MoreSteam.com, the leading global provider of online Lean Six Sigma training and Blended Learning support technologies, has partnered with the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University (OSU) to present an innovative and affordable Master Black Belt development program.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Larry Goldman
(303) 777-7171
[email protected]
MoreSteam and The Ohio State University Partner on Blended Learning Program
Columbus, Ohio (April 20, 2010) – MoreSteam.com, the leading global provider of online Lean Six Sigma training and Blended Learning support technologies, has partnered with the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University (OSU) to present an innovative and affordable Master Black Belt development program. The collaborative program employs a Blended Learning design that combines classroom instruction at OSU and online instruction from MoreSteam. Enrollment for this program is now open, with the first class starting with a live session at OSU the week of May 24-28.
The MoreSteam-OSU Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (MBB) program addresses a market need for serious training and certification at a price that is affordable to individuals as well as corporations. Accordingly, the program is priced at only $10,000 – less than half the total cost of competing programs of comparable rigor from consultancies such as SBTI and BMGI.
MoreSteam and OSU’s MBB development program is a Blended Learning model that integrates two one-week sessions of classroom instruction on the OSU in Columbus, Ohio, and two weeks of online learning on advanced topics provided by MoreSteam.com. The classroom sessions are independent and scheduled on a quarterly basis, allowing participants to enroll in the program and start the on-campus sessions in any sequence. The faculty is provided by Minitab, Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business, and MoreSteam.com. Students can complete the online components at their own pace during the intervals between on-campus sessions.
“Master Black Belts are of enormous importance in driving improvement in organizations,” said Peter Ward, Co-Director, The Center for Operational Excellence at the Fisher College of Business at OSU. “We have tried to design a certification program with sufficient rigor to assure that MBBs can deliver what it takes in terms of leadership, management and technical acumen.”
The training program covers the MBB body of knowledge and diverse topics that include advanced Design of Experiments, Project Management, Leading Change, Financial Analysis, Ideation, Process Modeling and the Design of Lean Systems. Experienced Lean Six Sigma Black Belts will find the program both rigorous and rewarding, with a stronger emphasis on Lean Methods than other MBB curricula. Students who successfully complete the coursework can apply for certification, which is included as part of the program.
Generally, achievement of Certified Master Black Belt status requires extensive experience (years) as a Black Belt, significant project experience (>15), mastery of advanced skills in the area of leadership, coaching, statistical analysis and project management. MBBs are expected to be active teachers and coaches, so they must have extensive experience providing successful instruction and coaching in the Black Belt body of knowledge (http://fisher.osu.edu/centers/coe/lean-six-sigma-black-belt-certification-standards/black-belt-standards/). There currently is no independent and widely recognized certification standard for the Master Black Belt position.
“Given the lack of a certification standard, MBB credentials have all too often been awarded as a job title or even a battlefield commission,” stated MoreSteam.com CEO, Bill Hathaway. “Recently, the trend among training and certification providers has been to create the easiest possible path to become a Master Black Belt. In extreme cases, this means requiring little to no experience and only simulated projects. With the MoreSteam-OSU program, we replace certifications of convenience with a rigorous, comprehensive curriculum and solid experiential requirements based on real results on real projects in the real world – a certification that means something.”
Program participation is limited to experienced Certified Black Belts. The course price is US$10,000, which includes the certification candidate evaluation process and covers all costs for courses and materials, with the exception of a laptop loaded with Minitab® 15.
Individuals interested in attending the event can visit the event information and registration site: http://www.moresteam.com/master-black-belt.cfm.
About MoreSteam.com
MoreSteam.com is the leading global provider of online Lean Six Sigma training and blended learning technology, serving over 1,800 corporate clients and over 45% of the Fortune 500 with a full suite of Lean Six Sigma e-Learning courses, EngineRoom® data analysis software, TRACtion® online project tracking software, CrucibleTM online testing, and SigmaSim® online DMAIC simulations and games. MoreSteam.com was launched in the year 2000 in response to the high cost of traditional Six Sigma training and tools, and has now trained over 250,000 Lean Six Sigma professionals. MoreSteam’s mission is to enable people to advance the performance of their organizations by delivering powerful tools for process improvement to the widest possible audience at the lowest price available.
