Business Fundamentals
Graduate Badge
Grand Rapids • Face to face • 8 Credits
Students are facing increasing demands to understand the care functional business areas necessary to effectively perform in a business setting and make sounds business decisions.
Overview
This badge will equip students with abilities aligned to in-demand competencies, skills, and abilities focused on core business areas including accounting, business law, economics, finance, and marketing. This curricular integration reflects industry-wide m=need to provide a more holistic and empowered educational experience that results in greater business acumen, managerial aptitude, and leadership potential.
Core topics include:
- Accounting.
- Finance.
- Economics.
- Marketing
- Legal environment of business.
Studying Business Fundamentals at Grand Valley provides students with in-demand professional skills. This badge is designed to provide students with little business experience of training with a deeper understanding of business fundamentals with a focus on how to become a stronger individual and future leader. Badges are a fantastic way to expand your workforce profile.
A digital badge, or badge, is a record of achievement that recognizes a student's completion of a coherent and meaningful academic experience. GVSU offers both credit and non-credit bearing badges as digital credentials. Credit-bearing badges include anywhere from 0.5 to 15 academic credits and may include additional noncredit criteria. Credit-bearing badges are also posted to the academic transcript.
Admission Information
Admissions to complete a digital badge is open to both degree and nondegree seeking students. If you are not currently a Grand Valley student, start your application here.
For current GVSU students:
- Declare your badge via myBanner. Login to Banner Self-Service, click on Student, Student Records, Add a Certificate or Badge to your Program, Select the appropriate badge from the drop down list, and click Submit.
- Speak with the appropriate badge coordinator to ensure criteria are being met. You will be able to track your progress toward the badge in myPath as well!
- Once you are done with the requirements, apply to receive the badge via myBanner.
- Once the completion of your badge has been verified, the badge will be posted to your student record and will be viewable on your transcript. In addition, your digital badge will be posted on Credly.com.
Seidman College of Business
Erika Morrison, Director, Executive and Corporate Education
50
Front Ave SW, suite 1031
(616) 331-7026
[email protected]
Career Opportunities
Plan, direct, or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such as determining the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors, and identify potential customers. Develop pricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the firm's profits or share of the market while ensuring the firm's customers are satisfied. Oversee product development or monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services.
Top skills- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Speaking
- Active Listening
Earnings statistics
| Annual Earnings | Percentile |
|---|---|
| $ 70,102.35 | 10% |
| $ 96,599.17 | 25% |
| $128,728.36 | 50% |
| $170,257.06 | 75% |
| $218,787.43 | 90% |
Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
Top skills- Speaking
- Persuasion
- Service Orientation
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
Earnings statistics
| Annual Earnings | Percentile |
|---|---|
| $ 36,802.32 | 10% |
| $ 46,166.14 | 25% |
| $ 62,044.47 | 50% |
| $101,385.91 | 75% |
| $131,986.44 | 90% |
Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.
Top skills- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Persuasion
- Negotiation
- Social Perceptiveness
Earnings statistics
| Annual Earnings | Percentile |
|---|---|
| $ 39,070.28 | 10% |
| $ 50,702.91 | 25% |
| $ 73,632.71 | 50% |
| $100,359.35 | 75% |
| $138,094.88 | 90% |
Plan, direct, or coordinate advertising policies and programs or produce collateral materials, such as posters, contests, coupons, or giveaways, to create extra interest in the purchase of a product or service for a department, an entire organization, or on an account basis.
Top skills- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Reading Comprehension
Earnings statistics
| Annual Earnings | Percentile |
|---|---|
| $ 55,586.24 | 10% |
| $ 73,833.23 | 25% |
| $ 93,935.95 | 50% |
| $134,603.94 | 75% |
| $186,235.47 | 90% |
Enforce or ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing financial and securities institutions and financial and real estate transactions. May examine, verify, or authenticate records.
Top skills- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
Earnings statistics
| Annual Earnings | Percentile |
|---|---|
| $ 47,008.00 | 10% |
| $ 53,060.80 | 25% |
| $ 66,164.79 | 50% |
| $ 92,539.19 | 75% |
| $132,475.19 | 90% |
100%
Students Obtain Employment after Graduation
100%
Students Have Paid Internships
"One of the Top Public Universities in America"
- Niche.com
Scholarships
Grand Valley State University offers a wide variety of merit-based
scholarships. For information on all of the scholarships that are
available to students, please visit Scholarships at GVSU.
Grand Valley offers myScholarships
(a scholarship matching tool) to help admitted students match
with GVSU scholarships, as well as external scholarship opportunities.
myScholarships will prompt you to answer questions to help match you
to scholarships for which you might qualify.
Embedded in a Real Business Hub
The L. William Seidman Center sits in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, placing students steps away from major employers, networking events, and internships. This downtown advantage gives students daily exposure to the region’s business ecosystem.
A Unique Real-World Simulation Space
In 2025, Seidman opened a cuttingedge Experiential Learning and Sales Lab, designed to simulate real business environments such as:
-
Negotiation rooms
-
Boardrooms
-
Sales pitch spaces
The lab records verbal and nonverbal communication, helping students refine professional skills. Students who train in this environment show a 50% faster rampup in productivity with employers.
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