BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, AND FINANCE CAREER CLUSTER
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BMF PATHWAYS
The BMF program Affiliate has developed State-wide curriculum aligned with the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exams (Business Administrative Services) and the CLEP Exams (Accounting, Marketing, and Business Management). Further, the rigor of each program of study has been dramatically increased in order to better prepare students for career or college entry as well as to align with entry-level undergraduate courses for each respective discipline. In the fall of 2011, the MSDE announced that changes would be made to the course sequences in the BMF approved programs of study. The changes involved the elimination of the Financial Management Using Software Applications course, customarily taken as the second course in all sequences, replacd with Principles of Accounting and Finance. Additionally, for the Accounting and Business Management pathways a capstone course has been developed as the final course in the sequence. The capstone course has been approved and a capstone guide has been developed and is available on our curricula page. Please note, schools will have the option of dual enrollment and/or an internship experience in lieu of, or in conjunction with, the capstone course. |
In the spring of 2011 the Administrative Services Pathway curriculum was completed and approved. The accounting, marketing, and business management curricula were approved by the State in the spring of 2012.
To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page
COURSE AND PATHWAY DESCRIPTIONS
Course Principles of Business Administration and Management
This course was redesigned in the fall of 2011. It provides a foundational understanding of the role of business in a global society, American business as a dynamic process, forms of business ownership, management concepts, marketing, production and distribution, and accounting and finance. Along with a brief historical perspective, business terminology and principles will be emphasized. Students will learn to analyze the functions of business through evaluating, planning, organizing, and controlling. Students will develop the communication skills that will be necessary for success in the workplace and college. Students will understand the business world and be more prepared to meet their career goals and objectives. This course will help students to contribute to the improvement of economic citizenship and professional literacy through analysis of the business and economic environment, in which we all live. To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page
Business Administrative Services Pathway
In order to increase the validity, efficacy, and credit transference of the Administrative Services Pathway the Microsoft Office Application Specialist Certification Exams for MS Word and MS Excel have been adopted.The MOS exams take place in an simulated office application environment and run about an hour in length. Information about the exams can be found by visiting the resource page. Microsoft credentials are recognized by both academic institutions and the professional community. Commonly, institutions of higher education will grant 3-credits that replace a foundation or core computer applications course. In addition to academic credit student’s receive certification credentials that are the same as those received by industry professionals which enhances a student’s employability skills and job prospects. To prepare students for the MOS examinations, a carefully crafted curriculum has been developed that includes experiential learning which has been shown to encourage relationships between concepts and application of concepts (Buzzetto-More, 2009; Kolb, 1984; Arias-Aranda, 2007; Astleitner, 2002). To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page
Accounting Pathway
The Accounting curriculum has been redesigned to align with the Financial Accounting CLEP Exam, as well as to cover content typically found in a first level accounting course typically offered by an undergraduate institution at the 200 level and often leads to granting of 3-credits. The exam is comprised of 75 questions and is given over 90 minutes covering accounting concepts and terms, financial reporting, accounting techniques, and principles and procedures. More specifically, the exam assesses a student’s knowledge through the ability to recall and comprehension through the ability to make associations between accounting concepts, terminology, procedures, and rules (10-30% of exam) such as (rules of double entry accounting, the accounting cycle, forms of businesses, transaction analysis, accounting principles, etc.); comprehension and application through the student’s ability to recognize, explain, and associate elements in an income statement (20-30% of exam); analysis through a student’s ability to analyze data contained on a balance sheet such as depreciation/amortization/depletion, valuation of inventories, long term liabilities, cash and internal controls, retained earnings, preferred and common stock, liquidity/solvency/activity analysis (30-40% of exam); analysis and synthesis through a student’s ability to analyze and utilize cash flow information such as operating, financing and investing actings (5-10% of exam); and synthesis through a student’s ability to make predictions and/or propose actions based on investments and contingent liabilities (5% of exam). A more detailed topic breakdown can be found at the College Board Financial Accounting Exam Website at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_fa.html. To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page. Additional information and resources can be found by visiting our resource page.
Business Management Pathway
The Business Management curriculum has been redesigned to align with the Principles of Management CLEP Exam, which covers content typically found in a one-semester 3-credit Introduction to Business course offered at the 100 or 200 level at a college or university; however, it may also align with the content covered in a introductory management course offered by a non-business department. The major content areas include: organization and human resources; operational aspects of management; functional aspects of management; globalization and international business; and innovation, contemporary issues and business ethics. The exam is given over 90 minutes and is comprised of 100 questions that asses a student’s knowledge in form of factual information about the functions, purposes, and techniques of management (10% of test); comprehension through the student’s ability to associate terminology with management concepts, processes, and techniques (40% of test); application of knowledge through the student’s ability to apply learned concepts to specific management problems (10% of exam); and analysis through the student’s ability to analyze data, identify strengths and weaknesses, and rationalize decision making. A more detailed topic breakdown can be found at the College Board Principles of Management Exam Website at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_pman.html. To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page. Additional information and resources can be found by visiting our resource page.
