As part of the Shaping the Future in STEM program, students select one course from one of the following options. All courses are self-paced and are taught online via Coursera. Students will be expected to complete 100% of the course material and the program will provide any supplemental reading materials that the course instructors suggest. Course offerings selected with input from Intel professionals.
Learning Tracks
Students will select one micro-credential course from one learning track.
- Project Management (PM)
- Process Improvement (PI)
- Leadership & Management (LM)
Project Management (PM)
PM1: Agile Development Coursera
This specialization consists of four courses: Agile Meets Design Thinking, Hypothesis-Driven Development, Agile Analytics, Managing an Agile Team.
Learning Objectives:
• How to determine what's valuable to a user early by focusing your team on testable narratives and creating a strong shared perspective
• How to drive a focus on outcomes over outputs by facilitating a culture of experimentation and a test-driven, results-driven approach to agile
• How to charter and focus an analytics (and data science) program that enhances your core objectives
• How to iteratively identify and test the right agile practices from leading frameworks Virginia like Scrum, XP, and Kanban to your team's work
Outcome: Certificate of Completion, taught by University of Virginia
Time Commitment: Approx. four months
PM2: Project Management Specialization Coursera
This specialization consists of three courses: Project Management, Foundations and Initiation; Project Planning and Execution; Agile Project Management.
Learning Objectives:
The Project Management specialization is designed to be an introduction to the project management discipline, including the concepts, tools, and techniques used in the management and leadership of projects. Key topics covered include the role of the project manager; the project team; cost, schedule and risk management; quality in projects; and the project lifecycle.
• By completing this specialization, you will develop familiarity with the concepts, tools, and techniques used in project management.
• You will be able to describe the role of the project manager and the different phases of the project life cycle.
• You will also be able to distinguish different project management methodologies and determine which is best for a particular project.
• By successfully completing this course, you will be able to define the role of a project manager and describe different project management methods.
Outcome: Certificate of Completion, taught by University of Colorado Boulder
Time Commitment: Approx. three months
Process Improvement
PI1: Design of Experiments Specialization Coursera
This specialization consists of four courses: Experimental Design Basics; Factorial and Fractional Factorial Designs; Response Surfaces, Mixtures, and Model Building; Random Models, Nested and Split-plot Designs.
Learning Objectives:
Learn modern experimental strategy, including factorial and fractional factorial experimental designs, designs for screening many factors, designs for optimization experiments, and designs for complex experiments such as those with hard-to-change factors and unusual responses. There is thorough coverage of modern data analysis techniques for experimental design, including software. Applications include electronics and semiconductors, automotive and aerospace, chemical and process industries, pharmaceutical and bio-pharm, medical devices, and many others.
• Plan, design and conduct experiments efficiently and effectively, and analyze the resulting data to obtain valid objective conclusions.
• Use response surface methods for system optimization as a follow-up to successful screening.
• Use experimental design tools for computer experiments, both deterministic and stochastic computer models.
• Use software tools to create custom designs based on optimal design methodology for situations where standard designs are not easily applicable.
Outcome: Certificate of Completion, taught by Arizona State University
Time Commitment: Approx. four months
PI2: Six Sigma Yellow Belt Specialization Coursera
This specialization consists of four courses: Six Sigma Fundamentals; Six Sigma Tools for Define and Measure; Six Sigma Tools for Analyze; Six Sigma Tools for Improve and Control.
Learning Objectives:
In this specialization, you will learn proven principles and tools specific to six sigma and lean. This is a sequential, linear designed specialization that covers the introductory level content (at the "yellow belt" level) of Six Sigma and Lean. Yellow Belt knowledge is needed before advancing to Green Belt (which is a second specialization offered here on Coursera by the USG). Green Belt knowledge is needed before moving to a Black Belt.
This specialization is for you if you are looking to learn more about Six Sigma or refresh your knowledge of the basic components of Six Sigma and Lean. Six Sigma skills are widely sought by employers both nationally and internationally. These skills have been proven to help improve business processes, performance, and quality assurance.
At the end of Course #4 (Six Sigma Tools for Improve and Control), there is a peer-reviewed, capstone project. Successful completion of this project is necessary for full completion of this specialization.
Outcome: Certificate of Completion, taught by University System of Georgia
Time Commitment: Approx. 5 months
Leadership and Management
LM1: Systems Engineering Coursera
This specialization consists of three courses: The Need for Systems Engineering; Applying Systems Engineering to the Design Process; Systems Engineering and Program Management
Learning Objectives:
This course introduces you to the holistic and interdisciplinary systems engineering approach to designing, realizing, and managing complex systems. In this three-course specialization, you will learn how to evolve a project from idea to fielded hardware customized to meet customer requirements while effectively managing costs, timescales, and limiting risks. You will identify and define a system and its components, model a system life cycle, and apply systems engineering methods using real-world engineering examples. The knowledge and terminology gained here empower you to work effectively with your project team and allow you to understand and speak the specialized language of systems engineering.
• Describe the fundamentals of methods, practices, and processes of industry-standard systems engineering.
• Identify the phases of a complete system lifecycle, from initial customer contact to product retirement.
• Describe the methods of program control to achieve a defined scope of work within budget and schedule constraints.
• Define systems engineering and the systems engineering approach
Outcome: Certificate of Completion, taught by University of Colorado Boulder
Time Commitment: Approx. 3 months
LM2: Professional Skills for the Workplace Specialization Coursera
This specialization consists of four courses: Emotional and Social Intelligence; Critical Thinking Skills for the Professional; The Growth Mindset; Adaptability and Resiliency
Learning Objectives:
Through four courses, you will explore the use of emotional and social intelligence, practice a formula for problem solving, cultivate a growth mindset, and build skills related to adaptability and resilience in an ever-changing environment. These skills show up in business relationships and communication and ultimately impact professional effectiveness.
• Apply critical thinking skills to complex problems.
• Apply a model for solving problems and pose questions to further understanding of specific problems.
• Analyze beliefs and actions that contribute to a growth mindset within an organization.
• Evaluate opportunities to increasingly develop a growth mindset.
Outcome: Certificate of Completion, taught by UC Davis
Time Commitment: Approx. 4 months
LM3: Data-Driven Decision Making Coursera
This specialization consists of three courses: Data-Driven Process Improvement; Data Analysis and Visualization; Applied Analytics and Data for Decision Making
Learning Objectives:
This specialization explains why it is important to leverage data when contemplating organizational choices, and supplies the tools at the heart of data-driven decision making (DDDM). The three-course series explores how technology enables the collection and organization of unprecedented amounts of data, and how to dissect that data to gain powerful insights. Content touches on leadership’s role in instituting an internet of things (IoT) strategy in manufacturing and service environments. Lessons feature case studies highlighting ROI achieved through DDDM, and the cultural changes required for success.
• Identify gaps in data collection processes needed to drive improvements
• Compare and contrast data analysis and visualization tools for generating metrics dashboards
• Define techniques to validate performance metrics and data integrity
• Prepare and present multiple examples of data-driven decision making
Outcome: Certificate of Completion, taught by University at Buffalo
Time Commitment: Approx. 3 months
