Business Administration

Students in the Business Administration and Management programs read general periodicals, trade journals, company policy manuals, industry training materials, and newspapers, including both local and national papers such as the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune Magazine, etc. Texts are a central part of most courses, with tests based on a combination of text and lecture material. Texts for typical first-semester courses such as Introduction to Business, Introduction to Management, and Business Mathematics are written at a college level.

Students who transfer to four-year institutions can expect reading assignments of increasing length and complexity. In the workplace, graduates of the program can expect to read trade journals in their area of specialization and a variety of other sources, including policy manuals, product literature, and budget, inventory and sales forms.

Speaking activities in the classroom include prepared speeches and sales presentations. Most management and general business classes include a required team or individual presentations based on current articles and internet sources.  On the job, speaking activities can include both sales and training presentations.

Writing activities, both in the program and on the job, are business-oriented, including the composing of memos, letters, and reports. Writing assignments are at the core of management courses at Chabot.  You will be expected to prepare business report and cite references using business writing guidelines, library resources, and the internet. In the work place, graduates will use speaking skills primarily on a one-to-one basis as they supervise other employees, interact with peers, and make presentations to customers. Business writing such as letters and memos can also be expected in the workplace.

Strong study skills are expected of students in this program. Most lecture courses require a minimum of two hours of study for each hour spent in class; many science and math classes take three to four hours of study. Students must take notes from both texts and lectures, integrating the information as they prepare for tests.

Several of the courses required in the programs?introduction to business, international business, business law?require strong reasoning skills. Students and graduates must be able not only to memorize facts but also to apply general principles to specific cases. Drawing inferences from business trends in order to make sound investment decisions, recognizing cause-effect relationships, and problem-solving in financial planning are also important skills in this field.

In the program, students use computers for word processing to write papers and to create graphic designs in advertising and PowerPoint presentations. On the job, computers are also used to prepare sales bulletins and presentations.