Marketing Pathway
The Marketing curriculum has been redesigned to align with the Marketing CLEP Exam. The Principles of Marketing exam delivers 100 questions and is 90 minutes long. The exam is concerned covers the role of marketing in society and within a firm, consumer and organizational markets, marketing strategy, the marketing mix, international marketing, ethics, marketing research, services and not-for-profit marketing. More specifically, the exam assesses student knowledge and recall of the role of marketing including concepts, strategy, planning, information systems, and research (17-24% of exam); comprehension through the students ability to explain and associate such concepts as consumer behavior, segmention, and positioning (22-27%); application of knowledge in the form of decisions made in the marketing mix such as branding, pricing, IMC, promotions, distribution chanels and logistics, and CRM (40-50% of exam); and analysis as students make inferences about concepts related to ethics, international marketing, and non-profit marketing (8-13% of exam). The Website for the Principles of Marketing CLEP Exam can be found at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_pmark.html.
To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page Additional information and resources can be found by visiting our resource page.
Capstone Course
A capstone course is a transformative educational experience predicated on student-centered constructivist pedagogy
the consequence of which requires learners to apply higher order thinking, authentic learning, and multilayered decision making. In a capstone course, the tutor is not the foci of erudition, rather there is a shift of responsibility as the instructor becomes a facilitator who guides the tutee on their self-charted scholarly expedition. Traditionally, offered in the final semester of a
student’s program of study and organized around an experiential learning experience that ties together the learning objectives that a student is expected to have mastered during a program of study, capstone courses represent an opportunity for the conduction of highly individualized outcomes-based assessment. A capstone course has been developed and is among the options as the final course in the Business Management and Accounting Pathways. A guide has been developed to assist teachers and is available, please click here to visit our Curriculum page. Additional information and resources can be found by visiting our resource page.
Outcomes
Incorporating certification and/or national standardized examinations into the curriculum is designed to increase the career and college readiness of students across the State of Maryland, insure program validity and effectiveness as well as measure student achievement. The validity of the CLEP and Microsoft assessments as well as the curriculum help develop articulation agreements with institutions of higher education. The goal being that credits earned through CLEP exams and MOS Certifications will translate to college credits earned. Increasing student success rates in BMF completer programs, using assessment instruments that offer external validation, adopting real-world PBL learning strategies, and developing articulation agreements with both 2 and 4 year institutions of higher education are among the goals of the Maryland Program Affiliate. These efforts will be supported by the introduction of teacher training, the availability of resources, curriculum development and availability, and a variety of other activities.
Dual Enrollment
The MSDE has prepared an excellent dual enrollment question and answer fact sheet to help address Frequently Asked Questions about the Dual Enrollment Provisions of the College and Career Readiness and College Completion Act of 2013 click here to access the fact sheet
To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page
COURSE AND PATHWAY DESCRIPTIONS
Course Principles of Business Administration and Management
This course was redesigned in the fall of 2011. It provides a foundational understanding of the role of business in a global society, American business as a dynamic process, forms of business ownership, management concepts, marketing, production and distribution, and accounting and finance. Along with a brief historical perspective, business terminology and principles will be emphasized. Students will learn to analyze the functions of business through evaluating, planning, organizing, and controlling. Students will develop the communication skills that will be necessary for success in the workplace and college. Students will understand the business world and be more prepared to meet their career goals and objectives. This course will help students to contribute to the improvement of economic citizenship and professional literacy through analysis of the business and economic environment, in which we all live. To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page
Business Administrative Services Pathway
In order to increase the validity, efficacy, and credit transference of the Administrative Services Pathway the Microsoft Office Application Specialist Certification Exams for MS Word and MS Excel have been adopted.The MOS exams take place in an simulated office application environment and run about an hour in length. Information about the exams can be found by visiting the resource page. Microsoft credentials are recognized by both academic institutions and the professional community. Commonly, institutions of higher education will grant 3-credits that replace a foundation or core computer applications course. In addition to academic credit student’s receive certification credentials that are the same as those received by industry professionals which enhances a student’s employability skills and job prospects. To prepare students for the MOS examinations, a carefully crafted curriculum has been developed that includes experiential learning which has been shown to encourage relationships between concepts and application of concepts (Buzzetto-More, 2009; Kolb, 1984; Arias-Aranda, 2007; Astleitner, 2002). To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page
Accounting Pathway
The Accounting curriculum has been redesigned to align with the Financial Accounting CLEP Exam, as well as to cover content typically found in a first level accounting course typically offered by an undergraduate institution at the 200 level and often leads to granting of 3-credits. The exam is comprised of 75 questions and is given over 90 minutes covering accounting concepts and terms, financial reporting, accounting techniques, and principles and procedures. More specifically, the exam assesses a student’s knowledge through the ability to recall and comprehension through the ability to make associations between accounting concepts, terminology, procedures, and rules (10-30% of exam) such as (rules of double entry accounting, the accounting cycle, forms of businesses, transaction analysis, accounting principles, etc.); comprehension and application through the student’s ability to recognize, explain, and associate elements in an income statement (20-30% of exam); analysis through a student’s ability to analyze data contained on a balance sheet such as depreciation/amortization/depletion, valuation of inventories, long term liabilities, cash and internal controls, retained earnings, preferred and common stock, liquidity/solvency/activity analysis (30-40% of exam); analysis and synthesis through a student’s ability to analyze and utilize cash flow information such as operating, financing and investing actings (5-10% of exam); and synthesis through a student’s ability to make predictions and/or propose actions based on investments and contingent liabilities (5% of exam). A more detailed topic breakdown can be found at the College Board Financial Accounting Exam Website at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_fa.html. To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page. Additional information and resources can be found by visiting our resource page.
