SAP created software for businesses (SAP stands for 'systems, applications, and products') that many large companies use for a variety of business-management purposes. Students use SAP software to hone management and human resource skills throughout the university program while also learning about essential software programming skills to assist in many aspects of running a business. Students who complete SAP training are experienced in creating information warehouses, designing input screens, and accessing data tables. Certificate programs are available, as are internships, for students of any college level as part of the SAP University Alliance.

The following topics are typically covered in SAP courses:

• Data warehouses
• Business processes and scenarios
• Commodity management
• Billing
• Master data
• Inventory and delivery processes

SAP Business Information Warehouse

The focus of this course is to create warehouses where data can be saved in operating systems. Students become fluent in business warehouses (BWs), learn to understand the terminology and architecture of data warehouses, and study data acquisition and warehouse troubleshooting procedures; they also learn to set up desktop applications to locate data and create queries to research information. Usage of hands-on practicum and lectures are important teaching tools in this course.

Enterprise Software

Students examine the use of SAP R/3 enterprise software in businesses in this course. Topics include Workbench, R/3 Reference Models, R/3 Basis, and client-server architecture. Students analyze the different enterprise systems, from resource planning to production planning, and gain hands-on practice with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and textbooks. Courses of this type may require students to complete a project using ERP.

Sales and Distribution

Through the use of ERP, students set up a trading company and learn how to run a business. Studies may include distribution, logistics, accounts, and purchasing. The business management principles students learn in this course help them acquire necessary skills for working with billing, delivery, and sales. Students may be required to complete a report of their business at the end of the course.

ABAP Programming

This course focuses on SAP's programming language. Students learn how to create commands and subroutines using ABAP Workbench. Through textbooks and labs, students learn how to create output list reports, transactions, and business add-ins. Courses in SAP programming teach students a marketable skill and are usually available to take at any point during a degree program.

Supply Chain Software

Students practice SAP software through this course, using supply planning, navigation techniques, forecasting, and inventory systems. The objective of this course is to provide an overview of purchasing and logistic functions using SAP. Students practice what they learn through lectures and textbooks with SAP and ERP modules.