Noncredit Online Learning

About online learning:

Online learning is a fun, enjoyable and very productive way to learn. Millions of people are learning online each year. You will engage with and get to know the instructor and other participants. It’s easy, and fun!

For a full listing of courses, visit our course directory.

How the courses work:

It is easy to participate in your LERN online course. After you register, you will be given a web address to access your online classroom. You will use your email address and a password to gain access.

Participate when you want:

You can participate any time of day or evening. The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are no live real-time requirements or meetings. You decide when you want to participate. For the best learning, participants should log into the course on 2-3 different days of the week. For best learning, you should make one or more comments at 2-3 different times each day.

What you will do:

• Access the online readings.
• Listen to the audio presentation for the unit and view slides.
• Take a self-quiz to see how much you have learned.
• Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants.

The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again at your convenience.

Discussion:

The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or evening. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

Explore noncredit certificate and noncredit course listings below.

You may enroll up to five days after the start date.

Business

• The Basics of Bookkeeping

  Read more about The Basics of Bookkeeping

  How do you keep track of the day-to-day financial transactions of a business?  Whether you are looking to advance in your career, or you’re an entrepreneur, (or maybe you are a part of a family business), this course will help you if you are looking to understand the numbers. The Basics of Bookkeeping course will help you understand, and know how to record, every penny that comes into your business and every penny that goes out of your business. This course shows you how to create a chart of accounts that meet your needs. All of the money you spend, and all of the money you earn, have a place to go. How do your record them? What are debits and credits? What do the numbers mean?  How do I label accounts? Even if you outsource your bookkeeping needs, you should still have a basic understanding of what happens with the money earned and the money spent. No one should be blind to their finances! In this course, you will learn where the numbers go, and why! You will learn the bookkeeping terminology, as well as what it means to keep track of the numbers. At the end of the cycle, what do the numbers mean? The Basics of Bookkeeping will show you how to keep track of the numbers and why!

• Bookkeeping Certificate (Coming Soon)

  Read more about the Bookkeeping Certificate

  How do you manage the finances of a business? Whether you are an entrepreneur, running a family business, or just looking to advance your career and add to your skill set, this Bookkeeping Certificate will provide you with the knowledge needed to measure, and manage, the financial health of your business. This program focuses on cash basis accounting.
  
  No one will care more about the financial health of your business than you! It’s imperative that you understand how the process works and are able to complete the accounting cycle accurately and in a timely fashion. Even if you plan to outsource your bookkeeping needs, you should still understand how the process works. No one should be clueless when it comes to the finances of their business. Includes Understanding Debits and Credits, General Ledger and Month End Procedures, and Closing Procedures and Financial Statements. The Bookkeeping Certificate courses must be taken in that order (the classes build off of each other).

• Understanding Debits and Credits

  Read more about Understanding Debits and Credits

  In this course, you will learn about the accounting equation and the five categories involved in every business (Assets, Liabilities, Owner’s Equity, Revenue and Expenses). Every financial transaction falls into one or more of these categories. Learn how to create a chart of accounts that meet the needs of your business. You will learn how double entry bookkeeping works and the process of recording debits and credits. This course will show you how to identify, analyze and record transactions using journal entries under the cash basis accounting method.

• General Ledger and Month End Procedures

  Read more about General Ledger and Month End Procedures

  In this course, you will learn how to post journal entries to the correct general ledger accounts impacted by each transaction. This course will show you how to make sure your general ledger balances at the end of each month by preparing an unadjusted trial balance. You will learn how to look for errors when you don’t balance, and how to determine to correct entries. After posting correcting entries and/or adjusting entries, you will verify debits and credits equal, with an adjusted trial balance. This course also goes through the steps of performing monthly bank reconciliations.

• Closing Procedures and Financial Statements

  Read more about Closing Procedures and Financial Statements

  This course shows you how to create a worksheet used to adjust the account balances and prepare the financial statements. Use your financial statements to measure performance, make improvements and set goals. The final step covered in this course is closing your books and preparing them for the next accounting period; this is done by journalizing and posting closing entries.

