Background

Funded by HERA (Higher Education Regional Alliance) and the US Department of Education Microcredential Grant Project*, the Professional Certificate in Business Essentials (also referred to as the Mini-MBA) is a short-term, noncredit, microcredential program specifically designed to equip working professionals from a variety of industries (particularly those in technical fields) with fundamental business knowledge and skills for immediate real-world application.

Dates

Tuesdays and Thursdays, Feb. 17 through May 14, 2026.

Delivery Format/Modality

The Mini-MBA combines virtual live sessions (1 hour per module session, 2 module sessions every week on Tuesday and Thursday) and online asynchronous classwork (approximately 1 hour per module session), and will take up to 50 hours to complete.

Subject Areas

The Mini-MBA is split into six targeted, skills-focused learning modules. The dates listed beside each module indicate the 1-hour, online synchronous sessions.

Module 1: Leadership and Strategic Thinking (Tuesdays, February 17, 24, and March 3, 10)

• Learn and apply the tools to see beyond your day-to-day responsibilities, generate actionable long-term strategies that suit your competitive landscape, and lead your team through the successful execution of your vision.
• Time: 2 - 3 p.m. CT
• Instructor: Sean Ebert

Module 2: Supervisory Management and Team Leadership (Thursdays, February 19, 26, and March 5, 12)

• Explore foundational management theories and examine how supervisory styles impact team performance, while addressing modern challenges like remote work, diversity and inclusion, and emerging workplace technologies.
• Time: 4 - 5 p.m. CT
• Instructor: Bianca Reyes

Module 3: Financial Literacy and Budgeting (Tuesdays, March 24, 31, and April 7, 14)

• Learn the basics of budgeting, financial statements, and the metrics businesses frequently use to evaluate business performance, drive decision-making, and improve the financial health of the organization.
• Time: 2 - 3 p.m. CT
• Instructor: Sean Ebert

Module 4: Organizational Behavior and Change Management (Thursdays, March 26, and April 2, 9, 16)

• Explore how people, teams, and culture drive change. This practical short module helps professionals apply change tools and navigate today’s workplace – including working with A.I. as a powerful new team member.
• Time: 4 - 5 p.m. CT
• Instructor: Ruth Barratt, Ph.D.

Module 5: Project Management and Agile Methodologies (Tuesdays, April 21, 28, and May 5, 12)

• Master project management by exploring both traditional and Agile methods. Through real-world applications and interactive exercises, you will gain essential skills to plan, communicate, and lead successful projects with confidence.
• Time: 10 - 11 a.m. CT
• Instructor: Patricia Kramer

Module 6: Data Analytics & Business Intelligence (Thursdays, April 23, 30, and May 7, 14)

• Learn how to combine A.I. with modern BI tools to extract insights, automate dashboards, and communicate stories. Master Data Visualization 3.0 with real-world use cases, Tableau, and ChatGPT.
• Time: 9 - 10 a.m. CT
• Instructor: Naveen Kankate

Audience

Employees who:

• Have been defined as high-potential and would benefit from an enhanced business acumen.
• Have advanced into management roles but lack experience in primary job functions (budgeting, supervisory management, project management, etc.).
• Aspire to become managers but have limited leadership and management training.
• Are interested in pursuing an MBA but feel they lack the foundational knowledge and/or skills required to be successful.

Program Cost

$2,999 (There is a 20% discount available for any registrations received by Monday, Feb. 2, reducing the cost further to $2,399.20 per participant. Choose 'Early Bird Discount' from the drop-down menu when checking out to have the discount applied.)

Financial Assistance

A limited number of scholarships are available. To formally request scholarship support, contact Dr. George Kroeninger,  CPE Executive Director, at kroeninger@msoe.edu. The deadline for all scholarship requests is Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT.

Register here

*HERA Microcredential Grant funding provided by US Department of Education: Award P116Z24014917