Chief Digital Officer Certificate

Virtual Orientation: 1:00 - 4:30pm EST
January 26-29, 2021

Virtual Modules: 4:00 - 7:30pm EST
(Note: all virtual class dates are Mondays)
February 15, 22 (2021)
March 8, 15 (2021)

Virtual Program Mid-Session: 4:00 - 9:00pm EST
March 22, 2021

• Virtual Module: 4:00 - 7:30pm EST
• Virtual Project Check-In: 7:30 - 9:00pm EST

Virtual Modules: 4:00 - 7:30pm EST
(Note: all virtual class dates are Mondays)
April 12, 19, 26 (2021)
May 10, 17 (2021)

Virtual Practicum:
June 1-3, 2021

Please note: Students must complete all modules in sequence.

On-campus sessions are held at our main campus in Pittsburgh:

Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University
4800 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Please note: The Chief Digital Officer Certificate Program involves two mandatory on-campus sessions in Pittsburgh.

• $13,750 for the entire program
• $11,000 discounted rate for Carnegie Mellon alumni—including CIO, CISO, CRO, and CDataO programs—U.S. government employees, veterans, and employees of non-profit organizations
• Fee includes all program materials and daily continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments during on-campus sessions.
• Optional credit card installment payment plan is available

Please note: Due to the non-credit bearing nature of the CDigitalO Certificate Program, students are unable to apply for tuition assistance, scholarship, or VA benefits.

 

Cancellation/Refund Policy

A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of 1/6 of the total program cost is required to reserve a seat in the program.

Should a student withdraw from the program after the deposit has been paid but prior to the program start date, students may have 5/6 of the program costs either refunded to them or transferred to the following cohort of the program.

After the program start date, no refunds will be issued. However, under extenuating circumstances and with program director approval, students may petition to postpone their attendance to a future cohort and have 5/6 of the program costs applied accordingly.

Formal deadline for Cohort 1 is January 19, 2021. Please submit your application as soon as possible for consideration.

If space remains in the cohort after the deadline, we will continue to accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Instructor: 
Ari Lightman | Distinguished Service Professor, Digital Media and Marketing, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College

Digital drives new efficiencies, new modes of work, and creates data to develop new experiences, products, and services. However, it also opens up an organization to issues associated with culture, organization, security, and privacy when not introduced effectively. How does the Chief Digital Officer strike a balance while keeping up with market dynamics, hyper competition, and increasingly stringent consumer facing legislation? This module will discuss the key issues that a Chief Digital Officer will face when transforming the organization to open new opportunities.

Instructors:
Michael D. Smith | J. Erik Jonsson Professor of Information Technology and Marketing, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College
Tim Derdenger | Associate Professor of Marketing and Strategy, Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business

New, disruptive technologies are introduced in the marketplace daily that impact organizations. Also, new platform business models help organizations acquire data, foster community growth, and scale to meet the demands of an evolving digital ecosystem. When organizational shifts need to occur due to the introduction of new technology and business models, how do Chief Digital Officers best position themselves and determine which skillsets are needed to thrive in an increasingly digital organization? This module will discuss in detail these trends and how organizations can manage impact and achieve benefits.

Instructor: 
Param Vir Singh | Carnegie Bosch Professor of Business Technologies & Marketing, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College

Digital technology has changed how consumers search for information, interact with each other, and buy products and services. Given the many digital technologies—like online search, social media, mobile, content sites, A/B testing, etc.—how should a firm design its digital marketing strategy? How can the firm measure the effectiveness of its digital marketing efforts? This module will discuss how a Chief Digital Officer should approach this process to maximize opportunities for digital initiatives.

Instructor:
Anita Woolley | Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory, Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business

Teams are fundamental to collective intelligence and organizational function. However, digital collaboration and communications results in different work modalities. How are high performance teams designed and managed in an increasingly digital organization? This module will discuss some of methods and processes a Chief Digital Officer would employ to empower digital teams and initiatives in the organization.

Instructor:
Peter Boatwright | Professor of Marketing, Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business; Co-Founder and Director, CMU Integrated Innovation Institute

Digital accelerates timing associated with research, development, delivery and obsolescence. In a dynamic fast-paced environment, how do organizations implement processes to engender an ongoing stream of new products and services? Knowing that most products fail due to mismatch of what companies produce and the market needs, what kind of data are useful for a rich understanding of customer needs, and how can those data be readily translated into viable products and product features? This module will discuss how the Chief Digital Officer can effectively introduce and manage new product offerings to achieve desired business outcomes.

Instructor: 
Rebecca Nugent | Stephen E. and Joyce Fienberg Professor in Statistics & Data Science; Associate Department Head; Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies, CMU Department of Statistics & Data Science 

Data is increasingly important for organizations to identify new markets, products and services, streamline processes, create unique consumer experiences, etc. How do organizations build a culture focusing on data collection, exploration and analysis? What should organizations pay careful attention to and try to avoid as analytics become more fundamental in their day to day operations? This module will discuss the ways that the Chief Digital Officer should utilize and interpret data and as a competitive advantage.

Instructor: 
David Steier | Distinguished Service Professor, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College

Artificial intelligence has been around for a long time but organizations are flocking to deploy AI in droves. What should the Chief Digital Officer understand about what AI can and cannot provide? How should they look at AI in practical terms to “intelligently” deploy AI within their departments and across their organizations? This module will discuss how the Chief Digital Officer would utilize AI to enhance/accelerate digital initiative in their organizations.

Instructor: 
Sameer Badlani | CIO, Fairview Health Services

This module is an overview of practical “day-to-day" operations of the Chief Digital Officer organization. The module will cover how to properly plan and structure the digital team, obtain “buy-in” from the organization, and report on the team and initiatives to management. As part of these core Chief Digital Officer responsibilities, students will learn how the digital executive integrates effectively in organizational governance and operations as well as best leadership and management practices that enhance the ability of today’s digital executive to succeed in any organization.

Instructor: 
John Zimmerman | Tang Family Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University

As information becomes more complex and data rich, how do Chief Digital Officers communicate to a diverse audience so that they understand the imperative and nuances associated with new initiatives? How can different audiences engage in narratives to process complex information with a greater level of acuity? This module will work to improve the communication/persuasion skills of the Chief Digital Officer role to advance digital initiatives.

Instructor: 
David Danks | L.L. Thurstone Professor of Philosophy & Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University

As organizations look to automate process and glean insights from data, how do Chief Digital Officers ensure groups are using and acting on information in an ethical fashion? How do we understand and assess development of bias within data analytics as well as the human toll associated with an increasingly digitized society? This module will discuss important issues that digital executives should be aware of that could have an impact on their organizations.

Instructor: 
Chris Labash | Associate Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College

Becoming digitized and digital requires new ways of working as well as a mindset shift. Failing fast through a culture of experimentation is a necessity, but how can this be done in a risk adverse organization, or a company that is not equipped for rapid experimentation? Chief Digital Officers having an understanding of what an organization wants to achieve, assessing incremental change and mapping that back to culture, processes, and capabilities is essential for growth. This module will discuss some processes and methods to develop a strong digital-focused culture in the organization.

Instructor: 
Alessandro Acquisti | Trustees Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College

Collecting and sharing personal information raises opportunities and creates challenges for organizations. Understanding how consumers think about their data (and value, or not, their privacy), and what are the individual, organizational, and societal economic consequences of data collection/protection decisions can help digital leaders navigate these complex trade-offs. This module will highlight ways the Chief Digital Officer can insure digital products are developed with a privacy mindset to protect the organization and its customer base.