3 Courses

Credential of
Readiness
(CORe)
Introduction to Credential of Readiness (CORe)
$2,500
Next 12-week session starts JAN 10th
Next 17-week session starts FEB 7th
CORE INCLUDES

Business Analytics, Economics for Managers,

Apply
Financial Accounting, + final exam

Save $1,700 with this 3-course bundle Designed to help you achieve fluency in the
language of business, CORe is a business
fundamentals program that combines
Business Analytics, Economics for Managers,
and Financial Accounting with a final exam.

10-17 8-15
weeks hours per week

3 Courses Self-Paced
plus exam with regular deadlines

 This course earns you a Credential of Readiness from HBS

Online. What you earn.

Overview Syllabus Enrollment Stories FAQs APPLY NOW

KEY CONCEPTS

Analyze and interpret data to inform business decisions Identify sources of competitive advantage through differentiation

Implement analytical techniques in Excel Evaluate the financial health of a business using financial
statements
Develop effective pricing strategies
Prepare and evaluate financial forecasts

WHO WILL BENEFIT

Professionals MBA Applicants Recent Graduate Students

Add value to your organization and take your career to the next 👋 Need help deciding which
Participating in a Harvard Business School 1
CORe track is right for you? Take
Online course enabled Sheneka to gain
level with a deeper understanding of essential business concepts. our quiz to find out.
greater clarity about her professional
future and advance her career.
 Sheneka Balogun
Director of Recruitment and Project Accountability at
Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workplace
(GMACW)

WHAT YOU EARN

Credential of Readiness
Prove your mastery of business
fundamentals

Earn by: completing the three-course CORe

curriculum and passing the exam

LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU EARN

Syllabus
3 Courses (with Exam), 10–17 Weeks
Download full syllabus (pdf)

Highlights
40 Course – 5 Modules

hrs Business Analytics Learn about the basics of

population sampling. Start
with the question you are
Beginning with basic descriptive statistics and progressing trying to answer first before
to regression analysis, you’ll implement analytical determining what population
techniques in Excel and apply fundamental quantitative needs to be sampled.
methods to real business problems—from performing A/B Explore how Walt Disney
testing on a website to using sampling to check warehouse Studios uses data to recognize
inventory. trends and inform business
decisions in the movie
industry.

Show Details

Modules Featured Exercises

 Modules Featured Exercises

1. Describing and Summarizing Data Determine sample size based on population

2. Sampling and Estimation
3. Hypothesis Testing Design and perform hypothesis tests with P-value
4. Single Variable Linear Regression
5. Multiple Regression

Highlights
60 Course – 5 Modules

hrs Economics for Managers How do managers determine

demand to inform pricing
strategy?
Economics for Managers will enable you to drive critical
business decisions. Explore how businesses approach
pricing strategy, evaluate market demand, and differentiate
their offerings, and how you can apply those learnings to Step into the shoes of Jim
successfully compete in a variety of business environments. Holtzman, CEO of Ace Ticket,
and learn about pricing
strategy for super bowl tickets.

Show Details

Modules Featured Exercises

1. Customer Demand: Foundations Develop effective pricing strategies

2. Strategies for Assessing and Increasing Demand
3. Suppliers and Cost Apply conjoint analysis to understand what customers
4. Markets value most
5. Competition and Differentiation Indentify sources of competitive advantage

Highlights
60 Course – 7 Modules

hrs Financial Accounting Learn about the basic

accounting equation
organizations use to gauge
Learn key accounting concepts and principles to illuminate performance.
financial statements and unlock critical insights into
business performance and potential. Explore how managers,
Wall Street analysts, and entrepreneurs leverage accounting Examine how Green Mountain
to drive strategic decision-making. Coffee evaluates business
performance and potential
using financial statements.

Show Details

Modules Featured Exercises

1. The Accounting Equation Discover how balance sheets, income statements, and
2. Recording Transactions cash flow statements are developed
3. Financial Statements
Predict future revenue, expenses, and cash flow
4. Adjusting Journal Entries
5. The Statement of Cash Flows Understand key metrics in valuation like time value of
6. Analyzing Financial Statements money, terminal value, net present value, internal rate of
7. Accounting for the Future return, and payback period
 3 2 weeks

hrs 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.

Free E-Book
Advance Your Career with Essential Business Skills
Learn how to contribute to key business
discussions and drive strategic decision-
making with this free guide.

