Continuing Education Programs in the Fargo-Moorhead Area to Bolster Your Resume
One of the most important things we can do as professionals is continue to learn and improve our skills. Continuing our education not only helps us get better at what we do, but it also helps us serve our clients and community better and can often give us new skills, too. It can provide you with more opportunities for growth and development within your company and beyond. And while informal learning is a great way to learn new things, formal learning builds camaraderie between you and your classmates and widens your professional network in addition to providing you with knowledge. The colleges and universities in the Fargo-Moorhead area allow us access to professional development opportunities all the time, including continuing education through certificate programs. Check out some of the certificate programs that our local higher education institutions offer to business professionals in the area!
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Corporate Financial Management Certificate
Course Requirement: 3 courses/9 credits
Mode: On Campus
The Corporate Financial Management Certificate will help you better understand investment as a career choice. Learning outcomes include applying Net Present Value and other investment criteria; evaluating capital budgeting proposals by generating pro forma financial statements and cash flows; applying the capital asset pricing model to estimate required return on investments; estimating the cost of capital for a corporation; evaluating the effects of alternative capital structure proposals; and more!
Learn more at mnstate.edu/academics/majors/finance/corporate-financial-management
Investment Management Certificate
Course Requirement: 3 courses/9 credits
Mode: On Campus
The Investment Management Certificate uses courses that are part of the Finance major to help professionals working in the investment management field better understand the industry. Learning outcomes of the certificate include distinguishing among major assets that trade in money and capital markets; discussing capital market theory and the use of CAPM in security selection; describing the process of bond valuation and various measures of returns; discussing bond features and sensitivity of its price to interest rates; describing the top-down approach to security analysis; and more!
Learn more at mnstate.edu/academics/majors/finance/investment-management
Concordia College
Entrepreneurial Mindset Certificate
Course Requirement: 4 Weeks of Weekly Course Work
Mode: Online
This certificate is designed to help you develop your entrepreneurial mindset to better recognize opportunity, create value, and foster innovation in your classroom or organization. An entrepreneurial mindset shifts perspectives in a way that exposes opportunities, ignites ambition, and fosters innovation. In this online training, you will learn about the research behind the entrepreneurial mindset as well as the best tools to facilitate and encourage entrepreneurial behavior in the classroom, organization, and community.
In addition to live weekly Zoom sessions, the training will use an engaging mix of recorded presentations, small group and individual activities, discussions, and experiential, problem-based learning taking you through an Opportunity Discovery Process to solve real-time issues with your peers. Upon successful completion of the certification training, participants will receive an Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator Certificate qualifying them to facilitate any of ELI’s Ice House Entrepreneurship Programs.
Learn more at concordiacontinuingstudies.com/professional-development
North Dakota State College of Science
Business Management Certificate
Emphasis Options: Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management/Supervision, or Sales
Course Requirement: 16-18 credits, dependent upon emphasis
Mode: Hybrid (On Campus and/or Online)
The Business Management Certificate consists of four independent plans of study in the areas of Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management/Supervision, and Sales. You may choose to complete any of these individual plans of study to earn a certificate in Business Management with an emphasis in that respective area.
Learn more at ndscs.edu/academics/academic-departmentsprograms/business-management
North Dakota State University
Business Analytics Graduate Certificate
Course Requirement: 4 courses/8 credits
Mode: On Campus
This graduate certificate equips working professionals with the methodologies and analytical tools needed to analyze data available in modern organizations. You will learn to use advanced spreadsheet functionality, dashboard visualization tools, and report generators for descriptive analytics to understand and report on historical data. Participants will use data mining and other advanced methodologies for predictive and prescriptive analytics to understand future trends.
Learn more at ndsu.edu/programs/graduate/business-analytics-certificate
Leadership and Managerial Skills Graduate Certificate
Course Requirement: 4 courses/8 credits
Mode: On Campus
The Leadership and Managerial Skills Graduate Certificate is designed to help participants improve their skills relating to decision-making, communicating, negotiating, working in teams, and leading. In addition to learning theoretical aspects of these areas, the courses in the certificate also provide opportunities for students to improve their “soft skills” relating to working with other people and organizations.
Learn more at ndsu.edu/programs/graduate/leadership-and-managerial-skills
Digital Marketing and Innovation Graduate Certificate
Course Requirement: 4 courses/8 credits
Mode: On Campus
The Digital Marketing and Innovation Graduate Certificate advances participants’ knowledge and skill in areas such as marketing strategy, communication, and customer intelligence. Students learn about such topics as new product development, strategy analysis, search engine optimization, marketing analytics, integrated marketing communications, various media vehicles, and much more.
Learn more at ndsu.edu/programs/graduate/digital-marketing-and-innovation
Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate
Course Requirement: 4 courses/12 credits
Mode: Hybrid (On Campus and/or Online)
The Graduate Certificate Program in Cybersecurity is delivered cooperatively among North Dakota State University, the University of North Dakota, and Minot State University. Students will learn best practices, new technology, and research in Cybersecurity. The certificate program can be completed completely online or through a combination of online and on-campus courses.
Learn more at ndsu.edu/programs/graduate/cybersecurity-certificate
Minnesota State Community & Technical College
Cisco Networking Certificate
Course Requirement: 4 courses/12 credits
Mode: Online
This certificate helps to prepare to take the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and the CompTIA Network+ certifications. Cisco-certified technicians have career opportunities related to designing, building, and maintaining information technology infrastructure. Prior experience with computer hardware, binary math, and basic electronics is desired but not required to enroll in the program. Learning outcomes include analyzing networking models and protocols; configuring local area networks and wide area networks; defining common industry terms and standards; and troubleshooting LAN/WAN systems.
Learn more at minnesota.edu/programs-and-degrees/cisco-networking
Cybersecurity Certificate
Course Requirement: 10 courses/30 credits
Mode: On Campus
Students in M State’s Cybersecurity program will gain a strong foundation in computer and network security, preparing for careers in the expanding and crucial fields of information security. The program focuses on IT security and networking skills with an emphasis on protecting data and networks from cyber threats. Students learn to perform penetration testing, perform and document results for security risk assessments and implement security measures. Many of the courses utilize specific industry certification standards. An industry advisory board actively guides class and curriculum development, ensuring that students are learning the skills that are in demand in the IT and cybersecurity fields. Learning outcomes include using mechanisms available in an operating system to control access to resources; configuring infrastructure server roles; investigating various countermeasures and security controls to minimize risk and exposure; supporting the ethical responsibility of ensuring software correctness, reliability, and safety; illustrating through examples the concepts of risk, threats, vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and exploits; analyzing known security incidents to trace and document the steps in the incident; and more!
Learn more at minnesota.edu/programs-and-degrees/cybersecurity
Human Resources Certificate
Course Requirement: 6 courses/18 credits
Mode: On Campus
This program is designed to prepare students to enter the Human Resources field and supports continued professional growth for those currently in the field. This certificate will provide students with a basic understanding of key human resource practices and how to support and manage them. Learning outcomes include understanding and applying applicable federal, state, and local employment regulations to human resource functions; understanding the strategic impact that human resources has within today’s business environment; and utilizing critical thinking skills to analyze and solve problems related to human resource programs and situations.
Learn more at minnesota.edu/programs-and-degrees/human-resources
Though these aren’t the only certificate programs in the Fargo-Moorhead area, this list gives you a good place to start!
