Graduate Certificate in Decision Analysis Program of Study

A Curriculum for Lifelong, Adaptable Skills

Completion of the four carefully designed, practical skills courses described below grants 24 academic credits and Minerva's Graduate Certificate in Decision Analysis (CDA), signifying possession of the skills and knowledge to tackle complex problems and provide courageous leadership.

While most Minerva CDA students complete the degree on a part time basis over 12 months, a 24-month option is also available. The two graphs below show the different progression to completion options for CDA students.

12-month CDA

24-month CDA

Required Courses

Formal Methods for Analysis and Decision Making

Learn how to represent situations systematically and logically, using concepts in mathematics, probability and statistics, computer science, and logic. The subject matter used to illustrate this material will typically be drawn from a wide range of pivotal real-world problems.

Decision Making in Complex Social Systems

Use tools and concepts from complexity theory to understand people and groups as complex systems. With this approach, we target the core competency of “effective interaction” with others, including analysis of case studies from a variety of global contexts that consider topics from leadership and negotiation to understanding yourself and your own goals.

Critical Analysis of Consequential Decisions

Synthesize and extend learnings from the core courses by engaging with examples of consequential decision making. Flexibly apply HCs to complex and challenging case studies. Analyze the context of the case, formulate a strategy, consider solutions, and make or judge a decision while adapting as necessary to unexpected challenges.

Frameworks for Evidence-Based Decision Making

Learn to apply advanced problem solving skills and decision making frameworks to complex problems. Use data and evidence to define and characterize complex problems and generate viable solutions while analyzing and mitigating the effect of cognitive biases on the process of decision making.

Applications of Scientific Inquiry

Use the scientific method in interdisciplinary contexts to design research that tests innovative hypotheses and informs decision making. This class focuses on topics in the social and natural sciences that transcend disciplinary boundaries.

Optional Enrichment

For an additional fee, students can attend a one-week intensive immersion program to get to know their classmates while exploring a global location such as London, San Francisco, or Seoul. Participating CDA students, joining with Minerva’s Master of Decision Analysis students, will visit with local leaders in important business sectors and government organizations, tour local cultural landmarks, and discuss key challenges across multiple fields. Students will also live together and have unstructured time available to build their personal and professional networks. Costs and fees associated with attending an immersion option include housing, food, airfare, programming, and local transportation to events, totaling approximately $3,000 USD.

Transferring to the MDA

Students who successfully complete the CDA may petition to segue to the Master of Science in Decision Analysis (MDA) degree and, if accepted, count their CDA credits toward the Master’s degree. CDA to MDA transfers must complete the remaining MDA curriculum, including two courses and a master’s thesis, to earn the MDA degree.

Applications for Fall 2023 are closed. If you would like to be notified about Fall 2024 applications, you can begin the process below.

Begin Part 1

For any questions, please contact us at masters@minerva.edu