Specialize with a certificate

If you have interest in a specific subject area, you can give your resume a boost by completing a professional certificate as part of your MBA. Explore these options and requirements, including how and when to apply.

Explore your certificate options

Certificates can be interwoven with MBA coursework, so with careful planning you don't need to take any extra courses. Because they're delivered through the Iowa MBA Program courses, tuition per class is the same.* Course credits count toward the required elective courses and help you focus on what you're interested in.

These certificates have no separate admissions criteria for Iowa MBA students.* Notify an advisor that you would like to have the certificate(s) added to your student record and appear on your transcript as a certificate.

*Exception is the Healthcare Management Certificate, which is offered through the College of Public Health. See details below.

Leadership | Business Analytics | Finance | Innovation | Marketing | Healthcare Management

Leadership Certificate

Two required courses plus three electives to give you insights into how to effectively lead and motivate teams.

Required courses:

  • Leadership and Personal Development—MGMT:9120
  • Management in Organizations—MBA:8120

Elective courses (select three):

  • Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability—MGMT:9091
  • Dynamics of Negotiations—MGMT:9110
  • Inclusive Leadership—MGMT:9240 (Prerequisite: MBA:8120)
  • Law and Ethics—MGMT:9210
  • Managing and Preventing Conflict—MGMT:9230
  • Managing Employee Performance—MGMT:9250 
  • Maximizing Team Performance—MGMT:9220
  • Project Management—MGMT:9185
  • Strategic Management of Change—MGMT:9130 
  • Either Business Communication—MBA:8130 OR Leadership Communication and Story—MBA:9130 
    • Beginning Fall 2024, if you add the Leadership Certificate as a program of study, MBA:8130 Business Communication will no longer be an approved elective for this certificate.

Note: If you waive MBA:8120 Management in Organizations based on prior undergraduate or graduate management coursework, you'll need to complete an additional elective in its place to earn the certificate. 

Business Analytics Certificate

This graduate certificate has five required courses; be sure to declare this certificate prior to your last class as it must be earned in the semester you complete the final requirement. These courses can count toward the Master's in Business Analytics should you choose to pursue that degree later.

Required courses:

  • Data and Decisions (BAIS:9100 or MBA:8150)
  • Data Management (BAIS:6050)
  • Data Programming in Python (BAIS:6040)
  • Data Science (BAIS:6070)
  • Advanced Analytics (BAIS:9110)

For students who waive a core course, Visual Analytics (BAIS:6140) will be required in its place if the certificate is added in Fall 2024 or later.

Finance Certificates

We offer six ways to specialize in your area of interest and show employers which roles you’re uniquely suited for. All finance certificates require four courses.

Required courses:

  • Managerial Finance*—MBA:8180 
  • Portfolio Management—FIN:9200
  • Corporate Investment and Financing Decisions—FIN:9300

* If this course is waived, you'll take another approved elective from the list below in its place.

Elective courses (select one):

Finance electives require you to complete Managerial Finance first.

  • Corporate Financial Strategy—FIN:9310
  • Corporate Risk Management and Insurance—FIN:9130
  • Enterprise Risk Management—FIN:9140
  • Financial Modeling and Firm Valuation—FIN:9150
  • Real Estate Finance and Investments—FIN:9230
  • Wealth Management—FIN:9350
  • Entrepreneurial Finance—ENTR:9200 (pre-req MBA:8140)

Required courses:

  • Corporate Financial Reporting*—MBA:8140
  • Managerial Finance*—MBA:8180
  • Corporate Investment and Finance Decisions—FIN:9300
  • Corporate Financial Strategy—FIN:9310

Note: Course 2 needs to be taken before courses 3 and 4.

* If you're waived from one of these courses, you'll take Financial Modeling & Firm Valuation—FIN:9150 in its place. If both courses are waived, you'll also take Real Estate Finance & Investments—FIN:9230.

Required courses:

  • Corporate Financial Reporting*—MBA:8140
  • Data and Decisions*—MBA:8150/BAIS:9100
  • Financial Statement Analysis and Forecasting—ACCT:9040

* If either of these two courses are waived, you'll take another approved elective from the list below in its place.

Elective course (select one):

  • Project Management—MGMT:9185
  • Corporate Investment and Financing Decisions—FIN:9300 (pre-req MBA:8180)
  • Corporate Financial Strategy—FIN:9310 (pre-req MBA:8180)

If you are taking the certificate on its own and not as part of the Iowa MBA, please note some electives have additional pre-reqs that must be satisfied.

