Build Capabilities. Earn Credentials. Advance Your Career.
RPI's undergraduate programs for working adults are built around one idea: real capabilities, earned in steps that fit your life. Start with a single certificate that meets an immediate need, stack several over time, or complete all five plus a capstone to earn the Bachelor of Technology in Production and Operations Management. Every step earns an RPI credential.
• 100% Online • Project-Based • $792 per credit hour, All Materials Included • Start in January, May, or August
One Pathway, Many Entry Points
The building blocks of RPI's undergraduate offering are five certificates. Each is 12 credit hours, delivered as two six-credit courses, fully online, and built around real-world projects, often drawn from your own workplace. Complete a certificate and you earn a standalone RPI credential you can put to work right away.
Complete all five certificates plus a four-credit capstone project, and you earn the Bachelor of Technology in Production and Operations Management, a 64-credit-hour degree completion program equivalent to the junior and senior years of a bachelor's degree.
You choose the pace and, largely, the order. Take one certificate now and return for the next when you are ready or map the full path to the degree from day one. Our advisors will help you set the right plan either way.
The Degree: B.Tech in Production and Operations Management
Designed for working adults who have completed an associate's degree, the B.Tech combines engineering and management to prepare you to run operations and lead people. The program was developed in collaboration with industry leaders to prepare graduates for careers across America's fastest-growing sectors, including semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, aerospace, and pharmaceuticals. Graduates are prepared to manage people, budgets, projects, and products in complex, technical organizations.
The Certificates
Each certificate is a standalone RPI credential and a building block toward the Bachelor of Technology in Production and Operations Management. Explore each certificate to discover the practical capabilities you'll build, how you'll apply them in the workplace, and how every step moves you closer to your career goals.
Business and Management Certificate
Develop the business and management capabilities to understand how organizations create value, manage people and resources, make informed business decisions, and achieve organizational goals. No prerequisites.
Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Certificate
Build the practical capabilities to analyze challenges, identify root causes, make evidence-based decisions, and communicate solutions that improve organizational performance. No prerequisites
Data Analysis and Visualization Certificate
Learn to collect, analyze, and interpret data to solve business problems, improve operations, and support confident, evidence-based decisions. This certificate also serves as the gateway to the two engineering certificates listed below. No prerequisites
Process and Quality Engineering Certificate
Develop the practical capabilities to improve quality, reduce waste, and optimize manufacturing and operational performance. Use Lean, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement methodologies. Prerequisite: Data Analysis and Visualization Certificate.
Engineering Projects and Systems Certificate
Build the project management and systems thinking capabilities needed to successfully plan and deliver projects while improving coordination across operations, suppliers, and customers throughout the supply chain. Prerequisite: Data Analysis and Visualization Certificate.
How the Pathway Fits Together
| Credential | Courses | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Business and Management Certificate | BUSN 3150: Creating Value in the Business Model BUSN 3155: Managing to Achieve Goals | 12 |
| Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Certificate | BUSN 3170: Decision-Making and Problem Solving BUSN 3175: Management Communication and Practices | 12 |
| Data Analysis and Visualization Certificate | ESCI 4120: Data and Statistics ESCI 4125: Data Visualization and Analytics | 12 |
| Process and Quality Engineering Certificate* | ESCI 4100: Process and Quality Engineering I ESCI 4105: Process and Quality Engineering II | 12 |
| Engineering Projects and Systems Certificate* | ESCI 4180: Project Planning and Execution BUSN 4185: Evaluating Systems and Supply Chains | 12 |
| Capstone Project (degree candidates) | ESCI 4200: Capstone Project | 4 |
| B.Tech in Production and Operations Management | All five certificates plus the capstone | 64 |
*Requires completion of the Data Analysis and Visualization Certificate before enrollment.
The Business and Management, Problem-Solving and Decision-Making, and Data Analysis and Visualization certificates can be taken in any order. If the degree is your goal, we recommend starting with the Business and Management or Problem-Solving and Decision-Making certificates, completing Data Analysis and Visualization next, and finishing with the two engineering certificates and your capstone.
Learn By Doing
Ready to Advance Your Career? Whether you're preparing for greater responsibility or are ready to complete the bachelor's degree you started, this program is designed for adults with an associate's degree and at least three years of work experience. Our enrollment team is here to help you explore your options.
Start Building What's Next
Whether you're ready to earn your first certificate, complete your bachelor's degree, or simply explore your options, we're here to help you find the path that's right for your career. Connect with an enrollment specialist to discuss your goals, review your background, and take the next step with confidence.