Lean Six Sigma FAQ
Lean Six Sigma Training and Certification Courses
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Who is the certifying/accrediting organization for the Lean Six Sigma training/certification course?
Both the training and certification courses are not offered through an accrediting organization. Rather, they are offered by Baylor University (Baylor Continuing Education) through the Robbins Institute for Health Policy and Leadership. The Robbins Institute for Health Policy and Leadership has partnered with a Lean Six Sigma Certified Master Black Belt, Mr. David “Scott” Hencshel, to provide instruction for both training and certification.
2. Who is the instructor?
The course instructor is Mr. David “Scott” Hencshel. Mr. Hencshel is a Certified Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Master Black Belt with over 30 years of experience in healthcare leadership, business transformation, strategic planning, process improvement, change management, and education. He currently serves as the Improvement Sciences Branch Chief for the Office of Strategy Management, Defense Health Agency, and previously served as the Senior LSS Master Black Belt and LSS Deployment Director for the U.S. Army Medical Command, Office of the Surgeon General. Mr. Hencshel’s biography and curriculum vitae can be found here: Scott Hencshel Bio
3. What is the difference between Lean Six Sigma training and certification?
Lean Six Sigma training provides students with an understanding of Lean Six Sigma processes and tools, to include the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) cycle of process improvement. Students earn their LSS belt (green or black) after completing the qualifying exam at the end of the course.
Earning Lean Six Sigma certification requires students to apply the LSS processes and tools to a real-world project (known as a “gated project”). Gated projects require a project sponsor (usually from the student’s organization) and review and approval at each of the five LSS tollgates (DMAIC) by the project sponsor and the Master Black Belt. Generally, gated projects are large, complex problems that must use data to solve. The completion time for certification depends on the complexity of the project, but usually runs between 6 months to a year.
4. Can I call myself a Lean Six Sigma green or black belt (and include the title on my resume) after I complete the training course, or do I have to complete the certification course before doing so?
Students who complete the training course earn their Lean Six Sigma belt (green or black). Completion of the certification course is not required to earn your belt. Those interested in pursuing a higher level of proficiency and recognition as a certified belt are encouraged to complete the certification course.
5. What teaching modality is the Lean Six Sigma training offered?
The Lean Six Sigma training course is conducted online synchronously. That is, all classes are online but with a live instructor where students participate in a virtual classroom at the same time.
6. Do I need to take the green belt training before the black belt training?
It depends. Students who’ve taken a graduate level course in statistics can move directly into the LSS black belt course. Students without a graduate level course in statistics must complete the LSS green belt course prior to enrolling in the black belt course.
7. I'm not in healthcare. Can I take the healthcare Lean Six Sigma course?
Due to limited capacity in the healthcare LSS course, those outside the healthcare industry are not allowed to take the healthcare LSS course at this time.
8. When are the Lean Six Sigma training courses offered?
- Black Belt Training (healthcare): May
9. When are the Lean Six Sigma certification courses offered?
- Information Session: September
- Course Start: October
10. How long is the Lean Six Sigma training?
The LSS Black Belt training course consists of 18 contact hours spread over 4 days (two Friday evenings and two Saturday mornings).
11. What are the costs of the Lean Six Sigma training? The certification course?
| Course | Student Price | Baylor Alumni Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | $799 | $699 |
| Lean Six Sigma Certification (Green or Black) | $2,000 | $1,800 |
12. How do I register for the courses?
- Step 1: Visit the Baylor Continuing Education website and select the course.
- Step 2: In the course description, click on the "ADD TO CART" button.
- Step 3: If you have not taken a Baylor Continuing Education course in the past choose, Create a New Profile by scrolling under the "sign in" box (no membership purchase necessary); the red asterisk denotes the required information.
- Step 4: Go to your cart and complete the checkout process paying by credit card. You will receive confirmation emails from Instructure Canvas that will give you access to the online course environment.
If you have any problems, please email continuing_education@baylor.edu
Questions About Certification
1. What is the difference between Lean Six Sigma training and certification?
Lean Six Sigma training provides students with an understanding of lean six sigma processes and tools, to include the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) cycle of process improvement. Students earn their LSS belt (green or black) after completing the qualifying exam at the end of the course.
Earning Lean Six Sigma certification requires students to apply the LSS processes and tools to a real-world project (known as a “gated project”). Gated projects require a project sponsor (usually from the student’s organization) and review and approval at each of the five LSS tollgates (DMAIC) by the project sponsor and the Master Black Belt. Generally, gated projects are large, complex problems that must use data to solve. The completion time for certification depends on the complexity of the project, but usually runs between 6 months to a year.
2. Why should I pursue LSS certification?
Earning your certification through completion of a real-world LSS project not only reinforces the concepts learned in the training course (people learn best by doing) but is personally and professionally rewarding.
It is a win for the student as they receive a “certification”, fully demonstrating their proficiency in LSS DMAIC methodology. Certification also increases their desirability by employers and potentially increases their salary.
It is a win for their employer as project results can be tied to financials (e.g. revenue generation, cost avoidance, cost savings), operational benefits (e.g. time saved, complexity reduction, steps eliminated, square footage saved, distance travelled), and other benefits (e.g. employee satisfaction, customer/patient satisfaction, staff satisfaction).
3. What are the prerequisites for LSS certification?
The training course is a prerequisite to the certification course. During the training certificate course, you’ll learn the tools and processes of Lean Six Sigma. In the certification course, the student will apply the tools to a real-world project. Successful completion of both the training and certification courses will result in earning the Lean Six Sigma certification.
4. What is the difference between Baylor’s approach to certification and other certifying agency approaches?
Many certifying agencies offer certification by passing an exam. However, Baylor takes a more rigorous approach by requiring the application of the LSS processes and tools to a real-world project. We believe earning a certification by completing a real-world project provides the individual with the confidence that he or she can truly apply these tools to real problems in the workplace rather than understanding them at the knowledge level.
