Graduate Certificates in Data Science and Product Management

Students will become familiar with the field of data science, its applications and use cases. Students will learn relevant statistical topics with applications in data science. Credits: 4

Students will learn to write and read Python and R programming codes for exploring, summarizing and visualizing numerical, categorical, date and text data. Credits: 4

Learn to use industry-leading software to “tell the story of the data” by creating graphical summaries using Tableau and interactive dashboards using R Shiny. Credits: 4

New product development is a continuum of activities starting with the initial conceptualization of a new product through to successful product launch. This course introduces students to the range of activities along the new product development pathway, including ideation and concept development, concept refinement, detailed product design and engineering, design for manufacturability, design for usability, prototyping, scale-up and launch. It introduces multiple tools (used in different industries) to manage product development activities, including phase gate systems, agile development for software, lean development for products, etc. It also introduces scheduling, budgeting and monitoring tools to project and measure new product programs. Credits: 4

A product manager sits at the center of a complex web of interconnections and relationships that define successful products. This course introduces students to the various skills a product manager must deploy for product success, including product definition, positioning, pricing, placement and promotion. It also introduces the relationship skills needed to manage cross-functional interactions and indirect and virtual teams. The course also includes an overview of the financial tools used to guide product realization and financial metrics used to measure product success. Credits: 4

Innovation is at the very core of life sciences, which are based heavily on cutting-edge science and technology. At the same time, innovation is very challenging in life sciences settings, due to the heavily regulated environment. This course introduces students to the tools and techniques used in life sciences settings to allow for innovation to flourish while maintaining the tight controls necessary in a critical-to-life industry. Topics include general innovation tools like ideation and design thinking as well as more specific tools such as open innovation and design contests. Additional topics include product lifecycle management and regulated product utilization management. Credits: 2

This course will introduce students to the regulatory aspects of product development in life sciences, such as Quality System Regulation 21CFR Part 820 and Design Controls. It also introduces the premarket approval process with the FDA, including 510K, PMA, etc. Also addressed are the regulatory aspects of marketing claims, including evidence-based claims, approved indications and off-label usage. The arcane process of reimbursement (getting paid) for life sciences products is also introduced. Also covered are the unique aspects of intellectual property (IP) in life sciences. Credits: 2

Innovation is the lifeblood of software, web and mobile applications. These industries evolve at an unparalleled pace. This course introduces students to the tools and techniques that allow firms to innovate successfully in this fast-paced environment. There is a special focus on software and online-specific development methods like Agile Software Development and hackathons, as well as user-driven innovation and design. Additional topics include available online business models, product lifecycle management, and privacy and data security implications. Credits: 2

Design thinking is a systematic approach to innovation and creative problem-solving that can be used in many disciplines. This course will introduce the tools and methods that underpin design thinking, providing students “…the ability to combine empathy for the context of a problem, creativity in the generation of insights and solutions and rationality to analyze and fit solutions to the context” [David Kelley, founder IDEO]. Included are techniques to understand users’ motivations and to gather deep insights, as well as ways to learn from failure: innovation entails taking risks and trying new things. Also included are introductions to communication methods central to innovation including visual storytelling and video prototyping. Credits: 2

Innovation is the lifeblood of many business domains. The Agile methodology was developed to help manage projects and innovation in fast-paced environments. Originally deployed in software development, the Agile approach is beneficial in many project and innovation management situations. This course covers the many facets of Agile projects and innovation including user-driven innovation and design, as well as software and online-specific development methods. Additional topics include Scrums and Sprints, Innovation IdeaScrums, Kanban, Social Workflows, and Product Lifecycles. Credits: 2

Design thinking is a systematic approach to innovation and creative problem-solving that can be used in many disciplines. This course will introduce the tools and methods that underpin design thinking, providing students “…the ability to combine empathy for the context of a problem, creativity in the generation of insights and solutions and rationality to analyze and fit solutions to the context” [David Kelley, founder IDEO]. Included are techniques to understand users’ motivations and to gather deep insights, as well as ways to learn from failure: innovation entails taking risks and trying new things. Also included are introductions to communication methods central to innovation including visual storytelling and video prototyping. Credits: 2