Bearcat Business Academy

Bearcat Business Academy is a three-year program. 

Fall and Spring: College Success, Career Planning, and Life Exploration 

These courses prepare students for the transition to higher education and the professional world through a comprehensive exploration of college systems and career development. Students develop essential academic success habits, including goal setting, educational planning, and stress management, while mastering critical thinking and study strategies. The curriculum emphasizes self-assessment and career investigation, providing hands-on experience with resume writing, job search strategies, and interviewing skills. By integrating personal growth with professional planning, students build a clear roadmap for lifelong academic and career success.

• Grade Level(s): 9-10
• Credits and Length: Full Year; 10 credits (5 per semester)
• Dual Enrollment: 3 college units per semester awarded for grades of C or better and are permanently recorded on the college transcript.
• Graduation Requirement Area: CTE; G Elective Credit (1 Year)
• California CTE course
• Prerequisites: None

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Business/Entrepreneurship

The SMUHSD Business/Entrepreneurship Pathway is a four-course Dual Enrollment sequence with Skyline College. Students move from ideation and business planning to operational management and digital marketing. The curriculum emphasizes work-based learning and honors-level credit.

Year One: Launch Your Business

In the first year of the Entrepreneurship Pathway, titled "Launch Your Business," students focus on creativity, discovery, and ideation to learn how entrepreneurs turn raw ideas into viable ventures. The first semester, BUS 161 (Creativity & Innovation in Entrepreneurship), introduces the entrepreneurial mindset through design thinking, customer empathy interviews, and rapid ideation cycles to identify and validate real-world problems. During the second semester, BUS 166 (The Business Plan), students transition into the Lean Startup methodology, iteratively testing assumptions and designing minimum viable prototypes. By the end of the year, students will have developed foundational skills in business modeling and research, culminating in the creation of a professional 10-slide investor pitch deck presented to industry leaders.

Year Two Grow Your Business

In the second year, "Grow Your Business," shifts the focus toward operational mastery, marketing, and scaling sustainable ventures. In the fall semester, BUS 150 (Small Business Management), students move from designing a business to actually operating one, utilizing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to manage workflows, lead teams, and track finances through tools like QuickBooks Online. The pathway concludes in the spring with BUS 193 (Digital & Social Media Marketing), where students learn to expand their customer base using social media strategy, data analytics, and content planning. Throughout the year, students gain significant hands-on experience by running and growing real or simulated School-Based Enterprises (SBE), mastering the disciplined systems and routines required to scale a business in a digital-first world.

Pathway Details

• Year Two and Year Three Pathway Specifics
  • Dual Enrollment Courses
    • Year Two (Skyline College)
      • BUS 161 (Creativity & Innovation in Entrepreneurship) 
      • BUS 166 (The Business Plan) 
    • Year Three (Skyline College)
      • BUS 150 (Small Business Management)
      • BUS 193 (Digital & Social Media Marketing)