Program Areas

This course covers the interpretation, use, processing, and presentation of accounting information and the preparation of principal accounting statements. Topics include an overview of the conceptual framework of accounting, valuation, recording, and presentation of the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. Participants learn time value of money concepts, as well as, accounting for cash, receivables, and inventories.

Participants are introduced to the evolving domain of data science and to the food-chain of knowledge domains involved in its application. Participants learn a wide range of challenges, questions, and problems that data science helps address in different domains, including social sciences, finance, health and fitness, and entertainment. The course addresses the key knowledge domains in data science, including data development and management, machine learning and natural language processing, statistical analysis, data visualization, and inference.

The Internet, the digital revolution, and the move toward an information-based economy are dramatically changing business and the way products are marketed and sold. To be more successful in this "new marketing world," business people need to understand what is changing and how to use the new tools to their optimal advantage.

UCLA Extension short courses gives you the tools you need to upgrade your career or take off in an exciting new direction. You’ll get intensive training in a variety of cutting-edge technical fields from world-class instructors, giving you practical knowledge you can apply immediately. 

• Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Communications & Sensors Engineering
• Electronics
• Energy
• Leadership & Management
• Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering
• Project Management
• Software Engineering

Learn More

Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Collaboration 

Over 50 years of intensive development has produced a powerful set of tools and techniques for managing and resolving conflict in organizations by presenting and inventory of the alternative approaches available to managers. Participants assess their own conflict-management style and practice skills under the guidance of the instructor through case analysis, role-playing, and group exercises. 

Leading and Motivating Employees 

All supervisors and managers–especially those newly responsible for directing the work of others–can become change agents if they understand the role of the “leader.” To develop this understanding, you must start with an awareness of your own communication style and how it affects others, as well as develop an appreciation for the different ways people approach work and are motivated to achieve. This seminar focuses on “leading” as a means to affect change and accomplish desired results. Participants learn to assess and understand their individual styles and behaviors, then analyze how these attributes can be harnessed in a leadership role. The seminar also examines powerful methods for motivating employees. 
 
Overcoming Obstacles to Organization Change 

Managers increasingly face challenges to change and adapt in response to today’s competitive and sometimes chaotic world. Unfortunately, only about half of managers’ decisions are implemented successfully, and formal change programs for quality or cost reduction fare even less well. Many factors can be driving forces for change or insurmountable obstacles to its realization. This seminar examines the role of power and politics, economic cost and benefit, advanced technology, individual skills and organizational know-how, organizational identity and belief systems, group norms, personal style, and organizational structure and accountability in managing change.

Managing Conflict and Disagreement 

Managing conflict is a critical part of every manager’s job. This highly interactive seminar provides practice in the basis of using key techniques to resolve conflict in today’s organizations. Participants assess their own conflict management styles and practice effective communication and listening techniques, trust building, and constructive framing of issues to assist in resolution. Conflict strategy choices include claiming maximum value for self or creating value for all parties. Negotiation techniques include identifying issues and interests, compromise, trading off interests, and packaging proposals. 

Cutting Down Organizational Silos to Tackle Strategic Business Challenges

Participants learn how to collaborate to define and scope a strategic business challenge that involves two or more lines of business within their organization, including a SWOT analysis and stakeholder analysis.

Transformative Strategic Thinking 

In this course, participants will be exposed to a wide range of management, leadership, operating and communications strategies and will problem solve and apply learning through practical, real world applications in a global environment. This course supplies the understanding required to manage day-to-day challenges in an increasingly competitive environment. All sessions are highly interactive and contain collaborative activities to reinforce the learning of new strategies. 

Design Thinking     

Design Thinking is one of the most effective ways to strengthen your insights, thinking skills, and ability to innovate as a designer. Participants learn to launch successful and innovative design solutions across the spectrum of media, including web, print and packaging. Topics include prototyping and testing, rapid iteration, radical collaboration, empathetic observation, interviewing for empathy, persona mapping, assuming a beginner's mindset, introduction of complex problems, and testing and observation. 

Creating Winning Strategies: The Strategic Planning Process 

This course explores the methods used to create winning strategies that enable organizations to achieve their goals. An overview of the strategic planning process and review of examples of various planning methodologies are provided. Topics covered include industry and competitive assessments, SWOTT analysis, gap analysis, core competencies and their effective utilization, goal and objective prioritization balanced performance measures, strategic thinking techniques, strategic alliances, and planning contingencies.

Developing Managerial and Supervisory Skills 

This workshop examines the role of the manager and emphasizes the application of management functions in effective supervision. Participants examine and develop the skills and techniques that may be used in the work environment to improve effectiveness. Topics include an overview of management theories, the major functions associated with process management, decision-making, organizational culture, change management, effective communication strategies, mentoring and motivating employees, conflicts resolution and managing teams. 

Leadership Principles and Practice 

Using lectures and a sensitivity training laboratory, this course covers understanding oneself as a leader and others as individuals and members of working groups. It also analyzes the group process, including group leadership. 