Business Communication

• Certificate in Customer Service

  Read more about the Certificate in Customer Service

  Customer service is now essential for business and all work organizations. With the increase of technology, human interaction with customers becomes all the more important. Whether it relates to retaining customers, serving your audience, or turning inquiries from potential customers into sales, good customer service is now one of the central factors in organizational success. Learn to improve your customer service skills to enhance your career skill set, improve productivity, and increase your organization’s success. You will also take away some extraordinary customer service techniques you will not find anywhere else. Includes both Extraordinary Customer Service and Keys to Customer Service.

• Extraordinary Customer Service

  Read more about Extraordinary Customer Service

  Transform your customer service into something extraordinary. As a result, more repeat business will improve your bottom line. Customer service separates you from your competition. Extraordinary customer service comes from focusing on the few essential elements that yield big results. Discover how easy it is to tweak your customer service from the ordinary to the extraordinary. You will take away a customer service plan that will help you focus on the key elements that will get you started on your pathway to success.

• Keys to Customer Service

  Read more about Keys to Customer Service

  Learning to build your customer service skills will have a powerful impact on your career success as well as success in other areas of your life.  Through this course, you will discover the direct relationship between service skills and career achievement.  You will become skilled at being an exceptional service provider.  You can help your organization and your career by translating your good service intentions into a workable plan and gain knowledge of ways to consistently deliver great service.  The payoff is enormous. 

Data Science

• Certificate in Mastering Excel

  Read more about the Certificate in Mastering Excel

  A must-have skill to succeed in business, whether an entrepreneur or a valued employee, is the ability to create, edit and manage spreadsheets. Microsoft Excel is the most used spreadsheet tool in the world.
  
  Begin with learning how an Excel worksheet is constructed, populated with content, and edited for delivery. Discover how various menu items, commands, settings and processes affects the look of your Excel worksheets and workbooks.
  
  Then, increase your efficiency by learning how to organize, display and calculate your data into useful information. Identify different types of data and how data can be best visually represented or formatted, by using different data tool techniques.
  
  Finally, you’ll learn a variety of Excel’s most powerful features to analyze data quickly and easily. This Certificate will help you discover how to attractively visualize your data into meaningful information with confidence. Includes Advanced Excel, Intermediate Excel, and Mastering Microsoft Excel.

• Advanced Excel

  Read more about Advanced Excel

  We are faced with different types of business decisions each day that can change the data we work with, along with our financial outcomes. Have you ever wondered what type of workplace skills you can learn to make wiser decisions? Learning Advanced Excel contains these tools that can help you prepare your worksheets accurately, examine your data for authentication, and then find the answers to your most difficult questions. This course will help you learn these required business functions along with the tools required to analyze data efficiently within the workplace. Save time for yourself by protecting your valuable data, and know with assurance that the entered data is accurate without any errors. By completing the course, discover how to attractively visualize your data into meaningful information with confidence.

• Intermediate Excel

  Read more about Intermediate Excel

  Have you ever wondered why Excel is one of the most powerful applications used today by many businesses? Excel is one of the most important applications that you can study now to take your skills to the next level!
  
  This course will help you increase your efficiency by learning how to organize, display and calculate your data into useful information. Find out how you can consolidate your data proficiently into readable rows and columns using different table designs and styles. Create a unique style for yourself to improve your spreadsheet appearance to make the content easier to understand for your target audience. Learn from the trainer on how beneficial it is to become more productive in generating different everyday business functions. Discover how easily pivot tables can be created to quickly summarize large amounts of data. Through this course, these tasks will make your work outstanding and unique in what you do.

• Mastering Microsoft Excel

  Read more about Mastering Microsoft Excel

  A must-have skill to succeed in business, whether an entrepreneur or a valued employee, is the ability to create, edit and manage spreadsheets. Microsoft Excel is the most used spreadsheet tool in the world. Stay current with this class, as it is always up-to-date and will change as the features of Excel change over time. Examine the life of an Excel worksheet and workbook, from creation to presentation. Learn how an Excel worksheet is constructed, populated with content, and edited for delivery. Master the options that can take your Excel worksheet from plain, drab numbers to exciting and engaging multimedia. You will leave class with a set of skills that are in high demand and will be a deciding factor in your future success.

Management

• Supervisory and Leadership Certificate

  Read more about the Supervisory and Leadership Certificate

  Your employees are your most valuable resources. Ensuring the efficiency of your team is the key to your success and is your most important responsibility. Get practical, easy to understand, and insightful methods for new and even experienced supervisors and managers.
  
