Loyola’s College of Business is now offering certificates designed to give students of all majors access to business education in specific areas.

The certificate program is brand new and available to students campus wide. The goal of the program is to provide all students with the opportunity to “broaden their educational horizons,” said Michael Cappella, dean of the College of Business.

Each certificate consists of three three-credit-hour business courses. Many of the classes no longer require prerequisites to take, making them more accessible to non-business students, according to Cappella.

“These (classes) are nice compliments to humanities and arts majors. If you’re in the creative arts, you are in essence your own business. You really have to have expertise to be able to promote your work,” Cappella said.

Marketing and entrepreneurship are beneficial certificates that Cappella recommends arts students to pursue.

Not only are the certifications meant to help students graduate Loyola with a well-rounded education, they may also give resumes an edge when applying for postgraduate careers.

It’s becoming increasingly common to have general analytics and finance skills in both the workplace and in life, said Grady Fitzpatrick, senior vice president of business development at Greater New Orleans, Inc. Fitzpatrick is involved in the first round of interviews when hiring new staff, he said.

“It’s always impressive to see students that understand the well-rounded education that they need,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’ll go a long way to have (a certificate) on a transcript and resume to show that you’ve gotten one. This shows that you have an interest and a focus in the business side of things.”

The certificate will be a key element through the first round of interviews when applying for a postgraduate job, according to Fitzpatrick.

“You want to be noticed in a stack of resumes and having that certificate could be a deciding factor that works in your favor,” he said.

Economics senior Katie Heavey is glad to be able to receive the new certificates.

“Especially with my major, it’ll be beneficial to get a certificate,” Heavey said. “Even if I put on my resume that I took the required classes, it just looks better to employers to have an official certificate.”

Certifications are available in business analytics, entrepreneurship, ethical management, investment portfolio management, macroeconomics, marketing and digital analytics, microeconomics, and personal finance.

Required course listings for the certifications are available on Loyola’s website. Students may apply for a certificate online after completing the required classes and after grades have been posted.