Harvard Business School Launches Digital Innovation Credential
Credit: Pgiam / Getty Images- Harvard Business School Online is offering a new Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy.
- The four-course, six-month program will focus on digital skills as well as leadership.
- This reflects employer demands for tech-savvy workers who also possess human skills like strategic thinking.
- Nondegree credentials are growing in popularity as working professionals look to upskill.
If one thing’s clear from recent reports about employer needs, it’s that they want the best of both worlds: tech-savvy workers who understand digital tools and disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) but also have problem-solving skills.
In fact, previous research from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) found that, while AI is set to increase in importance for employers over the next few years, skills like decision-making and strategic thinking will remain at the top of their needs for candidates.
A new offering from Harvard Business School Online (HBS Online) will address both of these employer demands.
The six-month, $6,500 Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy will include four online courses in design thinking and innovation, digital marketing strategy, leading in the digital world, and leveraging digital platforms, according to a Harvard press release.
The program will feature instruction in digital tools and using data to lead an organization.
“As digital transformation reshapes industries worldwide, professionals need a clear understanding of the tools, platforms, and strategies that drive success in this evolving environment,” HBS Online Senior Managing Director Simeen Mohsen said in the release.
Mohsen said the credential “offers a comprehensive and flexible pathway for individuals to develop the digital mindset and strategic acumen they need to lead their organizations through transformation and innovation.”
Business Schools Embrace Nondegree Credentials
Harvard Business School is no stranger to offering online courses and certificates. The new digital strategy credential will join a number of relatively affordable programs offered through the school’s online division.
These include both individual courses and longer credentials, usually with a price tag of under $2,000. Although some offerings do cost more, like its Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB) program, which is $15,000.
Harvard isn’t the only major business school to offer nondegree credentials. A number of schools have adopted short-term credentials that focus on upskilling working professionals.
Those include offerings like the mini MBA, which is similar to Harvard’s CLIMB offering in that those nondegree programs include a broad overview of business management and strategy.
Certificate and microcredential programs are also popular.
The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, for example, offers a financial technology microcredential, totaling 4.5 credit hours and focusing on the fast-growing financial technology (fintech) sector.
Harvard’s new credential program also reflects a growing focus on flexibility for working professionals.
The Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy’s classes are self-paced, and the only requirement is that coursework and the program’s capstone project are finished by the final deadline.