Information systems certificates at UAB expand training for IT professionals

Information system and technology professionals can expand their skills and gain vital knowledge in emerging areas through the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The UAB Collat School of Business is offering three new graduate certificates in high-demand areas of management information systems: cybersecurity, business analytics and information technology management.

“We have a lot of requests from companies looking for a way to train their employees quickly in these emerging areas,” said Paul Di Gangi, Ph.D., director of the Graduate Management Information Systems Program. “We realized we needed  to offer an alternative to complement the full master’s programs that offers professional training and education needed to enhance their careers.”

Companies like the idea of certificates, Di Gangi says, because their employees can immediately take courses with instant relevance to their daily work. Courses such as data visualization, cyber-attacks and threat mitigation align with the growing need for presenting information in user-friendly ways and protecting organizations from threats.

“The program is modular and flexible, allowing students to try graduate courses and gauge their interest in our master’s program,” Di Gangi said. “Certificates allow students to really customize their education based on their individual needs.”

The Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Management is designed to improve a working professional’s understanding of the field of cybersecurity and the role security plays in the modern organizational environment. The emphasis is on the managerial aspects of cybersecurity, including security strategy and planning, policy development, risk and vulnerability assessment and management, and managing under uncertainty during security incidents.

The Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics with Information Technology is designed to improve a working professional’s understanding of the strategic role analytics plays in the modern organizational environment. The emphasis is on the application of IT tools for business analytics and its alignment with organizational strategy, data-driven decision-making, and the visualization of data analysis for presentation to key organizational stakeholders. Students will gain an understanding of fundamental analytics concepts, the process of extracting, transforming and loading data from a variety of sources into management data marts that can be used for analysis by organizations, and the use of IT tools in the analytics field.

The Graduate Certificate in Information Technology Management is designed to improve a working professional’s understanding of the strategic role technology plays in the modern organizational environment. The emphasis is on the managerial application of technology in business and its alignment with organizational strategy, key stakeholders, and the translation of strategy into operational activities. Students will gain understanding of organizational strategy, leadership and persuasion techniques, financial budgeting and decision-making with resource constraints, regulatory requirements and compliance procedures, and managing business operations under uncertainty.

Entry requirements for the graduate certificate programs are the same as the requirements to be accepted as a non-degree-seeking student in the UAB Graduate School. Students are required to complete five courses, typically two per semester, so the certificates can be earned in less than a year and can be earned entirely online. Students always have the option to continue their education after receiving their certificate, taking the additional courses needed to earn their master’s degree if desired.