Summer Business Program

Summer Business Program JULY 7 AUGUST 1, 2014

Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. APPLICATION 4 II. APPLICATION PROCESS & DEADLINES 7 IV. CURRICULUM 8 a. BUSINESS STRATEGY & ORGANIZATIONS b. BUSINESS FINANCE & MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING c. BUSINESS MARKETING d. OPERATIONS e. LEADERSHIP & COMMUNICATION

USC MARSHALL SUMMER BUSINESS PROGRAM INTRODUCTION The 4-week Certificate Program for Non-Business Undergraduates USC Marshall School of Business offers this intensive 4-week program designed to allow talented non-business students an opportunity to gain critical and essential business skills in order to achieve a clear advantage in today s competitive job market. After all, at any point in your career your job will require some form of business thinking and knowledge. Session Dates: International early admission deadline: Domestic admission deadline: Application Fee: Residential Tuition: (Includes program tuition, on-campus lodging and on-campus meal plan) Commuter Tuition: (Includes program tuition and on-campus lunch) July 7 - August 1, 2014 April 15th April 30th $60 $9,500 $7,500 1

Program Objectives Overall, this program will provide the following general learning objectives: Gain essential knowledge of business strategy, managerial accounting, finance, marketing and management of organizations Understand the complex nature of business decision-making and the interaction between the disciplines Learn effective leadership skills Enhance presentation skills and demeanor Get insight from guest speakers Visit companies exhibiting best practices in their industries Who Should Apply This four-week program is designed only for recent college graduates and college juniors or seniors in non-business majors (e.g. liberal arts, sciences, engineering and economics majors). Taught by USC Marshall School of Business Faculty This program is brought to you by the internationally ranked USC Marshall School of Business. All courses in the Summer Business Program are taught by a team of USC Marshall faculty. Certificates Those who successfully complete the program through attendance and final project participation will earn a USC Summer Business Program certificate of completion. This certificate indicates to potential employers that you have mastered the essentials of the hard skills of business. Certificates are awarded based on active attendance and participation as well as mastery of the material. 2

Campus Details On-Campus Lodging Tuition includes on-campus dorm-style living arrangements. You will be placed in USC s undergraduate dorms that are conveniently located right on campus. The simple convenience of living in university housing can make a big difference in the quality of your time at USC. We try to make the day-to-day stuff easy so you can concentrate on your classes and extracurricular activities. Transportation Most activities during the 4 week Summer Business Program take place on campus and do not require any transportation. There will also be planned company site-visits that will be preorganized for the group. On-Campus Meal Plan Tuition includes an on-campus residential meal plan that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are also many restaurants and cafes located on campus or next to campus on Figueroa Street (right by campus). Living in Los Angeles Located in the heart of Los Angeles, USC s University Park campus is part of the city s Downtown Arts and Education Corridor. Our year-round great weather is ideal for outdoor activities, from surfing to hiking and rock climbing. In the city that invented celebrity culture, you will find famous actors appearing in small theatre productions, rooting for the Lakers and shopping at cool boutiques. We have the perfect mix of local and global, with vibrant ethnic neighborhoods to explore and a constant influx of top performing groups from around the world. 3

Application This program has rolling admissions. Every candidate will hear back by email on or before June 1st. Due to the high volume of applications submitted and rolling admissions, we encourage all prospective applicants to submit their application as soon as possible to guarantee the best chance of admission. Admissions Requirements Academic Background Resume Essays Recommendation Letters Application Process and Deadlines Criteria for Admission Admissions decisions will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Early application is recommended, as space in the program is limited. Applicants should have completed a minimum of two years of college prior to the program, or have graduated college no more than two years prior. General strength of academic background, GPA, and answers to two short essay questions on the application form will be considered in admission decision. To be formally admitted into the program, applicants must submit a copy of their college transcript. A $60 non-refundable application fee is required. Once accepted, the student will have one week to submit a $750 non-refundable deposit to secure space in the program. The balance of the program fee is due by June 15th by credit card or cashier s check. 4

