If you've ever wondered about the value of an Executive Certificate from MIT Sloan, Tauseef Ayaz has a simple answer for you: “It’s like getting an MBA in two weeks." Ayaz recently completed an MIT Sloan Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership.
Executive certificates are earned by taking four courses—three in a chosen track, and one more in any of the three tracks. Ayaz earned his certificate with four Management and Leadership programs that really pack a punch: Transforming Your Leadership Strategy; Essential Law for Executives: The MIT Advantage (no longer offered); Strategic Marketing for the Technical Executive; and Fundamentals of Finance for the Technical Executive.
An account manager at Nokia, a global leader in mobile communications, Ayaz says he found the courses challenging and in line with his career. In addition, he says the short-term schedule allowed him to complete the certificate without too much time away from the office. “The program’s flexibility was very helpful. It was just the right amount of time and effort.”
A technical engineer by trade, Ayaz enjoyed getting a different perspective on a variety of business issues and has already reaped some of the benefits of this different viewpoint back at the office. “For example, instead of viewing a situation from a technical or commercial perspective, I am now able to look at the financial side of things. I am better able to quantify a strategy."
Ayaz, who has been in the high tech sector for 15 years, says the MIT Sloan Executive Education programs gave him insight into other dimensions of his industry, which, he added, really helped his overall professional development. “I am making a transition from domain manager to a more general management position. How else would I learn about such diverse subjects in two weeks?”
The Benefits of an MIT Sloan Executive Certificate
The certificate holder also found the networking aspects of the programs very beneficial. Ayaz says he was able to interact with participants from government, energy, and aerospace industries, as well as those with backgrounds in finance, pharmaceuticals, and entrepreneurship.
“In addition, some of my classmates had 25 years of business experience, while others were in middle management … and they came from all over the world,” says the engineer, who is originally from Pakistan.
MIT Sloan Executive Education offers several certificate track options, including Management and Leadership, Strategy and Innovation, and Technology, Operations, and Value Chain Management. Certificates can be earned in as few as two weeks, or over a four-year period. The variety of courses and flexible scheduling make these certificates especially appealing to busy executives from across the globe.