Credential of Readiness (CORe)

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By enrolling in the CORe program, participants will be ineligible to enroll in Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, or Financial Accounting as individual certificate programs. By enrolling in the Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, or Financial Accounting certificate programs, participants will be ineligible to enroll in the CORe program.

Syllabus

The Credential of Readiness (CORe) is a rigorous online program consisting of three courses—Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting—designed to help you achieve fluency in the language of business. You will develop deep-seated problem solving skills and the confidence to contribute to business discussions and decision making.

Learning requirements: In order to earn the Credential of Readiness, participants must do the following:

• Thoughtfully complete all modules by stated deadlines
• Satisfactorily participate in courses through reflections and cold calls, for example
• Demonstrate content mastery through satisfactory completion of module quizzes
• Earn a passing score on the final exam of all three component courses

Final Exam: The CORe final exam is a three-hour, multiple-choice, closed book assessment created by HBS faculty and delivered via the HBS Online course platform. The exam is offered to participants after successful completion of the program during defined time periods following the last module deadline.

Download CORe Syllabus

Course	Modules	Case Studies	Takeaways
Business Analytics	Describing and Summarizing Data Sampling and Estimation Hypothesis Testing Single Variable Linear Regression Multiple Regression	Amazon Walt Disney Studios Caesars Entertainment	Interpret data to inform business decisions Recognize trends, detect outliers, and summarize data sets Analyze relationships between variables Develop and test hypotheses Implement regression analysis and other analytical techniques in Excel
Economics for Managers	Customer Demand: Foundations Strategies for Assessing and Increasing Demand Suppliers and Cost Markets Competition and Differentiation	Ace Ticket The New York Times Penguin Random House Amgen Bonobos	Develop effective pricing strategies Benchmark costs compared to competitors through relative cost analysis Apply conjoint analysis to understand what features customers value most Understand the power of network effects to drive demand Identify sources of competitive advantage through differentiation
Financial Accounting	The Accounting Equation Recording Transactions Financial Statements Adjusting Journal Entries The Statement of Cash Flows Analyzing Financial Statements Accounting for the Future	Cardullo's Gourmet Shoppe Apple Inc. Bikram Yoga Natick Hipzone Green Mountain Coffee Roasters PepsiCo Mahindra Finance Morgan Stanley American Red Cross Metropolis Healthcare Estée Lauder	Discover how balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements are developed and how each interact Appreciate the role of managerial judgment in choosing accounting estimates and methods Evaluate business performance and potential using financial statements Understand both US GAAP and IFRS accounting standards Use financial forecasting to predict future revenue, expenses, and cash flow Understand key concepts and metrics in valuation, including time value of money, terminal value, net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period

The HBS Online Advantage

• World-class faculty
• Edge-of-your-seat online learning
• Global peer collaboration and networking
• Real-world case-based learning

Developed by Harvard Business School faculty to bring the dynamism of the HBS classroom online, CORe immerses you in a series of multimedia case studies. You will step into the role of a business leader and learn concepts in the context of real business issues—actively challenging you to think on your feet—while sharing your ideas with fellow learners from around the world. You will walk away from CORe with a new perspective on the world and how businesses work.