INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS

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USC Pre-College > Summer Programs > Introduction to Business

The “Introduction to Business” course provides you with insights on how businesses are managed. A great variety of factors determine a company’s success, including marketing, operations, finance, and leadership, to name a few. This course will give you the basics for understanding how these different divisions work independently as well as rely on each other for a company to prosper.

A closer look at selected industries — such as entertainment, sports, and real estate — will provide a deeper understanding of the interplay and influences of these business areas. Students have an opportunity to learn how consumer and economic trends influence how these industries operate and, on the flip side, how these industries can drive consumer interests and economies.

The course also offers insights into entrepreneurship — from sole proprietorship examples to exploring niche markets — and much more. The importance of sustainability, creativity and innovation, ethics and corporate social responsibility, and doing business in a diverse world with a diverse workforce will also be discussed.

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PROGRAM DATES
June 15 – July 12, 2025

PREREQUISITES
None

COURSE DRESS CODE
Business / Professional

DAILY SCHEDULE & ACTIVITIES
MONDAY – FRIDAY
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Classes in session
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Classes in session

Tuition & Application
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COURSE OVERVIEW

Highlights

  • The course exposes you to different business areas:
  • Forms of business
  • Economics
  • Accounting and finance
  • Management and leadership
  • Ethics and social responsibility
  • Marketing
  • Operations

Topic of Study
In this course, you will develop conceptual and practical knowledge of managing a small business and the resources needed to sustain and grow that business.

  • Breakdown the individual roles of the various divisions and departments of a business
  • Evaluate how these departments work together to create profitability
  • Read and analyze financial statements
  • Illustrate how a for-profit business can have a social mission
  • Establish the importance of operational efficiency
  • Discuss the importance of customer service
  • Formulate a plan to market and promote a company’s product or service
  • Determine how to finance the launch and expansion of a business

HEAR FROM OUR FORMER STUDENTS

[I learned] a new aspect of business for every class! I learned so much in four weeks. I also loved the guest speakers.
In this course. I'm also impressed by the amazing USC faculty and am grateful to have heard and learned from professionals in the business field. I learned a lot from my classmates, who come from all over the world, and gained greater communication and collaboration skills through this interactive course.
I feel that the most valuable aspect of this course was the learning about each topic and seeing how it actually works in a company when we go on fieldtrips or do case studies.
I think that the most valuable aspects were the subjects of leadership and marketing because as a student who is not 100% sure that I want to pursue business in the future, the skills that I learned from these topics can be applied to any field of work to help me be more successful.