Application Cont. Transcripts Submitting Official College Transcripts will be required in addition to the submitted application. Please mail official college transcripts to our offices at: Attn: Summer Business Program Marshall School Business University of Southern California 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 2900 Los Angeles, California USA 90015 Telephone: 213-740-8990 Fax: 213-740-6406 Email: summerprogram@marshall.usc.edu Essays Essay responses serve two important roles in the admissions process. First, they allow the Admissions Committee to gain a deeper understanding of an applicant's past experiences and passions for the future. In addition, the essays allow the applicant to demonstrate the written communication skills that are critical for success in the program. There are two required essay questions, each limited to 1,000 words maximum: (Essay 1) How do you see this program fitting into your work, career or educational ambitions? (Essay 2) What skills and perspectives do you feel you can contribute to this program? Recommendations Letters The letters of recommendation allow the Admissions Committee to gain additional insight into your leadership abilities and potential for success in the Summer Business program. Two letters of recommendation are required: (Letter 1) The first letter must come from a professor or course instructor (Letter 2) The second letter should come from a current or former supervisor you had during an internship or work experience 5

Application Process & Deadlines Deadlines International early admission deadline: April 15th Domestic admission deadline: April 30th Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as the USC Marshall Summer Business Program is a competitive and selective program. Applications submitted after the deadline may be considered, space permitting. Online Application Applicants are required to complete an online application. CLICK HERE to access the Summer Business Program application/registration form. Special Application Instructions Employment Information: You must upload your resume to the application. Essays and Documents: You must upload your answers to the essay questions prior to submitting the application. Recommendations: You must provide two letters of recommendation. In the online application, the letters can be uploaded directly into the application or emailed directly to Summer Business Program application committee at summerprogram@marshall.usc.edu. If emailed, must use subject line Letter of Recommendation. Submitting Your Application Be sure to review your application prior to hitting submit to ensure you have included all required application materials. In order to submit your completed application, you will need to use a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express) to pay for the $60 application fee online. No application will be processed until the application fee is paid. Within a week of acceptance into the program, the non-refundable deposit of $750 is due to secure your space. The balance of the program fee / final payment is due by June 15th by credit card or cashier s check. Need Assistance? If you have questions about the application process or the status of a previously submitted application, please contact our office at 213-740-8990 or via E-mail: summerprogram@marshall.usc.edu. We wish you the best and look forward to reviewing your application. 6

Application Process & Deadlines International Students We encourage all interested international students to apply. Please be aware that all students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must submit copies of their passports. In addition, final admission to the program may be contingent upon prior degree verification that requires visual verification of original language diplomas and transcripts, along with official English translations. TOEFL and English Language Proficiency All international applicants who did not earn a bachelors degree from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). To avoid delays in processing your application, we suggest you request that your test scores be sent to USC at the time you preregister. For additional information, please contact: TOEFL Educational Testing Service Box 6151 Princeton, NJ 08541-6151 USA www.toefl.org Cancellation Policy By submitting this application, you acknowledge that you have read and understand all payment and cancellation policies related to the USC Marshall School of Business Summer Business Program. If you are accepted into the Summer Business Program you will have one week to pay the non-refundable deposit of $750 is due to secure your space. The balance of the program fee / final payment is due by June 15th by credit card or cashier s check. Upon committing to acceptance, the student has reserved a space in the Summer Business Program and is responsible for full payment. Should cancellation occur prior to June 1st, the full program fee less the $750 deposit will be refunded. If cancellation should occur between June 2nd and June 30th, only 50% of the program fee less the $750 deposit will be refunded. Students who drop out after July 1st or register but fail to attend, as well as students who drop out during the program, will not be eligible for refunds. 7

Curriculum The Summer Business Program is a four-week course of study requiring significant commitment from participants. Class attendance is mandatory. Active participation in classroom work and group projects as well as presentations is required. Learn the Essentials of Business Designed to introduce the concepts, tools, and principles of business management, the Summer Business Program explores the following subject areas: Business Strategy & Organizations Business Finance & Managerial Accounting Business Marketing Operations Leadership & Communication Business Strategy & Organizations Developing a Strategic Mindset Recognize the most fundamental purpose of a strategy - to inform and align the organization Understand the relationship between strategy and market structure Describe the strategy formation process Learn how to make strategic choices in an analytical and integrative manner Organizational Effectiveness Learn how to align organizational systems, structures, strategy and staff to achieve high performance Understand the organizational challenges between multiple departments Managing Organizational Change Appreciate the complex dynamics of managing change Describe the factors that influence the ability to change the behavior of people and the performance of organizations Develop skills and abilities for creating and managing change Creating and Leading High Performance Teams Understand the keys to effective people management Identify different management styles and when to use them Learn the key factors for effective teams in your industry Recognize the skills necessary for building teams, facilitating and leading groups 8