  Learn about effective delegation, performance management, and writing performance reviews. Discuss the specifics of the supervisor's role and responsibilities, and strategies for improving your overall effectiveness as a leader. Take home practical information along with tips and techniques that can be applied at your job immediately.

New Media Marketing

• Google Analytics Certificate

  Read more about the Google Analytics Certificate

  If you are not reviewing your website statistics, then you are missing several key opportunities to profit from your website traffic. This Certificate, aimed at non-technical users, will take you through all the key techniques and how to use website analytics using the world-standard Google Analytics, a free online tool.
  
  You’ll understand your visitor traffic better, learn how to calculate return on investment (ROI) for your online advertising, and find out how to get more conversions and sales from your website visitors. A must for anyone serious about leveraging more success from their website. Includes both Google Analytics and Advanced Google Analytics.
  

• Google Analytics

  Read more about Google Analytics

  If you are not reviewing your website statistics, then you are missing several key opportunities to profit from your website traffic. This course, aimed at non-technical users, will take you through all the key techniques and how to use website analytics using the world-standard Google Analytics, a free online tool. You will understand your visitor traffic better, learn how to calculate return on investment (ROI) for your online advertising, and find out how to get more conversions and sales from your website visitors. A must for anyone serious about leveraging more success from their website.

• Advanced Google Analytics

  Read more about Advanced Google Analytics

  In this project and activity-based course, you will get the opportunity to practice with Google Analytics for more advanced learning and skill development. Your instructor will work with you on implementing Google Analytics for your own website. You will come away wiith the skills necessary for employing this useful tool.

• Podcasting

  Read more about Podcasting

  Businesses are turning to podcasting to grow their brand and connect with customers. People with a niche hobby are turning podcasts into a business. Podcasting is experiencing a rebirth as mobile devices are everywhere. The intimate nature of the audio medium allows potential clients to get to know who you are and determine if you are the kind of company with which they want to do business. Learn how to take your business or hobby and turn it into a podcast. This step-by-step class will take you from start to finish and cover the required elements needed to get your show online. Come to class with your idea and end with your show online for all to hear.

Technology Skills

• Mastering Computer Skills for the Workplace

  Read more about Mastering Computer Skills for the Workplace

  Must-have skills to succeed in the workplace include the ability to create, edit and manage presentations in MS PowerPoint, documents in MS Word, email and calendars in MS Outlook, and spreadsheets in MS Excel. Microsoft Office Suite of applications is the most used software tool in the world. Stay current with this class, as it is always up-to-date and will change as the features of MS Office change over time. Master the most common uses so that you can work faster and more efficiently and can take your computer skills from plain and drab to exciting and engaging. You will leave class with a set of skills that are a workplace requirement in today’s fast paced ever-changing environment and will enable your future career success.

• WordPress Certificate

  Read more about the WordPress Certificate

  WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) for website and blog design. During the first week, you will learn or refresh your knowledge of all of the initial steps and the required elements for having a website. Then find out how to build a simple WordPress website or blog. Topics include an introduction to CMS, WordPress installation and setup, page and content creation, administration, themes (selection, purchase, installation, and setup), working with widgets and plugins, and more.
  
  Finally, acquire advanced knowledge about WordPress options and features. You will learn how to modify WordPress web pages by hand-coding, learn about simple yet effective search engine optimization (SEO) techniques that improve your website ranking, and much more.
  
  After successfully completing the WordPress Certificate, you will know how to build a WordPress website or blog, customize your WordPress site by hand-coding HTML, CSS, and PHP, know necessary regular WordPress maintenance, create WordPress website backups, and know how to apply SEO techniques in WordPress.

You may cancel your registration up until you receive your login in and password from LERN and receive a full refund minus any credit card processing fees. After that date, no refunds will be given. Cancellations must be received by the program manager, Christina Draper, via email.

In the unlikely event that this program is canceled or postponed due to insufficient enrollments or unforeseen circumstances, VCU OCPE will fully refund registration fees, but cannot be held responsible for any other expenses, including change or cancellation charges to include but not limited to airlines, hotels, travel agencies, or other organizations.

The VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education offers a variety of noncredit online courses and noncredit online certificates in partnership with The Learning Resources Network (LERN).

Some VCU OCPE offerings are ineligible for waiver use due to partnership agreements. The following text will appear on the registration page: “*exempt—this offering is ineligible for waiver use.”