Management Theory, Policy and Process 

This course introduces management theory, policy and process in a wide variety of organizational settings. The managerial functions and processes of planning, organizing, leading and controlling are presented and applied to demonstrate how the management of people and resources accomplishes organizational goals. 

Developing Managerial Effectiveness 

This course provides the latest techniques for improving managerial and supervisory skills and competencies. Topics include identifying the strengths in your personal style; communicating with others with others who have different styles; goal setting for results; understanding ground rules of different work cultures; horizontal management of quality, service, timeliness, innovation, and costs in the high-performing work system; sources of managerial power and influence; vertical relationships and empowerment; and negotiating for authority and resources. 
 
Becoming a Culturally Proficient Leader 
This course introduces the fundamental concepts of cultural proficiency, a framework for leadership and decision-making that addresses differences among diverse cultures and the need to service the unique needs and expectations of these cultures both within the organizational workplace and for external customers. Instruction focuses on understanding the six levels of behaviors, practices, and policies that exist along the cultural continuum and using this understanding to identify cultural proficiency issues that exist within your organization, with an emphasis on under-served cultures. Enhanced definitions of diversity and culture also are addressed in the context of customer service. 

Management and Supervision 

This course examines the role of the first-line manager and/or supervisor within the organization and emphasizes the application of management functions in effective supervision. Participants examine and develop the skills and techniques that may be used in the work environment to improve effectiveness. Topics include an overview of management theories, the major functions associated with process management, decision-making, organizational culture, change management, communication, leadership motivation, and group development. 

The Business of Creativity in Leadership 

Today’s professional and personal challenges demand ever-increasing creativity to achieve major breakthroughs and change. While creativity is within everyone, it is often suppressed by hidden blocks and unconscious habits. This course helps you recognize and remove these impediments so that you can access your creativity more consistently and effectively. The approach, taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for more than two decades, goes deeply into the ideas, introspection and behaviors that allow you to apply your creativity and be more relaxed, productive, and happy. The tools and daily practices help increase professional effectiveness; improve decision-making and build greater insights into one’s leadership ability. 

Making Your Message Clear 

Whether you are speaking to an audience of one or 100, identifying your message and staying focused on it is very important to clear and effective communication. In a safe environment, participants in this course learn skills that can help them to avoid the pitfalls of defensive listening and self-conscious thinking. They are taught techniques that can help them get to the point, organize their thoughts, and present their products and ideas in a way that persuades and connects them with the listener.

Increasing Productivity through Performance Management 

Applying scientific behavior modification principles and methods to increase individual and group productivity on the job, this course looks at novel, practical and successful ways to with such work problems as absenteeism, tardiness, insubordination, grievances, complaints, loafing and production slowdowns. It is recommended for managers and supervisors at all organizational levels. 

New Project Management 

This course introduces a new set of core competencies for successful project management in organization climates characterized by downsizing, outsourcing employee empowerment, and continual change. Emphasis is on the importance if project pre-planning, team structure and team building, and negotiating. 
 
Leading Teams for High Performance 

This course introduces the participant to the major concepts of development of groups and trams and the behaviors which impact upon group processes and productivity. Emphasis is on the methods for improving cooperation and collaboration of team members, thereby improving their performance and productivity. 

Monitoring and Controlling Workflow 

The pressure to produce has made time an increasingly valuable commodity to organizations. A key ingredient to managerial/supervisory effectiveness is the ability to stay organized while monitoring and controlling the work of others in a timely, efficient manner. In this course, participants learn how to increase their personal productivity using proven time-management, goal setting, and delegating techniques. Specific methods for monitoring and controlling workflow and evaluating results are presented. Participants assess and examine their personal work habits and assumptions about time. 
 
Project Management that Works 

Making certain that projects achieve their objectives, meet deadlines, and come in within budget can be a daunting but rewarding challenge. This seminar provides managers with proven tools, concepts, and ways of thinking about projects that considerably enhance the likelihood that their projects will be completely successful. While this course is useful for anyone who needs an overview of how projects can be planned, executed, and controlled successfully, it is especially designed for those who are relatively new to the world of project management. 

Creating High-Performance Teams 

Team-based management and the use of self-directed teams have proven to be successful approaches for coping with challenges facing today’s organizations. Managers and supervisors need to be able to build and utilize successful teams that function independently and harness the collective strengths of the entire workforce. In this seminar, participants examine the principles of team building, learn to set up an internal framework to support team progress, and develop related problem-solving methods. 

With the entertainment industry converging into a worldwide mass media, both business and operation models continue to rapidly evolve. Instruction focuses on current business and production issues, and introduces new business models to navigate content onto new distribution platforms. Topics include financing, contracts, intellectual property issues, licensing, worldwide theatrical marketing and distribution, worldwide home entertainment marketing and distribution, worldwide television production and distribution, multi-channel network distribution and opportunities, the impact of piracy, and leveraging new distribution platforms.