Unique W. P. Carey partnership launches 12-week digital consulting certificate

Faculty from the Department of Information Systems in ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business will provide instruction in a new certificate co-developed by the university and Cognizant, a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process services. The Cognizant Digital Business Analyst Certificate Program will offer students 12 weeks of training designed to prepare them for new careers in consulting.

Faculty from the Department of Information Systems in ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business will provide instruction in a new certificate co-developed by the university and Cognizant, a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process services. The Cognizant Digital Business Analyst Certificate Program will offer students 12 weeks of training designed to prepare them for new careers in consulting.

The program is open to — and designed for — recent college graduates and others seeking to make a career change, and will address a growing labor gap in the consulting industry. In fact, one of the principal reasons Cognizant values the partnership so highly is so it can interview graduates of the program for open positions within the company — an opportunity available to each student who completes the certificate. Cognizant is also eliminating all the financial burden, paying the tuition cost and fees for every enrolled student in 2019.

"Collaborations like this are one of the reasons ASU has been ranked the most innovative university in America by U.S. News & World Report the past four years," said Amy Hillman, dean of the W. P. Carey School. "ASU and the W. P. Carey School are constantly engaging corporate partners to better align what students learn with the skills and expertise the marketplace and employers are looking for. This program is just a natural extension of that thinking, and as it becomes successful and scalable, I would expect other companies to follow Cognizant's lead and approach ASU about solutions for their organizations.”

The certificate program welcomes its first class this March, with a four-module curriculum delivered 100% online. Additional 12-week cohorts are planned for later in the year. The curriculum, taught by W. P. Carey faculty in the Department of Information Systems, will deliver the skills that are most important to the role of an entry-level business analyst. Students will also benefit by gaining real-life insights from actual consulting professionals, who will be teaching parts of the course.

The four modules — Fundamentals of Business Analysis, Fundamentals of Project Management, Digital Enterprise Foundations, and Business Modeling Tools and Techniques — will culminate with a two-day in-person workshop at ASU’s Tempe campus. Like the tuition cost, travel and lodging (if required) will be paid by Cognizant.

Although Cognizant plans to hire graduates from the program, it is not a boot camp for the company; the skills students will gain covers the competencies expected of entry-level consultants in a broad range of IT consulting firms.

Learn more about the Cognizant Digital Business Analyst Certificate Program and start your application process today.