Business Management Pathway
The Business Management curriculum has been redesigned to align with the Principles of Management CLEP Exam, which covers content typically found in a one-semester 3-credit Introduction to Business course offered at the 100 or 200 level at a college or university; however, it may also align with the content covered in a introductory management course offered by a non-business department. The major content areas include: organization and human resources; operational aspects of management; functional aspects of management; globalization and international business; and innovation, contemporary issues and business ethics. The exam is given over 90 minutes and is comprised of 100 questions that asses a student’s knowledge in form of factual information about the functions, purposes, and techniques of management (10% of test); comprehension through the student’s ability to associate terminology with management concepts, processes, and techniques (40% of test); application of knowledge through the student’s ability to apply learned concepts to specific management problems (10% of exam); and analysis through the student’s ability to analyze data, identify strengths and weaknesses, and rationalize decision making. A more detailed topic breakdown can be found at the College Board Principles of Management Exam Website at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_pman.html. To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page. Additional information and resources can be found by visiting our resource page.
Marketing Pathway
The Marketing curriculum has been redesigned to align with the Marketing CLEP Exam. The Principles of Marketing exam delivers 100 questions and is 90 minutes long. The exam is concerned covers the role of marketing in society and within a firm, consumer and organizational markets, marketing strategy, the marketing mix, international marketing, ethics, marketing research, services and not-for-profit marketing. More specifically, the exam assesses student knowledge and recall of the role of marketing including concepts, strategy, planning, information systems, and research (17-24% of exam); comprehension through the students ability to explain and associate such concepts as consumer behavior, segmention, and positioning (22-27%); application of knowledge in the form of decisions made in the marketing mix such as branding, pricing, IMC, promotions, distribution chanels and logistics, and CRM (40-50% of exam); and analysis as students make inferences about concepts related to ethics, international marketing, and non-profit marketing (8-13% of exam). The Website for the Principles of Marketing CLEP Exam can be found at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_pmark.html.
To access the curricula that has been developed, please click here to visit our Curriculum page Additional information and resources can be found by visiting our resource page.
Capstone Course
A capstone course is a transformative educational experience predicated on student-centered constructivist pedagogy
the consequence of which requires learners to apply higher order thinking, authentic learning, and multilayered decision making. In a capstone course, the tutor is not the foci of erudition, rather there is a shift of responsibility as the instructor becomes a facilitator who guides the tutee on their self-charted scholarly expedition. Traditionally, offered in the final semester of a
student’s program of study and organized around an experiential learning experience that ties together the learning objectives that a student is expected to have mastered during a program of study, capstone courses represent an opportunity for the conduction of highly individualized outcomes-based assessment. A capstone course has been developed and is among the options as the final course in the Business Management and Accounting Pathways. A guide has been developed to assist teachers and is available, please click here to visit our Curriculum page. Additional information and resources can be found by visiting our resource page.
Outcomes
Incorporating certification and/or national standardized examinations into the curriculum is designed to increase the career and college readiness of students across the State of Maryland, insure program validity and effectiveness as well as measure student achievement. The validity of the CLEP and Microsoft assessments as well as the curriculum help develop articulation agreements with institutions of higher education. The goal being that credits earned through CLEP exams and MOS Certifications will translate to college credits earned. Increasing student success rates in BMF completer programs, using assessment instruments that offer external validation, adopting real-world PBL learning strategies, and developing articulation agreements with both 2 and 4 year institutions of higher education are among the goals of the Maryland Program Affiliate. These efforts will be supported by the introduction of teacher training, the availability of resources, curriculum development and availability, and a variety of other activities.
Dual Enrollment
The MSDE has prepared an excellent dual enrollment question and answer fact sheet to help address Frequently Asked Questions about the Dual Enrollment Provisions of the College and Career Readiness and College Completion Act of 2013 click here to access the fact sheet
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