The six courses that compose the Certificate in Business Essentials can be completed in six months. Courses are taught once per month on a Thursday from 5:30pm-9:30pm and Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm. For more information, call 503.808.9901 or e-mail business-essentials@willamette.edu.

Note: If you can't begin with the strategy segment, begin with any other segment and pick up the missed segments in the next cycle.

**Note: Courses currently not offered. Please contact us directly for more information on other Executive Development options at Willamette University.

Program Location: Willamette University Portland Center
1120 NW Couch St, Suite 450, Portland, Oregon 97209
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Strategy and the Value Proposition: Making a case for your business

Operations and Logistics:  Managing Your Projects and People

Marketing and Consumer Satisfaction: Finding your nice and serving it well

Financial Management:  Acquiring and tracking your dollars

Organizational Communications: Promoting your ideas

Leadership and Structure: Supporting your people and processes

We designed the content and format of the Certificate in Business Essentials for busy people who want to make better decisions right away. We built upon the six elements of a good business case for a new product or organizational change: a reason (strategy), the people to do it (organizational leadership), an implement plan (project management), the money to fund it (financial management), evidence that it provides value to others (marketing), and a plan for securing the mandate to move forward (persuasive communications). Absent any one of these, and good ideas go nowhere.

We boiled down the elements to segments of 11 hours each, delivered in one evening and the following day. We distributed the segments across six months to minimize the time away from the workplace while allowing you the opportunity to apply what you learn immediately. We'll provide light dinner in the evenings and meals during the days so that you need only bring your brain and willingness to learn--we supply the rest.
We've identified instructors who are award winning faculty at the Atkinson School, highly regarded consultants or executives at successful area businesses. The instructors know how to teach busy professionals by using real problems from your workplace. They'll provide written materials chock full of tools and insights.

If your only objective is to learn the Essentials, then attend at least five of the six segments and you'll earn the Certificate. If you want to receive academic credit in case you decide to study for an MBA like Atkinson's, then be sure to attend all six segments and complete an assessment of your learning. The assessment requires, for example, that you start with an idea for a new product or organizational change at your business, then make the case for it, demonstrating what you've learned in the six segments. We intend to offer the program repeatedly throughout the year; if you miss a segment, you can pick it up later.

*Note: Course schedule and topics subject to change.