Online Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate

Supplement Your Management and Team Leadership Skills with Black Belt Training

Develop your interpersonal skills as a leader and enhance your Lean Six Sigma proficiency to lead impactful and sustainable projects that align with strategic goals.

What You'll Learn

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    In the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt program, you’ll gain the knowledge to master the principles and philosophy of Lean Six Sigma methodology and manage process improvement projects that drive efficiency and lead to higher quality products, processes and services.

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    • Project Assessment and Planning
    • Team Dynamics and Change Management
    • Coaching and Mentoring
    • Advanced Statistical Process Control
    • Design of Experiments
    • Sustaining Process Optimizations

Throughout the program, you will also complete scenario-based project assessments to test your comprehension of each week’s material. These simulated assignments are reviewed by your instructor and help you understand the situational purpose and applicability of advanced Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques.

Program Outcomes 

This Black Belt program builds upon the lessons taught in Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training and teaches you how to situationally apply Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques for the projects you lead and support.

At the conclusion of this eight-week program, you should expect to be able to:

  • Manage a portfolio of Lean Six Sigma projects consistent with organizational needs

  • Execute a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt project through the five phases of DMAIC

  • Apply appropriate mentoring and coaching methods to assist Lean Six Sigma Green Belts in their projects

  • Assess and apply appropriate Lean Six Sigma tools during the execution of a Black Belt project

  • Employ software programs (Minitab and/or MS Excel) to validate data and identify potential solutions

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Program Details

Program Duration

8 weeks

Start Date

January 8

Program Format

Online Tuesdays 7 -8 p.m. CT
+8-10 hours of self-paced study per week

Tuition

3,995

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

8.0

Professional Development Units (PDUs)

80

Who should enroll?

This program covers the advanced tools and approaches a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt needs to learn to take their process improvement skills to the next level.

Lean Six Sigma Black Belts are typically professionals who possess or aspire to higher-level leadership and management positions. Leading process improvement projects, Lean Six Sigma Black Belts guide teams and mentor Lean Six Sigma Green Belts.

The advanced Lean Six Sigma concepts taught in this program are applicable across virtually any industry, including manufacturing, healthcare, government, technology, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, engineering and business.

*Completing the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt program is a prerequisite to register for this Lean Six Sigma Black Belt program. You must earn a Green Belt credential through SMU CAPE or provide proof of completion through another institution or organization.

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U.S. respondents who completed any level of Six Sigma training earn nearly $12,000 more on average than those without any Six Sigma training.

Source: 2023 ASQ Salary Survey: The Complete Report, December 2023. National long-term projects may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth or salary potential. Certificate program options do not guarantee career or salary outcomes. Students should conduct independent research for specific employment information.

Why SMU?

  • SMU Continuing and Professional Education has offered noncredit learning programs since 1953.

  • SMU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

  • Lean Six Sigma programs are taught by industry practitioners who have at least a Black Belt certification designation.

  • Live, instructor-led, virtual Lean Six Sigma Black Belt class sessions are held for one hour every week.

  • Students who successfully complete the program will be issued a digital Lean Six Sigma Black Belt badge and certificate through Credly.

SMU alumni are eligible for a 10% tuition reduction.
Instructor Glenn Johnson

Instructor Spotlight

Glenn Johnson

Glenn Johnson is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Lean expert with more than 10 years of experience in process improvement. Johnson’s specialties include control systems, manufacturing, power generation and optimization of complex systems, and he specializes in Six Sigma DMAIC, Lean 5S, Lean Kaizen, value stream mapping and process mapping.

Program Content Summary

Week 1: Introduction to Lean Six Sigma

  • Lean Principles and Concepts

  • Principles of the Toyota Way

  • Advanced Six Sigma Tools and Concepts

  • Design for Six Sigma

  • Lean vs. DMAIC

Week 2: Project Assessment and Planning

  • Project Selection and Valuation

  • Hoshin Planning and KPIs

  • Project and Portfolio Tracking and Reporting

  • Project Management Tools

Week 3: Roles, Team Dynamics and Change Management

  • Effective Lean Six Sigma Teams

  • Coaching and Mentoring

  • Organizational Culture and Change Management

  • Stakeholder Management

Week 4: Define and Measure Phases

  • Voice of the Customer

  • Voice of the Employee

  • Voice of the Business

  • Voice of the Process

  • Process Variation

  • Advanced Statistical Process Control

  • Advanced MSA and Metrology

  • Running Process Capability Studies

Week 5: Analyze Phase

  • Advanced Analysis Tools

  • Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

  • Advanced Regression Analysis

  • Design of Experiments

Week 6: Improve Phase

  • Generating and Evaluating Solutions

  • Planning and Supporting Solution Deployment

  • Visual Management

  • Creating the Future State

Week 7: Control Phase

  • Statistical Process Control

  • Standardization and Replication

  • Sustaining Improvements

  • The Control System

Week 8: Pulling It All Together

  • Project Closure

  • PDCA

  • Project Documentation

  • Problem Solving Approaches

Required Materials

Lean Six Sigma and Minitab (7th Edition): The Complete Toolbox Guide for Business Improvement
ISBN: 978-0995789951

 

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Badge

Earn a Digital Badge

Complete your certificate and earn a digital badge to add to your resume and LinkedIn profile.

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