Process & Performance Excellence

Academic Certificate

The University of Idaho offers academic certificates in various academic disciplines. An academic certificate is a coherent body of work designed to reflect specialized expertise. Earning a certificate may provide professional advancement opportunities and build a strong foundation for future graduate study. Certificate courses already exist in the graduate curricula, and all required courses are delivered online by Engineering Outreach.

While not solely reliant on Six Sigma theory and methods, Six Sigma nonetheless plays an essential role in Process & Performance Excellence and drives financial and other results considered critical by leading organizations around the globe. Six Sigma is a highly structured strategy for acquiring, assessing and applying customer, competitor, and enterprise intelligence for the purposes of achieving superior innovations in or design of products, processes or systems. This program integrates and emphasizes the dominant tools and strategies employed in innovation and design applications of Six Sigma. Program content is consistent with the body of knowledge associated with Six Sigma Black Belt Certification and addresses Six Sigma's DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) and DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) approaches to innovation and design with other key program elements including Project Management and Lean Manufacturing / Lean Enterprise. Elective courses listed are intended to accommodate the applications and intersections of Six Sigma with business, engineering, and other environments.

Prerequisites

Undergraduate and nondegree students must meet the minimum GPA admission requirement of 3.0 or higher in an undergraduate degree program to enroll in 500-level courses; undergraduates must also have senior standing;
Sufficient background in statistics as determined by the certificate coordinator, including successful completion of Stat 401 Statistical Analysis;
Admission to the University of Idaho;
All students must submit the Academic Certificate Declaration on page 2 of the Change of Curriculum form to the certificate coordinator for department chair approval;
Review Steps to Certificate Completion
Students must contact the certificate coordinator to discuss background qualifications prior to starting the certificate.

Course Selection
This academic certificate consists of 12 credits selected from the courses listed below and approved by the certificate coordinator. Refer to the University of Idaho General Catalog for course descriptions and prerequisite requirements. Graduate (500-level) courses may require permission from the instructor prior to registration; and some courses may require use of Minitab software. Students must earn a grade of 'C' or better in each course to qualify for this certificate; course work may not be more than five (5) years old unless it is being used in conjunction with the completion of a graduate degree. View the current Engineering Outreach courses and watch a sample session.

Required courses (9 credits)		Credits
STAT 446 / BUS 446	Six Sigma Innovation
STAT 507	Experimental Design	3
STAT 511 / BUS 531	Design for Six Sigma and Lean Management	3
Electives (3 credits)
EM 504	Special Topic: Lean Management	3
ME 577	Design for Manufacture and Assembly	3
ME 583 / CE 541	Reliability of Engineering Systems	3
STAT 422	Sample Survey Methods	3
STAT 456 / BUS 456	Quality Management	3
STAT 519	Multivariate Analysis	3
Other Electives	As approved by the certificate coordinator	3

Certificate Coordinator
Christopher Williams, Professor and Department Chair
Department of Statistical Science
Phone: (800) 824-2889, press 1, ext. 2802