After receiving approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia,
Radford University’s Davis College of Business and Economics is now offering a graduate certificate in innovation, designed to help students and working professionals develop the skills needed to
drive organizational growth and adapt to an evolving business and technology landscape.
Administered through the Department of Management and the Department of Marketing,
the 12-credit-hour certificate equips students with practical knowledge in creative
problem solving, business innovation, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Through courses in Digital Marketing Innovation and Strategy, AI and Machine Learning
for Managers, Strategic Innovation and Creativity in Business, students will learn
to identify opportunities for improvement, implement innovative solutions and help
organizations remain competitive.
“In today’s competitive and dynamic marketplace, organizations that don’t innovate
risk falling behind,” said Zachary Collier, director of the Center for Applied Analytics
and associate professor of management. “Employers increasingly expect people not only
to do their jobs well, but to continuously improve processes, solve new problems and
leverage technologies like AI to create value. This certificate gives students the
tools to lead that kind of change.”
With the flexibility of online learning, this certificate meets students where they
are through a program that has been named among the 2027 Best Online MBA Programs
and 2027 Best Business Schools by the Princeton Review. Designed for a range of learners,
including undergraduate business students pursuing Radford’s accelerated MBA pathway
and mid-career professionals looking to expand their expertise, the certificate emphasizes
lifelong learning and workforce development.
The program is particularly valuable for professionals seeking to better understand
AI and other emerging technologies and apply them to improve productivity, decision-making
and organizational performance.
The curriculum also addresses the growing need for employees who can adapt to changing
markets, foster innovation across teams and help organizations – including businesses,
nonprofits and community organizations – navigate complex challenges while improving
employee engagement and long-term success.
“AI matters enormously right now,” said Donna McCloskey, dean of the Davis College
of Business and Economics. “But we have to be careful not to educate students for
a single technology. At some point, saying you have a degree in AI may sound a bit
like saying you have a degree in electricity – it will simply be embedded in how business
gets done. The ability to innovate, however, is enduring. I’m proud of our faculty
for designing a certificate that prepares graduates to keep learning, adapting and
creating value throughout their careers.”
Prospective students interested in advancing their leadership, innovation and technology
skills can learn more on the program page.