Graduate & Professional Certificates

Specialize with a certificate

If you have interest in a specific subject area, you can give your resume a boost by completing a certificate as part of your MBA or MSBA. 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. For MSBA students, completing a certificate may require additional coursework, depending on the certificate earned. Ultimately, certificate course credits count toward the required core and/or elective courses for your primary degree, allowing you to concentrate on your area(s) of interest.

Since courses are delivered through Tippie Graduate and Professional Programs, tuition per class is the same.* These certificates have no separate admissions criteria for Iowa MBA and Part-time MSBA students.*

Notify your advisor that you would like to have the certificate(s) added to your student record and they will appear on your transcript as a certificate.

*As an exception, the Healthcare Management Certificate is offered through the College of Public Health and requires separate admission and different tuition. See details below.

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.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning

This graduate certificate will serve as an enhancement for current online Part-time Business Analytics students who want to focus their courses in AI and Machine Learning, a skillset in high demand. Be sure to declare this certificate prior to your last class as it must be earned in the semester you complete the final requirement.

The AI and Machine Learning Certificate will be available starting in the Fall 2025 semester.

Required course:

Applied Deep Learning - BAIS:6250
(prereqs: {MBA:8150 or BAIS:9100}, BAIS:6040, and BAIS:6070)

Elective courses (select three):

Text Analytics - BAIS:6100
(prerequisite: BAIS:6040)
Social Analytics - BAIS:6105
(prerequisite: BAIS:6040)
Applied Optimization - BAIS:6130
(prerequisite: {MBA:8150 or BAIS:9100} and BAIS:6040)
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) - BAIS:6260
(prerequisite: {MBA:8150 or BAIS:9100}, BAIS:6040, BAIS:6070, and BAIS:6250)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Technology Management

The professional certificate in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Technology Management equips working professional students to lead in tech-driven environments, focusing on the intersection of technology and management. Through this certificate, students will learn to leverage AI and other technology to gain competitive advantages and improve business practices.

The AI and Technology Management Certificate will be available starting in the Fall 2025 semester.

Required Courses:

Data Leadership and Management - BAIS:6210
Value Creation Using AI - BAIS:6240

Elective courses (select two):

Cybersecurity - BAIS:6280
Agile Project Management - BAIS:9140
Innovation in Technology - BAIS:9300
Digital Economics - ECON:9100
(prerequisite: MBA:8160)
Strategic Management of Tech and Innovation - ENTR:9450
Project Management - MGMT:9185
Communication with AI and Business Technology - MBA:8430

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.

Business Communication Certificate

These four courses comprise the complete Business Communications Certificate.

Required Course:

Business Communication—MBA:8130

Elective courses (select three):

Communication with AI and Business Technology—MBA:8430
Leadership Communication and Story—MBA:9130
Dynamics of Negotiations—MGMT:9110 or Managing and Preventing Conflict—MGMT:9230

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.

Finance Certificate

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)

Corporate Finance Certificate

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.

Financial Decision-Making Certificate

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.

Investment Management Certificate

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

Responsible Resource Management Certificate

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):

Risk Management & Insurance Certificate

Corporate Financial Reporting*—MBA:8140
Managerial Finance*—MBA:8180
Corporate Risk Management and Insurance—FIN:9130
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.

Strategy Certificate

Take four courses to earn your certificate—two required courses plus two electives.

Required courses:

Foundations in Strategy – MBA:8300
Strategy in Action – MBA: 9300

Elective courses (select two):

Business Integration - MBA:8310 or Strategic Business Growth – MBA 8320
Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation – ENTR:9450 or Entrepreneurship and Innovation – ENTR:9100
Seminar in International Business(GLO – Global Learning Opportunities) – MBA:8500
Strategic Brand Positioning – MKTG:9320

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 Iowa City and tuition is different because 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 or Part-time MSBA 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 conferral 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 and AI & Machine Learning Certificates be conferred in the semester in which the final course is taken and cannot be conferred retroactively (i.e. the next semester, even if you're taking Iowa MBA or Business Analytics courses at that time).

How to request

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

Policies

Current Iowa MBA and Part-time MSBA 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.