Accelerate Your Career: Earn Business Certificates Online
Updated: February 22, 2024
Published: December 21, 2023
If you are looking to take the next step in your business career, consider earning a certification in business. Below, we’ll take a look at how certificates can turbo-charge your job growth and earning potential.
What is a Certificate Program?
A certificate program is an educational opportunity to learn specialized knowledge and skills that you can immediately apply to your job. Certificate programs are of a shorter duration and are therefore less expensive than a bachelor’s degree program.
Certificate programs are also very flexible, making them a perfect solution for adult learners who have career and family obligations to balance with a return to learning. Additionally, there are no degree requirements to enroll in a certificate, so you do not need to hold any other credentials to get started. Even if you have a degree, certificate programs are very useful if you want to level up your skills and stay on top of the latest business trends.
How Beneficial is a Business Certificate?
Business certificates can be very beneficial, depending on your career goals and the specific certificate program you pursue. One of the major takeaways from a certificate program is skill enhancement. These programs often focus on specific knowledge areas of business, allowing you to gain expertise in a particular niche, like marketing, accounting, or project management.
Another benefit is the recognition and industry relevance you gain upon completing a certificate. Many certificate programs are developed in conjunction with experts or professional organizations, ensuring that the curriculum covers current trends in the field.
After completion, you will benefit from your achievement. A certificate serves as validation of the skills you have included on your resume and also demonstrates that you value professional development. It may even lead to a raise and promotion, or a new opportunity to advance your career in a different company.
What are the Best Business Certificates to Earn?
The best business certificate for you to earn is the one that ties most closely with your career goals. If you aren’t sure what career path you want to pursue, read this section, which will detail five of the best business certificates you should consider earning. Then read the section below, where we will look at some of the top business careers and discuss which certificates would be most useful to gain entry into those industries.
All of the certificates listed below are offered by University of the People, an accredited online university that is dedicated to offering career preparation programs that are in demand in the workforce. With a flexible schedule and a pay-as-you-go tuition model, you can earn a certificate in as little as four months.
- Finance: A certificate in finance from UoPeople will provide students with a strong foundation in the fundamentals of finance and investment. In this program, you will develop skills in capital budgeting, estimating cash flows, forecasting, and more.
- Accounting: UoPeople’s certificate in accounting will provide you with an understanding of accounting principles including financial statements, budgets, and managerial techniques. You will gain experience analyzing finances to make solid market decisions, as well as how to apply budgets, cost controls, and procedures.
- Entrepreneurship: A certificate in entrepreneurship from UoPeople will teach you how to develop innovative ideas, evaluate opportunities, and grow a business. If you want to own your own business or advance into corporate management, this is the program for you.
- Marketing: UoPeople’s certificate in marketing teaches students strategic marketing principles, including planning, management, and the fundamentals of e-commerce. This certificate is perfect for people who want to go into the creative fields of advertising, marketing, and e-commerce, as well as for people who want to start and market their own businesses.
- Strategy: A certification in strategy from UofPeople details how to develop strategic, innovative management practices within global organizations. This program is especially for students who want to work in management roles.
What Careers Require Business Certificates?
Most business careers require at least some type of higher education, and a business certificate is a perfect way to advance your knowledge in the subject area of your choice. Below are a few of the top business jobs that require at least a certificate.
- Marketing Assistant: A marketing assistant helps to promote a brand by writing copy, managing projects, overseeing social media, and other tasks that could be either administrative or creative.
- Business owner: You can launch your own company in any field you choose and become your own boss. This career path is demanding and will require you to handle finance, strategy, operations, management, and marketing. UoPeople’s entrepreneurship certificate can prepare you to run a successful business.
- Accountant: Accountants manage the finances of a business. Tasks like recording financial transactions, logging journal entries, keeping ledgers, and balancing financial reports are the primary duties of someone with a business certificate in accounting.
- Financial planner: An entry-level financial planner educates potential and current clients to aid them in making financial planning decisions. A certificate in financial planning will provide you with the skills you need to get started on this career path.
- Business analyst: A business analyst makes data-driven decisions to help their organization function effectively and efficiently. Data analysts tend to be problem solvers who use their critical thinking skills to find patterns and suggest solutions. Any of
UoPeople’s certificate programs can help you achieve this career goal.
Do You Need to Earn a Business Degree After Earning a Certification in Business?
Whether you need to earn a business degree after earning a certificate in business largely depends on your career goals, the industry you work in or aim to enter, and the role you aspire to.
Although certificates demonstrate your proficiency in specialized skills, a business degree can offer broader knowledge, a comprehensive understanding of business disciplines, and a more well-rounded education.
You can choose to earn either an associate or a bachelor’s degree in business. Check out one of our other articles that takes a look at the differences between the two. You can earn both an associate degree in business administration or a bachelor’s degree in business administration at UoPeople.
Whatever your career aspirations are, you can achieve them with UoPeople as your educational partner. Apply now!