New degree and certificate options launching in fall 2022 offer employer-tested pathways to career success
An online MBA, two new bachelor’s degrees and career-enhancing undergraduate and graduate certificate programs lead the academic offerings launching this fall at UNC Charlotte. With these options — developed to meet the needs of new and experienced working professionals seeking to further their careers as well as the unique business demands of the region’s leading employers — Charlotte offers clear pathways to success in today’s most in-demand fields.
Online MBA
With its nationally recognized Master of Business Administration degree — the largest and oldest MBA program in the region — Charlotte has created a fully online MBA to meet the specialized needs of working professionals with high-tech concentrations.
“Charlotte’s new online MBA is designed to help business professionals harness the power of technology to advance their careers,” said Jennifer Troyer, dean of the Belk College of Business. “Through information from our industry partners and analysis of current employment data, we know the skills students acquire through this unique program are in high demand in the Charlotte region and beyond.”
Undergraduate Certificate: Sports Analytics
Building on the success of its School of Data Science — the first in the Carolinas — and the fact that data analysis has become essential to professional and college sports, Charlotte is launching its Undergraduate Certificate in Sports Analytics in conjunction with the College of Health and Human Services. The U.S. Labor Department projects a 30% increase in demand through 2030 for statisticians, a group for whom median wages in 2020 equaled nearly $90,000.
“Advanced stats and analytics in the sports world are here to stay,” said John Tobias ’94, a lecturer in the School of Data Science and senior analytical statistician with ESPN. “As the field continues to develop as an industry standard among professional sports and elite collegiate athletics programs, this certificate gives UNC Charlotte students a clear competitive edge.”
Certificate Programs: Entrepreneurship, Software Development, Instructional Leadership
A 2021 analysis from LendingTree, ranked Charlotte and Raleigh among the top five metropolitan areas in the country to start a business. Now, aspiring tycoons and impresarios can match their entrepreneurial spirit with the credentials to turn their ideas into action. The Belk College of Business Undergraduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship, available to non-business majors, develops the skills to support this fast-growing segment of the state’s economy.
Future software designers — whether or not they hold an undergraduate degree related to computing or they completed a degree years ago — can pursue the Graduate Certificate in Software Development. This graduate certificate serves either as a standalone graduate option for post-baccalaureate and post-master’s students, or as an option to pursue concurrently with a related graduate degree program at UNC Charlotte.
The Graduate Certificate in Instructional Coaching is for individuals who completed a bachelor’s degree in education or a closely related field. It prepares them to become instructional leaders who facilitate professional development in P-12 schools. Candidates will qualify to coach novice and veteran teachers to improve their instruction, design quality curriculum and use data to guide instruction.
Undergraduate Degree Programs: Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Studies
Complex societal challenges require examination from a multidisciplinary approach that integrates data, methods, concepts and theories from various fields to enhance understanding and develop effective solutions. With the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, students will customize their studies in preparation for their chosen careers. Competencies in oral and written communication, critical thinking, data analysis, teamwork and leadership are among the degree requirements.
Joining UNC Charlotte’s online bachelor’s degree programs ranked 10th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report is the new online Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies. This program, offered through the University’s School of Professional Studies, is designed for working professionals who are ready to enhance their career advancement opportunities.
“Adults with some college credit but no degree often need an express lane to a bachelor’s degree and career advancement,” said Asher Haines, associate provost for the School of Professional Studies. “This 100% online degree presents a multidisciplinary curriculum that includes workplace-focused skills in communications and leadership along with technical skill tracks in project management, human resource management and information technology to prepare graduates for in-demand jobs. A unique path to degree completion, this degree is a win for both students and regional employers.”
Fall classes at UNC Charlotte start Monday, Aug. 22. UNC Charlotte offers more than 170 graduate and undergraduate majors.