Required courses:

  • Managerial Finance—MBA:8180*

  • Portfolio Management—FIN:9200

    * If this course is waived, you'll take another approved elective from the list below in its place.

Elective courses (select two):
All finance electives require you to complete Managerial Finance first.

  • Financial Modeling and Firm Valuation—FIN:9150
  • Real Estate Finance and Investments—FIN:9230
  • Wealth Management—FIN:9350

Required courses:

  • Corporate Financial Reporting—MBA:8140*
  • Strategic Cost Analysis—ACCT:9020
  • Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability—MGMT:9091

* If this course is waived, you'll take another approved elective from the list below in its place.

Elective courses (select one):

  • Data Management—BAIS:6050
  • Cybersecurity—BAIS:6280
  • Enterprise Risk Management—FIN:9140
  • Operations and Supply Chain—MBA:8240
  • Managing Employee Performance—MGMT:9250
  • Strategic Business Growth—MBA:8320

  1. Corporate Financial Reporting*—MBA:8140
  2. Managerial Finance*—MBA:8180
  3. Corporate Risk Management and Insurance—FIN:9130
  4. Enterprise Risk Management—FIN:9140

* If either of these courses are waived, you'll choose from the following to take its place: Financial Modeling & Firm Valuation—FIN:9150; Real Estate Finance & Investment—FIN:9230; Corporate Investment and Finance Decisions—FIN:9300; Financial Statement Analysis & Forecasting—ACCT:9040, or Dynamics of Negotiations—MGMT:9110.

Innovation Certificate

Required courses:

  • Entrepreneurship and Innovation—ENTR:9100
  • Strategic Management of Technology & Innovation—ENTR:9450
  • Entrepreneurial Finance—ENTR:9200

Elective courses (select one):

  • Design Thinking—ENTR:9300
  • Managing the Growth Business—ENTR:9500/Strategic Business Growth—MBA:8320
  • Maximizing Team Performance—MGMT:9220

Note: If Entrepreneurship and Innovation—ENTR:9100 is waived, replace with one of the other certificate elective choices.

Marketing Certificate

Required course:

  • Marketing Management—MBA:8110

Elective courses (select three):

All courses require you to complete Marketing Management MBA:8110 first.*

  • Customer Experience–MKTG:9370 (available Spring 2025)
  • Digital Marketing Insights, Strategies and Applications–MKTG:9155
  • Marketing Analytics*–MKTG:9310 (pre-req MBA:8150, not MBA:8110)
  • Marketing Communication and Promotions—MKTG:9350
  • Product and Portfolio Strategy—MKTG:9330
  • Social Media Marketing for Business—MKTG:9015
  • Strategic Brand Positioning—MKTG:9320

Note: If you waive MBA:8110 Marketing Management based on prior undergraduate or graduate marketing coursework, you’ll need to complete an additional elective course to earn the certificate. 

Healthcare Management Certificate

This certificate is offered through the College of Public Health and a separate application is required. Courses for the Healthcare Management Certificate are offered in-person in Des Moines or Iowa City and tuition is different since  courses are not delivered through the Iowa MBA Program. 

The following courses are required in the order listed.

  • Healthcare Management (HMP:5200)
  • Health Policy (HMP:5610)
  • Leadership of Healthcare Organizations (HMP:6355)
  • Healthcare Financial Management (HMP:6410—you'll need to complete Corporate Financial Reporting [MBA:8140] first)

When and how to apply

Planning ahead is important when you're seeking a certificate. The requirements can seem complex, so talk to your academic advisor to ensure your plan of study is in alignment.

There are no admissions criteria for certificates offered through Tippie for Iowa MBA students, but you do need to notify us of your intentions in order to ensure the certificate(s) appear on your transcript.

Timing

You must notify us of your intention to earn a certificate prior to degree application deadlines.  These deadlines are typically mid-February for spring, June for summer, and September for fall.  Late notification of your intention to earn a certificate could result in late fees. Additionally, the Graduate College requires that the Business Analytics Certificate be conferred in the semester in which the final course is taken and cannot be conferred retroactively.

How to request

To have the certificate added to your transcript, just email your academic advisor.

Policies

Current Iowa MBA students can pursue multiple certificates at the same time. A 2.75 GPA or better for all certificate courses is needed for successful completion of the certificate.