ACCESS YOUR FREE E-BOOK

Free CORe Flowchart

Which Version of HBS Online's Credential of Readiness (CORe) Program Is
Right for You?
By using this flowchart, you’ll determine
which version of HBS Online's CORe
program best aligns with your career
level and experience, learning
objectives, and schedule.

ACCESS YOUR FREE FLOWCHART

Our Difference
The Most Engaging, Interactive Way to Master Business Essentials

Get hands-on practice interpreting Analytics and

implementing analyses to solve real business problems.

Learn how to craft successful business strategy through the

power of Economics.

Explore key Accounting concepts and principles to unlock

critical insights into business performance and potential.

Immerse yourself in real-world business scenarios alongside

a global community of peers through our Active, Social,
Case-Based learning model.

ABOUT THE PROFESSORS

 V.G. Narayanan Bharat Anand Jan Hammond
Financial Accounting Economics for Managers Business Analytics

Thomas D. Casserly, Jr. Professor of Business
Administration at Harvard Business School
“Financial Accounting covers the fundamentals of
accounting and the application to business
management. Its goal is to give you a sound
understanding of basic accounting, which is
essential to successfully communicate in the
business world, regardless of the job function
you’re performing.”
Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration for
Harvard Business School and Harvard University’s Vice
Provost for Advances in Learning
“Economics for Managers is a course that we hope
will give you much more confidence and a lot
more fun in applying some deep economic
principles to fascinating problems in business and
management.”
Jesse Philips Professor of Manufacturing and Senior
Associate Dean for Culture and Community at Harvard
Business School
“In this world of big data, basic data literacy—the
ability to analyze, interpret, and even question
data—is an increasingly valuable skill. Business
Analytics is designed to help you develop that
expertise.”

Dates & Eligibility

Standard Extended
All
10-12 wks 17 wks

Starting Starting Starting

JAN FEB MAR

10 07 28

12 Weeks + Exam  $2,500 17 Weeks + Exam  $2,500 17 Weeks + Exam  $2,500

For credit ($3,960) Exam Period: 6/23/23 – 6/30/23 Exam Period: 8/14/23 – 8/18/23
Exam Period: 4/20/23 – 4/25/23 Application deadline January 30 Application deadline March 20
Application deadline January 2 View weekly calendar (pdf) View weekly calendar (pdf)
View weekly calendar (pdf)

Apply Now Apply Now

Apply Now

Scholarships All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging
available with fellow participants throughout the course.

Free application
Learn about bringing this course to your organization.
No
documentation
required

Confirmation
within one week

Learner Stories

“ My MBA was great, however, in five weeks we did not cover nearly as
much content as with CORe, so this was a quintessential supplement.”
 Anastassia Nefedova
Working on a cloud-based product expansion in Central and Eastern
Europe for Microsoft and based in Munich, Germany
BSc,International Hospitality Management, Marketing Major Ecole
hoteliere de Lausanne
MBA, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Concentration, SDA Bocconi
School of Management

92% “ I had never experienced such an immersive platform online, and could
argue that it was more effective at building and solidifying knowledge
than some of the in-class courses I took in college.”
Ryan Dumlao
Electrical Engineer in Pharmaceuticals, pursuing an MBA in the fall of
2016
BS, Electrical Engineering, University of California, San Diego
MS, Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
course completion rate

READ MORE LEARNER STORIES

* Source: 2019-2020 surveys and course data

  CORe FAQs All FAQs

What kind of time commitment is required for CORe? +

What is the difference between the undergraduate credit and noncredit versions of CORe? +

Are there scholarships for CORe? How do I qualify? +

Will my performance in CORe factor in to my admission to HBS? +

Will my participation in CORe factor in to my admission to other graduate programs? +

What are the policies for refunds, deferrals, and withdrawals? +

What materials will I have access to after completing the Credential of Readiness program? +

How should I list my credential on my resume? +

RELATED COURSES

Business Analytics
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Apply by January 30
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Economics for Managers

Professor Bharat Anand

See the world through the lens of economics and gain the knowledge and skills to craft successful business strategy.

8 weeks, 6-8 hrs/week

Apply by February 13
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Financial Accounting
Professor V.G. Narayanan

Discover what's behind the numbers in financial statements.

8 weeks, 6–8 hrs/week

Apply by January 9
$1,750 Certificate