U North Carolina Business School Teams with 2U for Online Graduate Certificates

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 04/13/16

The University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School is expanding its graduate certificate program with the launch of four new online certificates, including one in data analytics and decision-making:

  • Data Analytics and Decision Making;
  • Leadership Development;
  • Finance; and
  • Entrepreneurship and Strategy.

The new programs, which are starting in July, will be co-developed with U North Carolina's long-time development partner, 2U. 2U works with schools to help them create, produce and market new online degree and certificate programs, particularly at the master's degree level. Currently, 2U also works with the business school on its online master of accounting and online master of business administration.

Coursework in the certificate programs will include case studies, team projects, on-demand videos, simulations and other content that students will finish on their own schedules. Participants will also meet weekly with faculty for live online class sessions. They'll attend courses virtually alongside students who are in the university's online MBA program.

The certificates will require successful completion of 10 credits within 18 months, encompassing between three and five courses. Students who choose to continue to pursue a full master's degree will be able to apply and transfer the credits they've earned. In the 2016-2017 academic year, tuition will be $1,585.82 per credit hour.

According to the university, the programs were created for executive education and designed for professionals who aren't seeking a degree but who want to increase their knowledge in specific areas.

"Our UNC Executive Development clients and prospective clients had asked frequently about sending their executives through individual MBA@UNC courses to develop specific skill sets in a shorter period of time than is possible in a degree program," said Douglas Shackelford, dean of the business school and a professor of taxation, in a prepared statement. "Our approach to these certificates allows us to meet that market need while maintaining our high standards for our students in the small virtual classrooms."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • data professionals in a meeting

    Data Fluency as a Strategic Imperative

    As an institution's highest level of data capabilities, data fluency taps into the agency of technical experts who work together with top-level institutional leadership on issues of strategic importance.

  • a cloud, an AI chip, and a padlock interconnected by circuit-like lines

    Report: Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud, AI Systems

    CrowdStrike’s 2025 Threat Hunting Report found that AI tools are being weaponized and directly targeted, while cloud intrusions surge 136% in early 2025.

  • laptop displaying a glowing digital brain and data charts sits on a metal shelf in a well-lit server room with organized network cables and active servers

    Cisco Introduces AI-First Approach to IT Operations

    At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco announced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains.

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education.