Villanova certificates cover nine fields of study. Among them are project management, finance and accounting for the non-financial manager; leadership; human resources; business analysis; and contract management. Additionally, certificates are given in software testing, information systems security, ROI methodology and Six Sigma and Lean. The latter refers to Six Sigma, a concentrated and highly structured productivity discipline that virtually eliminates service and product failure rates, and Lean strategies and approaches that resolve and prevent serious problems in business processes.
Villanova's single-course certifications allow students to pursue those courses from among the 34 offered that best fit their particular needs. Courses can be taken from each of the nine disciplines offered online. For example, a student may not be interested in a multicourse certificate in contract management but might want to take the Essentials of Government Contract or Commercial Contract Management courses. The single-course certification provides students a smorgasbord of opportunities to enhance their skills in a variety of areas.
The 19 multicourse online master certificates or advanced master certifications offered by Villanova are non-degree courses of study specifically intended for managers or others seeking to enhance their knowledge and work as they prepare for professional industry certification. The online programs are structured to allow working professionals to complete the multicourse certification at their convenience.
The Six Sigma master certification combines both the Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing techniques and principles into a single, all-inclusive program that can be taken with broad or specific approaches and methodologies in three industries: health care, financial services and information technology. The program, born from the Total Quality Management teachings of the 1980s, eliminates product defects as well as six explicit kinds of waste. The industry-specific programs aim to eliminate procedures and processes that do not add value to the operation. For example, a 2007 study by the American College of Chest Physicians (http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/acoc-ssd101607.php) reports that instituting the Six Sigma program resulted in a decline of in-patient deaths and hospital stays and an increase in financial savings and improved compliance.
Students who have earned a master certificate in Six Sigma can enroll in the advanced master certificate program in Lean Six Sigma. The advanced program offers a "holistic approach," allowing students to examine their business or industry from an all-encompassing perspective that aids them in implementing the Six Sigma techniques and principles throughout the enterprise. Additionally, the program provides skills and knowledge for students to become mentors inside their particular organization.