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Graduate certificate Program
Make decisions with confidence. Build practical skills in decision-making, data analysis, and leadership, and apply them immediately in your work.
The Certificate in Decision Making and Applied Analytics (CDA) is designed for working professionals who want to strengthen their decision-making skills without committing to a full master’s degree.
Over 12 months, you will:
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Build practical frameworks for analyzing complex problems
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Strengthen your ability to use data and evidence in decision-making
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Develop leadership and collaboration skills
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Apply what you learn directly in your current role
The program is part-time and fully online, allowing you to advance your skills while continuing to work.
The CDA can be a standalone credential or the first step toward the master’s degree.
Earn 24 academic credits
Apply your learning immediately
Petition to transfer into the MDA program
75%
of students who wanted to continue into the master’s successfully transferred.
The CDA curriculum builds the foundational skills of decision-making, analysis, and leadership.
The program consists of four practical, online courses that develop:
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Critical and creative thinking
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Data analysis and interpretation
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Structured approaches to problem solving
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Communication and collaboration skills
The CDA includes a set of required courses that introduce the core frameworks used throughout Minerva’s graduate programs.
At Minerva, AI fluency is about more than learning tools, it’s about developing the judgment to use AI effectively and responsibly. Throughout the CDA program, you’ll learn how to apply AI to systems thinking, data analysis, and real-world decision-making while critically evaluating when AI insights are valuable and when human oversight is essential.
From modeling complex systems and exploring scenarios to accelerating data analysis and problem solving, AI becomes a practical partner in your learning. By the end of the program, you’ll be prepared to integrate AI into professional workflows, strengthen your analytical thinking, and make smarter, more confident decisions.
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The CDA is designed for immediate application.
Students regularly:
Apply frameworks to challenges in their current roles
Use coursework to address real organizational problems
Test ideas and approaches in real time
You gain tools you can use right away, not just after completing the program.
The program is structured to fit alongside your professional commitments.
One or two course modules a month
Live seminars held Friday through Sunday
1.5–2.5 hour sessions with some flexibility
Approximately 20 hours of learning per weekend
This modular format allows you to stay fully engaged while continuing to work.
You will learn alongside professionals from around the world, bringing diverse perspectives into every discussion and project.
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Collaborate with peers across industries and roles
Share insights from different cultural and professional contexts
Build relationships that extend beyond the program
Optional immersion experiences allow you to engage with global leaders and apply your learning in new environments.
Graduates use the CDA to:
I love that Minerva's curriculum is both big picture—addressing meta themes such as how we can best learn given insights from the science of learning—and detailed, such as the problem-solving HCs that give you a frame for breaking down problems. The result is an incredibly robust curriculum that is as ambitious as the subject matter. Decisions touch every facet of life and this program prepares you for it all.
- Tiffany Rendall,
Class of 2024
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