Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate in 8 weeks - Online - Is it possible?

[Al Rosen]

Can this be true? Six Sigma BB in 8 weeks on line

[Wes Bucey]

Without going through the hassle of corresponding with the school, I think TWO things are apparent from the blurb in the link.

1. It doesn't GUARANTEE 8 weeks for EVERY course - it says "as little as 8 weeks."
2. The certificate is simply one that Villanova issues.

Would I stake my organization's reputation on an untried individual with ONLY a Villanova "certificate" in Six Sigma as his sole credential? Unlikely. I'm pretty sure I'd need more.

Conceivably, if you have a qualifying project" under your belt already, you could get an ASQ CSSBB in the same amount of time, assuming you start a "tune up" course 8 weeks before a scheduled ASQ CSSBB exam.

That said, Villanova does not have a "schlock" reputation. It might be worthwhile to explore the issue.

It could highly depend on how much work is done during the 8 weeks. Think how much improvement can be made in a process during a 3-day Kaizen blitz.

[Carl Keller]

I think the whole belt thing is a crock, so I say go the easiest and least expensive route.

I would value that certificate just as much (or little) as an ASQ certificate, maybe even more.

Carl-

[Bill Pflanz]

Al,

You need to dig a little deeper into the Villanova site. If you go to the Six Sigma description it is described as a 16 week course. The "curriculum" is very high level and is not as extensive a description as the ASQ body of knowledge required for their Six Sigma certification.

Villanova also listed the faculty for Six Sigma. It is a mixture of academia who have worked at Six Sigma companies as consultants, adjunct professors who have or still work in Six Sigma companies and adjunct professors who appear to work full time as consultants in Six Sigma. Some have ASQ certifications in CSSBB, others from companies and one even is a CQE. Since they market to health care organizations, the one faculty member received a Six-sigma Black Belt Methodologist Certification based on her work with a Florida Hospital. That is a new one for me. I could have been a methodologist rather than just a plain old black belt.

Depending on how they teach the course and considering the length, it may be worth the cost. Whether you are trained or certified in Six Sigma, quality, statistics or any other discipline is only important if you know the theory and have applied the knowledge. There are probably certifications out there that would be a joke for some of the more experienced Covers but there are others that would require some refresher training before they could pass. Personally, I don't think the ASQ certification is so easy that anyone could pass but I also don't think that it means much if you have been using the body of knowledge for years.

Bill Pflanz

[Al Rosen]

I view Six Sigma as a (re)packaging of Quality Tools and a marketing method.

[chalapathi]

There is difference between six sigma training and certification.

The time specified is for the Black Belt training only.

At least 2 projects have to be completed to get the certification. This may take few months to one year also.

If some one is giving six sigma Black Belt certificate without project completion it has no value in the job market.

[Wes Bucey]

Originally Posted by chalapathi

There is difference between six sigma training and certification.

The time specified is for the Black Belt training only.

At least 2 projects have to be completed to get the certification. This may take few months to one year also.

If some one is giving six sigma Black Belt certificate without project completion it has no value in the job market.

Most quality professionals would probably agree with you. The problem is so many folks doing the hiring stop reading after seeing the words "Six Sigma Black Belt" and have no idea there is any difference between a certificate which requires verified, completed projects and one which is merely a sheet of paper.

The problem for us as professionals is how to educate those in the hiring positions to know the difference and make hiring decisions accordingly.