) for returning "Small Business Management". to Jayni Martinez's drafts. This message will be sent to jmartinez19@vcccd.edu
Comments, Documents, Voting
Comments
All Comments
Jason Curtis · 02/13/25
In both places, the Enrollment and Completer Projections reference a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. I assume this is a typo, as a bachelor's degree is not mentioned anywhere else. Also, while there might not be any other AS degrees in Small Business Mgmt in the Tri-County area, this seems to have substantial overlaps many of our local Business degrees. (e.g., Cuesta's AA in Business - Career Track has a Small Business Management Concentration.) This appears to be a repackaging/rebranding.