5 Reasons to Earn a Graduate Business Certificate
Baylor’s new Online Certificate Program offers working professionals a unique opportunity to take their career to the next level.
5 Reasons to Earn a Graduate Business Certificate
An MBA is a remarkably effective tool for career advancement, but it is not the right fit for every professional at every stage of their career.
In response to an industry shift toward more specialized, streamlined business programs, Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business and Graduate Business Programs have combined forces to create a certificate program tailor-made for working professionals with different goals than an MBA student.
If you are looking for a competitive edge, here are five reasons to consider pursuing a graduate business certificate:
1. Improve effectiveness in your current role.
Whether you are forging a career in supply chain management or climbing the ladder in a marketing function, you will benefit from the specialized knowledge and skills a certificate provides. MBA and undergraduate business degrees are designed to offer a broad, varied education, not plunge students into the depths of specific areas of business. Through the Online Certificate Program, you will develop expertise in advanced topics that fills gaps in knowledge—even if you already have a business degree. You will gain the tools you need to become more effective in your current role and advance within your company or field.
2. Acquire skills needed to change direction.
If you are interested in pivoting to a new field, a graduate business certificate offers a fast, convenient way to build or strengthen a specific set of skills. This additional credential demonstrates to future employers that you possess the knowledge and drive to take on a new challenge.
3. Maximize flexibility; minimize time and cost.
Offered 100 percent online, a graduate business certificate affords the flexibility to complete 12 credit hours from anywhere on your schedule. Instead of investing time and money in a degree program, you will burnish your credentials in as little as four months at a fraction of the cost.
4. Learn alongside a diverse cohort.
Certificate students learn in the same virtual classroom as degree-track students, but the ease and flexibility of the Online Certificate Program expand access to a richer, more diverse pool of students who might not have considered a degree program. The wider variety of backgrounds and industry insights improves the learning environment for every student, and the consistency of admissions criteria used to evaluate degree-track and certificate students ensures that the caliber of student is the same.
5. Get a head start on an MBA
If you are interested in pursuing an MBA down the road, the Online Certificate Program provides a solid start. The 12 credit hours needed to complete a graduate business certificate can be applied to an MBA, creating the option of a “stackable” degree. If you are unsure about whether an MBA is right for you, getting a taste of the degree program by taking courses alongside MBA students will help you make a more informed decision.
Baylor currently offers the following graduate business certificates:
- ISEC 5405 Cyber Security Fundamentals
- ISEC 5430 Organizational Strategies for Cyber Security
- MIS 5450 Managing Information Technology in the Business Enterprise
- BUS 5460 Communicating with Data
- BUS 5490 Strategic Communication
- MGT 5402 Negotiations
Global Trade and Supply Chain Management
- BL 5445 Global Trade Compliance Strategy
- MGT 5445 Global Supply Chain Strategy
- MGT 5420 Operations Management
- MKT 5410 Strategic Marketing
- MKT 5440 Strategic Brand Management
- MKT 5460 Marketing Analytics
What's Next
Are you ready for more real-world applications in your own workplace? Fill out the form below to speak directly with an admissions advisor.