Curriculum (continued) Business Finance & Managerial Accounting Financial Accounting Basic Financial Statments Understand how financial data are generated and reported Learn how to read financial statements Explore the topics of: o Balance Sheets o Income Statements o Statements of Cash Flows o Financial Statement Elements o Revenue Recognition o Conservatism o Matching Principle o Accrual vs. Cash Basis Financial Accounting: Receivables, Inventories, Investments & Property, Plant & Equipment Understand the following topics: o Impacts on financial statements o Inventory methods o Investment portfolios o Cost and equity methods o Depreciation methods and their impacts on the financial statement Management Accounting: Introduction, Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis, Activity Based Costing & Budgeting Understand the following topics: o Purpose of management accounting o Cost-Volume-Profit relationships: tools for planning profits o Activity Based Costing: an opportunity to improve an entity o Budgeting and Planning: essentials for a manager Building Valuation Skills & Measuring Financial Performance Understand the following topics: o The linkage between financial and accounting performance o Time value of money and financial mathematics o Forecasting capital and cash flow requirements o Identifying and understanding value drivers 9

Curriculum (continued) Business Marketing Introduction to Marketing Strategy Formulation Customer Segmentation New Product Development Strategy Assess the market and customer orientation of your strategic plans, metrics, and processes Identify clear value propositions for target market segments Develop effective strategic market plans Gain insights into successful strategic marketing Understand how to build and manage a brand Create a customer-driven marketing strategy Learn the role of marketing in product development Pricing from a Marketing Perspective Understand profit-based decision analysis Learn the elements of the marketing mix (product strategy, pricing advertising and promotion, and distribution) Identify new business development & opportunities Integration of All Marketing Elements to Develop and Implement Marketing Strategy Understand how to present and defend marketing recommendations Learn how to critically examine recommendations presented by others Operations Introduction to Operations Learn fundamental properties of operating systems Discuss process measures and trade-offs Learn what capacity and waiting lines are Discuss service processes and mapping Quality and system design Explore successful operation models Discuss the intricate connection between service strategy and service system design Other Activities Guest Speaker: A Real-world Perspective from the Front Lines Site Visits: Visit various organizations that demonstrate Best Practices Preparation of Project Presentations: A facilitated discussion to plan for project presentations. Participants will have time to work in groups and/or individually to prepare for projects. Project presentations & putting it all together: A facilitated discussion to review the program objectives, course learning and how they apply to a business challenge. 10

Curriculum (continued) Leadership & Communication Personal Leadership Explore effective leadership styles, when and how to assume each role in different situations Understand the role and accountability for personal development and how to address organizational challenges Learn the characteristics of executive leadership: Integrity, Vision, Innovation, Interpersonal Relations Examine the leader s role in supporting creative thinking and generating new ideas Assess leadership styles and skills using assessment tools Integrative Thinking Discussion and experiential exercise that explores: o Dynamics of consensus seeking in a decision making group o Methods for resolving conflict in decision making groups o Group processes and the use of synergy to improve outcomes o Individual problem solving to group problem solving and decision making The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Creativity & Innovation Understand the unique value of innovation in organizations Understand how creativity & innovation can lead to high performance Develop tools & techniques for maximizing the creative potential and managing the process Framing Strategic Opportunities: Expectations & Communication Understand the importance of cognition in recognizing and dealing with strategic opportunities and threats Learn how to better manage relationships (inter-personal or inter-firm) by understanding how others perceive you based on how you frame your ideas and directives Identify ways to frame strategic courses of action to maximize the chances for success Leading & Motivating Best Performance Understand various ways for leading and motivating others Developing mentoring and coaching roles Recognize the importance of succession planning, experience and education Presentation Skills Improve your ability to communicate through writing and speaking Develop your interpersonal and intra-personal communication skills Increase your speaking ability Evaluate content delieverd verbally and assess how it impacts your effectiveness as a presenter Case Study Preparation Learn the case study method and how to analyze and read cases Enhance your interpersonal skills 11