Business Course Offerings
The Basics
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
~ Dr. Seuss
Career Planning and Management
40 weeks, 1 credit
An ideal course for the student who wants to acquire the lifelong skills necessary to manage their personal and professional lives. Students are given the opportunity to explore careers based upon their interests and aptitudes. Students will develop their own career portfolio with an emphasis on developing the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace.
College Success Skills
20 weeks, ½ credit
This course is designed for students who want to learn how to process information from lectures and texts quickly, with the goal of learning more in less time. This course is extremely valuable to those students planning to go on to college because it also covers techniques for efficient and effective studying, writing, and presenting. College credit is available.
Creative Genius’
“Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right.”
~ Henry Ford
Advertising & Public Relations
20 weeks, ½ credit
This course will be beneficial to any students pursuing a business degree or who are possibly interested in marketing and advertising. The approach to this course is “hands on.” Students will create a variety of ads in a variety of mediums. Guest speakers, team work/activities and creating real ads for real clients makes this an enriching and reality based course. Topics will include advertising agencies, creative copy writing, identifying target markets, media planning, review and analysis of local advertising and development of an advertising plan for a student selected product or service.
Leadership Skills Development
20 weeks, ½ credit
This course is for students who like action. Leadership is about doing. This is a “hands-on” practical course that allows students to build team based skills through interesting team projects and activities. Students will also have the opportunity to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses allowing them to enhance the skills they feel will be necessary for personal success. Students will build leadership skills including problem-solving and decision-making, communication skills, group dynamics, time management, public speaking, human relations, character building, and team building. It is valuable to students who currently find themselves in leadership positions (STAP-Comm officers, class and club officers, sports captains, etc.).
Principles of Marketing
40 weeks, 1 or 2 credits
This course will introduce students to the important role that marketing plays in our economic system. Content revolves around the basic marketing functions of financing, risk management, selling, promotion, pricing, purchasing, marketing information management, product/service/idea planning, and distribution. Students will refine entry-level employment skills, as well as develop more advanced career-sustaining skills, all while exploring the many career areas available in this field. Participation in hands-on marketing activities, which benefit the school and community, will be an integral part of the course. In order to get 2 units of credit, 300 hours of qualified work experience must be completed. College credit is available.
Sports Management
20 weeks, ½ credit
Introductory business principles will be examined through an investigation of the scope of the sport industry. Functions of management, skills and attributes required of a sports manager and roles of a manager are discussed. Attention is focused on how the managerial process relates to sport organizations and their products. Students will become acquainted with career opportunities in the sports management field. College credit is available.
Money Matters
“Money doesn’t grow on trees. Money grows on money.”
~ Mr. James Agnew, Retired OPHS Business/Accounting Teacher
Personal Finance
20 weeks, ½ credit
This course seeks to teach students how to make informed decisions to reach personal financial goals. It targets five curricular units: income, money management, spending and credit, savings and investing, and risk management. Students will become financially savvy, a much needed skill in today’s complex economy. Successful completion of this course will satisfy the high school’s financial literacy requirement. College credit is available.
Banking & Credit
20 weeks, ½ credit
Are you interested in finance or banking? This course will provide an overview of U.S. banking and credit systems. Students who take this course are eligible to volunteer in the Financial Trust Federal Credit Union branch located in the high school (what a great resume builder!).
Accounting Principles I
40 weeks, 1 credit
Students will get a thorough background in the accounting procedures used to operate a business. This background will be helpful for future employment as an accountant and as a preparation for studying business courses at the college level. College credit is available.
Accounting Principles II
40 weeks, 1 credit
Students will learn to use accounting as a source of information and as a tool for effective decision-making. They will understand financial accounting and learn to develop, analyze, and interpret financial statements. Successful completion of Accounting Principles I is a prerequisite for this course.
Tech Talk
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
~ Steve Jobs
iComp I
20 weeks, ½ credit
This course will focus on teaching students how to effectively integrate computers into the academic, professional, and personal lives. Students will learn how to efficiently search the Internet, study the impact of various ethical issues on the workplace, become informed consumers of computers and develop the skills necessary to effectively utilize the Microsoft Office suite.
iComp II
20 weeks, ½ credit
This course is designed for the college bound student who wants to further develop his/her skills using the most widely used software package today. Students will learn advanced level skills in word processing, databases, spreadsheets, and desktop publishing. You may receive college credit for this course; ask your classroom teacher for details. Successful completion of iComp I (Introduction to Computers) is a prerequisite for this course. College credit is available.
Legal Eagles
“Ignorance of the Law is NOT a defense...or an excuse.”
~ Mr. “LAW”ftus
Business Law
40 weeks, 1 credit
In Business Law, student-interactive debates and mock trials, in addition to guest speakers, current events discussions, and analysis of real cases are some of the various methods used to cover the content. This course educates students on an assortment of legal concepts that affect the business world while at the same time showing students how they may be impacted personally in real-life situations. The material that students will learn includes the legal system and its foundations, court systems, criminal law, civil law and torts, business organizations, property law, contracts, trial procedures, employment law, as well as much more. College credit is available.
Personal Law
20 weeks, ½ credit
This course develops an understanding of how law affects personal and occupational pursuits. This course will explore topics such as when to hire a lawyer, how to settle a dispute, discrimination, rights & responsibilities in the workplace, and how to avoid being taken advantage of as a consumer.
The Real World
“Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.”
~ Bill Gates
Career Exploration Internship Program
20 weeks, ½ credit
CEIP offers high school students valuable career experience as they work directly in the profession of their choice. This course gives students an opportunity to explore a career before pursuing it in college. Early dismissal may be arranged if necessary for certain internships. Program is open only to Seniors; application to the program begins in January of Junior year.