Top 5 Colleges for getting Six Sigma Certified

There are a lot of options for getting certified in Six Sigma.  One of the most common options is through a College or University.  While this option can be time consuming and expensive, it also has a lot of benefits.  The name recognition that comes from a top-tier University can really help open doors in the business community.  Fortune 500 companies often scan resumes for top-tier college data so that they can hire only the best talent.

In today’s hyper-competitive business environment, having the name of a top-tier school on your CV can really open doors.  Below is a list of the top 5 colleges for Six Sigma Certification.

1.      Villanova University – Consistently ranked among the top Six Sigma training colleges in the country, Villanova is a top choice if you’re looking to get certified.  As stated on their website: “Learn how to identify and apply Lean and Six Sigma tools to make groundbreaking improvements that could support enhancing your company’s bottom-line results. Begin with a Certificate in Lean Six Sigma from Villanova University.  Use proven Lean Six Sigma problem-solving methods and statistical tools, discover processes for collecting and analyzing data, how to assist Lean and Six Sigma implementation, and improve profits by reducing inefficiencies.” [Villanova Program]

2.      Purdue University – Purdue is known for their best-in-class Lean Six Sigma training and certificate program.  Their most popular option is the Lean Six Sigma Green belt, and the program is both respected and extensive.  Students receive CEUs for completing the programs.  Why is the program at Purdue so popular?  The online Lean Six Sigma Green Belt is designed for people with full schedules and little or no prior experience with Lean Six Sigma. It provides students with an introduction to the tools, techniques and methodologies that will empower them to lead Lean Six Sigma projects in their organizations. [Perdue Program]

3.      Drexel University Goodwin College – Consistent ranked as one of the best colleges in the Philadelphia region, Drexel offers a Lean Six Sigma Operational Excellence certification that is used by world-class companies around the world.  They offer a complete belt selection, White Belt, Yellow Belt, Green Belt, and Black Belt.  In these courses, you'll learn the guiding Lean Six Sigma principles to excel in business process and operational improvement. Goodwin's Six Sigma training in Philadelphia are traditionally offered in-person, with the exception of the Black Belt certification, which is also offered online. [Drexel Program]

4.      Penn State – Having Penn State on your resume is a serious credential.  Penn State is known for its business programs, and Lean Six Sigma is a critical elements of that training.  Lean Six Sigma is a fundamental for continuous improvement in any service industry, technology group, health care sector, office environment, or manufacturing business. This is a three-course certification program that blends classroom experience with hands-on activities to give participants a series of tools that can be applied immediately in their workplace environment.  A Penn State University certification is awarded upon completion of the three required courses. Courses must be taken in sequence and cannot be taken concurrently. [Penn State Program]

University of Michigan College of Engineering – Any credential from UoM college of engineering is going to stand out with recruiters.  For many years, only the top engineers in the country could attend a program like this.  That changed when University of Michigan launched their 100% online Six Sigma Green Belt program.  This program, specifically designed for manufacturing, provides some serious bang for the buck.  This course focuses on applications primarily drawn from manufacturing companies. Project results include increased throughput, improved equipment utilization, reduced maintenance costs, and more.  Some of the topics covered include: Integrating Lean and Six Sigma, Classic Forms of Waste, Kaizen, Requirements Flow Down, Linking Customers to Business Performance Metrics, SIPOC, Swimlane, Process Mapping Diagram, Descriptive Statistics (Sampling, Mean, Median, Variation), and more! [University of Michigan Program]

Conclusion

Remember, getting your certification from a college has benefits, but it isn’t required.  There are a lot of smaller training organizations online that offer a solid, professional certification.  SSCE is proud of the certification programs we designed and they carry a lot of weight within the process improvement community.  If you’re looking to get your Yellow, Green or Black Belt, be sure to check out our certifications as well!
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