Certificate in Workplace Competencies

A Pivotal Credential to Add to Your Resume

Numerous studies have shown that employers want their new hires with graduate and professional degrees to be well-versed in essential professional skills in written and verbal communication, presentation-building, managing new initiatives, and working on diverse teams. With this certificate program, you’ll build the competencies that will differentiate you in the job search and on the job.

The certificate program is designed for doctoral and Master’s students in all disciplines as well as working professionals with bachelor’s degrees, who want to build key workplace skills to promote professional success.

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Certificate Requirements

The certificate program requires the completion of 12 credit hours including 6 credit hours of required core courses and 6 credit hours of electives.

Core Courses – Required (6 credit hours)

  • GRAD 6340 – Data Analysis and Presentation for Impact (2.0 credits)
  • GRAD 6320 – Personal Career Branding: Identity, Management, & Promotion (2.0 credits)
  • GRAD 6304 – Intrapreneurship for Non-Business Majors (2.0 credits)

*Substitutions for core courses will be considered.

Elective Courses – (6 credit hours)

Select from the following:

  • ENGL 6116 – Technical/Professional Writing (2.0 credits)
  • GRAD 6330 – Workplace Communications (2.0 credits)
  • MBAD 6161 – Human Behavior in Organizations (3.0 credits)
  • MDAD 6165 – Negotiation and Conflict Management (3.0 credits)
  • MBAD 6279 – Design Thinking and Innovation (3.0 credits)

*Additional courses may qualify as electives.

Certificate Total = 12 credit hours

Course Descriptions

GRAD 6340 – Data Analysis and Presentation for Impact

Students learn to gather, organize, and present data for understanding and impact. They then use this data to answer questions and test hypotheses; make predictions; and for sensitivity analysis and decision-making.

GRAD 6320 – Personal Career Branding: Identity, Management, & Promotion

Students will learn how to identify meaningful career paths, manage their preparation for various careers, and understand how to best promote themselves to future employers. Students will also gain practice and knowledge around their strengths, values, personality, effective communication, and organizational evaluation as it relates to their professional career journey. Developing and practicing core career competencies will contribute to students’ overall career brand, confidence level around their career path, and their connection to targeted industries of choice.

GRAD 6050 – Intrapreneurship for Non-Business Majors

Introduces the concepts and application of intrapreneurship (organizational internal entrepreneurship) to utilize the student’s disciplinary expertise in an organization. The basics of the practice of entrepreneurship in and by organizations in three ways are covered. First, why internal entrepreneurship? Second, what are the challenges for innovation within an organization? Third, how do you become entrepreneurial?

ENGL 6116 – Technical/Professional Writing

An introduction to the theoretical and practical exploration of key issues and developments in the field of technical/professional writing. Students will write and publish print and online documents by rhetorically integrating text and graphics.

GRAD 6330 – Workplace Communications

The principles of good communication in the workplace, focus on the special needs of writing in technical fields such as health, the sciences, and business. Emphasis is placed on communicating effectively in an increasingly diverse world.

MBAD 6161 – Human Behavior in Organizations

Behavioral knowledge and skills essential to becoming an effective manager/leader including behavior and motivation in an environment of complexity and rapid change and ethical implications of actions and their effects on a demographically diverse and increasingly international workforce.

MDAD 6165 – Negotiation and Conflict Management

Negotiation is the art and science of securing an agreement between two or more independent parties. Conflict management involves resolving situations where the interests of two or more parties differ. Involves developing a repertoire of skills and techniques for negotiation and conflict management to develop a systematic and positive approach to negotiating with multiple stakeholders. Case studies, readings, and simulations are used.

MBAD 6279 – Design Thinking and Innovation

The theoretical and practical components of innovation. Introduction to design thinking and the innovation process from idea generation to early design to declaration of importance to delivery to the end user. Implementation of innovations.

Admission Requirements

  • A bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from a regionally accredited college or university
  • A cumulative GPA of 2.75 (out of a 4-point scale) for all work completed beyond high school
  • An online application through the Graduate School’s application system
  • A statement of purpose
  • Unofficial transcripts of all college coursework attempted
  • Official and satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), if English is not the applicant’s native language and he or she has not earned a post-secondary degree from a U.S. institution

Questions?

For more information, contact the Certificate in Workplace Competencies Graduate Program Director, Dr. Jill Huerta at jhuerta2@charlotte.edu.