MBI: Business Fundamentals

This certificate program incorporates a consolidated, highly focused curriculum covering eight core categories to provide you with a solid business foundation.

MBI is currently on hiatus and enrollment is expected to resume in 2024.

Eligibility

Non-business majors with at least one year of college completed

Duration and Format

4 weeks; classes meet daily from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., with a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m.

Location

Charlottesville, VA

Business skills are needed everywhere.

Regardless of your career path, the skills you gain through MBI will prepare you to be an effective and value-adding contributor to the teams and organizations you are a part of. Our immersive and high-touch program is designed specifically for non-business majors with at least one year of undergraduate coursework completed by the time they start the program.

Gain important skills most valued by employers.
Learn business tools and best practices.
Grow your network and perspective.
Expand your employment opportunities.

Program Highlights

The MBI: Business Fundamentals certificate program gives you the opportunity to leverage UVA McIntire’s expertise in the case method of teaching. You will analyze real firms and business scenarios and engage in discussions with faculty and your peers.

Discover an innovate curriculum specifically designed for non-business majors.
Learn how to solve and analyze business problems.
Get to grips with financial statements and balance sheets.
Acquire skills in business communication and Microsoft Excel.
Experience high-quality teaching from the same exceptional faculty who teach at the top-ranked McIntire School of Commerce.
Create a career strategy leveraging MBI’s career support and learn how to present your personal brand to potential employers.

Who Is This For?

MBI is designed for students who are working toward, or have completed, a liberal arts or STEM degree. Candidates must be in good academic standing and must have completed at least one year of undergraduate coursework by the time they start the program.

Coursework and Assessment

MBI is a non-degree program, and academic credit is not awarded. Students who successfully finish the program receive a certificate from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce. The program is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. Students demonstrating exceptional engagement and performance in the classroom and course deliverables are awarded a certificate “with distinction.”

MBI, with its interactive group assignments and real-world application of topics, has allowed me to gain a more practical understanding of the business world.

Nilla Ali

BuzzFeed

Curriculum

Curriculum is broken down into eight core categories.

Accounting

Learn to analyze and record transactions, and develop skills using the balance sheet and income statement to assess a company's performance and financial position.

Understand financial statements
Record transactions to track resources and measure profits
Create and read income statements and balance sheets

Finance

Learn about the role of financial instruments, institutions, and markets in creating value. Develop skills in evaluating financial performance, making investment decisions, and assessing the implications of different financing strategies.

Financial statement analysis
Capital budgeting
Personal financial planning

Marketing

Study how firm analyze the environment (the 3C's: consumer, company, competitors) to create products and services. Understand how consumers process information and make purchasing decisions. Use components of the marketing mix (the 4 P’s: product, price, place, promotions) to create brand equity.

Market segmentation, targeting, and positioning
Distribution, pricing, and promotions
Branding and integrated marketing communications

Strategy

Understand the role of the executive in managing and improving the organization over time.

Competitive strategy
Environmental analysis
Evaluating strategic performance
Strategic decision making
Innovation and entrepreneurship

Organizational Behavior

Understand organizational behavior and the relationship between the organization and manager. Learn how to lead and manage teams in order to more effectively.

Make and implement team-based decisions
Design teams and understand individual differences
Motivate teams and their members

Communications

Learn direct-style communication: effective written documents and assertion-focused presentations with high-impact visuals.

Design easy-to-access email, memos, and reports for multiple audiences
Explore your individual speaking style and work to improve both individually and in groups
Work in teams to group-author documents and give a group final presentation

Excel

Learn how to analyze and present data using Microsoft Excel to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Excel formulas and formatting
“What if?” analyses
Effective charting techniques
Database functions (e.g., VLOOKUP, filters, and pivot tables)

Career Services

Create a strategy to leverage MBI and rebrand yourself to potential employers.

Identify or confirm industries of interest
Update your resume and LinkedIn profile to highlight the MBI program and your newly acquired business acumen
Develop your elevator speech
Polish your networking and interview skills
Meet with a career coach one on one

Alumni Profiles

Program Faculty

No Results

Please adjust your search filters and try again.

Connect with Us

We look forward to connecting with you about your interest in our MBI: Business Fundamentals certificate program and encourage you to be in touch with any questions you may have.

Contact Information
mbi@virginia.edu
+1 434-982-6800

Programs at McIntire

Faculty & Research

It's more than an education.