Certificate Programs

School of Continuing Studies certificate programs consist of a short series of courses that allow students to develop a specialized skill set or gain a deeper understanding of a unique facet in a field of study. For degree-seeking students, courses within a certificate program may be taken for credit and applied toward a degree either as elective credits or as part of a major if applicable. For non-degree-seeking students, courses must be taken for credit in order to appear on a transcript. Non-credit-bearing courses will not appear on a transcript. Certificates are awarded upon successful completion of the entire series of courses.  

Certificate in Accounting

Whitworth's Certificate in Accounting is designed to help you learn the accounting principles you need to take the CPA exam. You can complete the accounting certificate on its own in just 16 months if you’ve already taken the prerequisite courses or earn it as part of a bachelor's degree program. The 24-credit series begins in January each even-numbered year; prerequisite courses begin in August on odd-numbered years.

The learning outcomes of the accounting certificate prepare the student to:

1. Communicate complex financial results
2. Be conversant with ethical foundations in the field of accounting
3. Use financial results to make financial recommendations in business situations 
4. Participate in corporate level decision making

In order to take the CPA exam in the state of Washington, candidates must meet the following education requirements:
At least 150 credits of college education, including...

• A baccalaureate degree or higher; 
• 24 credits in accounting subjects (15 at the upper level or graduate level); and
• 24 credits in business administration subjects

Operations Management and Six Sigma Certification

Operations Management and Six Sigma Certificate is designed to develop valuable professional skills that will help students add value to any organization through dynamic people and change management skills coupled with the highest level of lean management through Six Sigma certification. 

The learning outcomes of the Operations Management  and Six Sigma certificate prepare the student to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of optimizing business processes through lean management utilizing the Six Sigma model in order to reduce defects/errors while increasing quality and efficiency.
2. Use appropriate industry standard tools to answer complex strategic planning questions.
3. Clearly communicate to others the challenge or opportunity, the proposed solution(s), and effectively manage change in a people-centric manner.

Certificate in Brewing Science & Operations

The Brewing Science & Operations Certificate is designed as a 14-credit, one-year program, offered through the School of Continuing Studies, that requires four courses and internship hours (for credit). In general, these courses will meet one weekday evening per week in addition to two full Saturdays to facilitate a balance between knowledge acquisition and practical use of the brewing equipment. We have designed the program to begin once per year, in August, with cohorts moving through the program together, finishing the following May. We believe that keeping these cohorts capped to 12 students per year will maximize student time on the brewing equipment, optimize community between those student cohorts, and increase networking capabilities of students with regional craft brewers.

The learning outcomes of the brewing science & operations certificate prepare students to:

1. Show proficiency and creativity in craft brewing by being able to articulate the important knowledge as well as demonstrate the relevant skills necessary for successful brewing.
2. Understand general concepts surrounding best practices in running a small brewing business in an efficient and ethical manner.
3. Be able to articulate the cultural and social implications of being successful in an industry that, in addition to product success, must acknowledge the mindful behaviors between responsible consumption and addiction.

The AI for Business certificate is designed to enhance understanding and application of AI concepts across various disciplines, without the need for a technical background in computer science or data science. By the completion of this program, students will acquire a diverse set of skills and insights into AI, preparing them for thoughtful integration of AI technologies in their respective fields.

Studying business analytics is essential in today's data-driven world, as it empowers individuals to harness the power of data to make informed decisions, drive business growth, and gain a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

The Business Analytics program equips students with essential data analysis skills, including proficiency in SQL and Tableau. Through the use of low-code business analytics tools like spreadsheets and dashboards, students can tackle a wide range of business challenges.

This Supply Chain Management offering is intended to integrate with existing business curriculum to provide students with polished skills that allow them to contribute to the operations or logistics departments of their organizations on Day 1. Designed by practitioners, it builds practical skills that will help ensure that students make impactful employees and are primed for a career in supply chain management.

Digital Marketing is a highly competency-based domain. The ability to show prospective employers that you have mastered particular skills - as verified by respected observers - will provide graduates of this program with a distinct advantage in the hiring process.

Upon completion of this major, students will have attained certifications from Hubspot and Google. Hubspot is a widely-used marketing software, and their digital marketing certifications are an industry for showing competency in foundational digital marketing concepts, as well as basic exposure to their popular tools. Google Analytics and Google Ads are essential for digital marketing analytics, growth marketing, and Search Engine Strategy (SEM). All of these certificates are industry standards and their completion signals to employers that students have attained hands-on experience in widely used industry tools.

The Human Resource Management program is designed to develop and focus the skills most needed and requested by HR employers. These skills build on top of analytical skills developed by the business major core; please see the HRM Curriculum Overview document for more details. The focus of these classes are to both build a deep awareness of the legislative landscape in which HR professionals must perform, as well as the capabilities to build robust training and support processes and meaningfully assess the impact of HR initiatives.