Below are the general business courses for 2011-2012. The entire Central High School Program of Studies is available for
download.
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
2.5 credits
Grades 10, 11, 12
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management is designed to provide students with a solid business foundation: How a business is organized, how it operates and how it is managed. For success in the business world as an employee or an owner, it is essential for one to have a deep interest in business affairs and a basic knowledge of business operations. The course will focus on the principles and management strategies needed by everyone who plans entrepreneurship, production and marketing, finance and management functions. Business simulations and business plans are major components of this semester course. Do you want to own your own business someday and be your own boss? Are you looking for a business concentration for your college studies? Former students agree that they have found this course to be very appropriate and worthwhile, especially when they move into a business major in college! (Students may also pursue further study and experiences in this field for additional credits through CTE-Work Experience. See course description for further details.)
Business and Personal Law
2.5 credits
Grades 10, 11, 12
This half-year course introduces the basic principles of personal and business law. Topics include the study of contracts, minors and contracts, buyer and seller agreements, bailment, property, landlord/tenant relationships, wills, and the nature and kinds of law. Each year students visit the Mercer County Courthouse, the NJ State Police Forensic Laboratory, as well as the Mercer County Correction Center to speak with several public officials (defense lawyers, prosecutors, judges, sheriff's offices, etc.). Guest speakers from the Mercer County Bar Association contribute in multiple ways to real-life applications this course will bring students. Business and Personal Law will answer this basic question: What do I need to know about the law to be a successful citizen, employer, and employee in our society today? The course is designed to give general educational background and is especially helpful for students who will be planning to major in business-related areas in college, entering the job market after high school graduation or planning to own a business. (Students may also pursue further study and experiences in this field for additional credits through CTE-Work Experience. See course description for further details.)
Personal Finance
2.5 credits
Grades 10, 11, 12
Regardless of career plans, every person must be able to cope with the finances of everyday life. This half-year course will include elements of a basic contract, check writing, checkbook balancing, banking services, taxes (income, property, sales, etc.) insurance, consumer credit, savings, investments, budgeting, preparation of a resume and an application letter - in other words, the survival skills of life! Use of personal financial computer software packages and online research and resources will be integrated into the Personal Finance course. This course fulfills the financial literacy requirements of the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards. (Students may also pursue further study and experiences in this field for additional credits through CTE-Work Experience. See course description for further details.)
Marketing Education I
5 credits
Grades 10, 11, 12
This course is designed to prepare students to meet the challenges of modern marketing, merchandising, and management. Marketing is a subject that has universal importance. Knowledge of marketing is indispensable to all individuals, whether a person is planning a career in business or not. Marketing knowledge and skills are essential to a successful business. These skills also have practical value to individuals as consumers in the marketplace. In an age when professionalism in the field is required, the need for qualified people with marketing skills, judgment, and communicative abilities is apparent. This course is designed to teach the students about the world of marketing logically and systematically while motivating them to develop the skills necessary to enter and advance in the field. The course provides an ideal background for students planning to major in marketing or business related areas in college. Areas studied include selling, promotion, marketing research, and career planning. Students will also participate in DECA, where additional real-life business experience will be gained. (Students may also pursue further study and experiences in this field for additional credits through CTE-Work Experience. See course description for further details.)
Marketing Education II
5 credits
Grades 11, 12
Marketing Education II is offered to students who intend to pursue the study of and/or enter the field of marketing and business administration upon graduation. It builds on the foundations established in Marketing I. Areas studied include human relations issues, purchasing, pricing, distribution, and product planning. Each student will call on the knowledge gained in Marketing I and II and prepare a business plan for a business of their choice. Students will also participate in DECA, where additional real-life business experience will be gained. Students may be on the payroll of a local business to earn additional course credits. For more information see the description for CTE - Work Experience below. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Marketing I or the recommendation of the department.
Sports Marketing and Management
2.5 credits
Grades 10, 11, 12
This course is for individuals interested in learning more about possible careers or further education in the fast-growing field of sports marketing and management. The sports industry is a multibillion-dollar industry. Sports Marketing and Management specializes in the marketing, management, and promotion of all sports for professional or recreational purposes. Emphasis will also be placed on the globalization of the sports marketing industry. Students will experience a variety of instructional formats such as simulations, guest speakers and field experiences to local and Philadelphia sports entertainment organizations to help understand the importance of this industry in our economic sector. Topics include promotional methods, media relations, sports marketing research and segmentation, pricing strategies, endorsements and sponsorships, licensing and logos in the sports industry, and much more! (Students may also pursue further study and experiences in this field for additional credits through CTE-Work Experience. See course description for further details.)
CTE - Work Experience
5-10 credits
Career and Technical Education (CTE) encompasses a sequence of academic courses that prepare students for postsecondary education and for entry into the competitive 21st century workforce. The Work Experience component is an experiential, supervised activity that encourages students to explore their career interests through paid or unpaid employment, apprenticeships, community service, cooperative education, internships, or school-based enterprises. Students are supervised by the school’s Teacher/Coordinator and are exposed to the sixteen sectors of industry, called NJ State “career clusters,” which include agriculture, construction, business administration, finance, government, health science, hospitality, information technology, law, sales and marketing, engineering and more. The CTE-Work Experience program fosters critical thinking skills, effective communication, financial literacy, and workplace readiness