Business
Business Education courses serve to prepare students for employment and offer life skills useful in high school, college and future work. If interested in completing the Business Administration Pathway and receive a CTE endorsement on your diploma, students must successfully complete the following requirements: Computer Essentials, Career Management & Personal Finance Management, and an approved Work-Based Learning course. Students must also complete two of the following courses: Marketing & Management, Accounting, or Business Law. Senior year, students must pass a NOCTI Technical Assessment.
PERSONAL FINANCE MANAGEMENT (CFM I)
Grades 9- 12 ½ year ½ credit
Take charge of your financial well-being and secure your future! This vital course is designed to promote financial literacy and equip you with practical, real-world skills for life. Through interactive, hands-on activities and personalized projects, students will master key topics including effective budgeting and banking, understanding and managing taxes and credit, navigating major loans (college, car, home), and building long-term wealth through investing and retirement. If your goal is to ensure a secure, stress-free financial future, this course provides the most valuable and actionable knowledge you can gain.
CAREER MANAGEMENT
Grades 9-12 ½ year ½ credit
Do you think about life after high school or ever asked yourself what is my next step in life: college, a trade school, military, the workforce? This decision is easier when you take the time to reflect on what interests, skills, and abilities you possess and what careers might be a good match for you. Students will explore career opportunities available to them as well as emerging workplace trends. Students will also develop essential employment skills, including resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, communication, leadership and teamwork, as well as create a professional portfolio. Take the first step towards building your future!
COMPUTER ESSENTIALS
Grades 9-12 ½ year ½ credit
The most useful class you will ever take! Students will learn how to use computer programs such as Google Programs to enhance their ability to complete assignments during their high school career and beyond. Touch typing will be emphasized. In addition, students will learn cyber-safety skills, social networking, email, and professional documentation. BH-BL graduates have rated this course as one of the most important and useful courses they took in high school. This course is comprised of 20 percent keyboarding and 80 percent software applications.
ACCOUNTING
Grades 10-12 1 year 1 credit
4 CHS Credits through SCCC
Planning to pursue a business major or launch your own venture? This introductory course is your starting point for mastering the language of business – Financial Accounting. We will cover the fundamental terminology and analytical methods, including the nature of assets, liabilities, and equity, while guiding you through the full accounting cycle and current financial reporting standards. The course also includes an engaging entrepreneurship simulation that demonstrates how strong accounting knowledge drives real-world business decisions. Beyond the technical skills, you will explore ethical issues, investigate diverse accounting careers, and develop valuable professional skills through cooperative learning. Students who successfully complete this course and pay a fee are eligible to receive four transferable college credits.
BUSINESS LAW
Grades 10-12 ½ year | ½ credit
3 CHS credits offered through SUNY Albany
This college-level business law course provides students with an in-depth introduction to the fundamental principles of law as they apply to the business world. Through a combination of field trips, guest speakers, case studies, and real-world application, students will explore the intersection of law and business. Topics covered include: introduction to law, civil vs. criminal law, contract law, consumer law, employment and labor law, property law, and bankruptcy law. This course is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in business, law, or related fields, and provides the foundational knowledge needed to understand legal concepts critical to the success of businesses.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Grades 9-12 ½ year ½ credit
Interested in owning your own business? Entrepreneurship is the course for you! Learn how to structure a business, obtain financing, advertise, select a location and more. Students will identify and research a problem and develop an entrepreneurial business venture to solve the problem. Students will present their semester-long business venture projects in a Shark Tank style competition.
ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING
Grades 11, 12 ½ year ½ credit
Motion pictures, music, art, video games, theme parks and television marketing is one of the most exciting, unpredictable and rewarding careers a marketer can choose. From understanding and developing audiences to creating eye-catching promotional artwork, it’s all about putting customers into theater seats and buying eyes in front of televisions and computer screens. Course projects include, but are not limited to, restaurant theming, amusement ride development, music/movie legend exploration, and “create the next Best New Artist Grammy winner.” Students will have the opportunity for hands-on experience in the video production studio. This is an in-depth, practical class for those interested in marketing and the entertainment industry.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Grades 10- 12 ½ year ½ credit
The Capital Region continues to attract businesses from all over the world. International Business includes all business activities needed to create, ship and sell goods and services across national borders. This course will focus on theories that can be applied to doing business with any country outside the U.S. and the specific culture, etiquette, protocol and behavior styles of countries around the world. Students will have the opportunity to pitch a business that would be successful in each country studied.
INVESTING 101
Grades 10-12 ½ year ½ credit
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the world of finance and investing. Students will explore the Stock Market, investment sectors, mutual funds, bonds, compound interest, futures and options, cryptocurrency, and the regulatory environment. Through hands-on learning, students will develop financial literacy, practical investing strategies, and critical decision-making skills to manage real-world financial challenges. Participants will also take part in the regional Stock Market Game, competing against other schools to apply their knowledge in a real-world context. The time to start investing is now.
MARKETING & MANAGEMENT
Grades 10-12 1 year 1 credit
6 CHS credits offered through SCCC
This college credit-bearing course is designed for students interested in business, management, marketing or entrepreneurship. Students will explore different types of businesses, leadership and management strategies, and all aspects of marketing, including advertising, branding, promotions, social media, and market research. Through hands-on projects, students will create commercials, design products, develop pricing strategies, plan promotional campaigns, and execute marketing strategies for real community businesses. Using the video production studio and other tools, students gain practical experience in digital marketing, persuasive communication, and brand management, while strengthening leadership and management skills applicable in any business setting.
SPORTS MARKETING
Grades 10-12 ½ year ½ credit
This course introduces students to the exciting world of sports marketing, focusing on the functions and strategies that drive the sports industry. Students will explore key topics such as the fundamentals of sports marketing, current industry trends, and the various career opportunities in the field. The course covers essential aspects, including event planning, scheduling, budgeting, promotion, and the economic factors that shape the industry. Students will also delve into important issues like the NCAA, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), and the Event Triangle. Through field trips, guest speakers, and interactive projects, students will gain hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of how sports operate as a business.
MULTIMEDIA FOR BUSINESS
Grades 9-12 ½ year ½ credit
Students in business, students will act as multimedia specialists to create campaigns using strategies that mirror industry standards in the field of business. The production studio in the business education department will be the backdrop for real-life simulations. WeVideo, Adobe Express, and Canva will be used to create marketing campaigns. Students will work both individually and in teams as they learn how to apply the technology and software for media creation, distribution and evaluation within the world of business. Topics include, but are not limited to, marketing through social media, TV commercial production, infomercial production, fundamentals of multimedia production, business communication techniques and marketing/business fundamentals.
YEARBOOK
Grades 11-12 ½ or 1 year ½ or 1 credit
Do you want to have a hand in making your school’s yearbook? This course provides students with a real-world application of business and marketing principles while giving them the opportunity to create a memorable yearbook that represents the spirit of the school year. This hands-on course combines elements of entrepreneurship, project management, design, and team collaboration, offering students valuable skills they can apply in future careers. Students will learn how to manage a budget, market the yearbook to potential buyers, handle advertising sales, and organize production time lines. They will also be responsible for overseeing the yearbook by keeping track of deadlines and ensuring every aspect of the project reflects the hard work and creativity of BH-BL students.