Essential Skills

Sheronda Glass:  Sheronda Glass has worked for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside since 2016 and is currently the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Employee Engagement. She is a human resources executive with 25+ years of HR experience having worked in a variety of industries, including healthcare, consumer products/manufacturing, and most recently, K-12 education. She has extensive experience in the areas of HR strategic planning, conflict resolution, performance management, labor relations, and diversity management. She has also worked as a consultant for over six years, consulting in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She is a certified trainer/facilitator in the areas of conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, performance management, and cultural competency.  

Sheronda received her Ph.D. in Business Management with a specialization in Human Resources from Capella University. She has taught human resources courses including Performance Management, and Introduction to Human Resources Management, and currently teaches Essential Personal Skills for Project Management and Staffing Organizations. She has also achieved the Professional in Human Resources certification awarded by the Society for Human Resources Management and the HR Certification Institute. She is a facilitator for the prep course for SHRM professional certifications and SHRM Essentials for non-HR managers. She is the recipient of the 2018 Milwaukee Business Journal HR Award and the UW System 2019 Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award. 

Jordania Leon-Jordan: Ms. Leon-Jordan received her bachelor's degree from UW-Stevens-Point and her master's degree in Business Administration from UW-Parkside. Ms. Leon-Jordan is a certified project management professional (PMP), teaches project management for the College of Business, Economics and Computing (CBEC), and leads UW-Parkside's IT strategic planning efforts.

As the CIO, Ms. Leon-Jordan serves as the head of the Campus Technology Services (CTS) department reporting directly to the Provost.

Ms. Leon-Jordan's responsibilities include overseeing the Applications Development, Client Services, Desktop Support, Networking, and Web Management teams; developing and communicating the vision and strategic technology goals supportive of all University entities engaged in the deployment and use of information technology; actively participating in and providing leadership in UW System and statewide information technology needs, among others.

Suresh Chalasani: Dr. Suresh Chalasani is a professor of Management Information Systems and has served the university for over 20 years.

Dr. Chalasani was the founding director for the Solutions for Economic Growth center and the founding Academic Director for several collaborative programs including the MS in IT Management, MS in Cybersecurity, and Graduate Certificates in Digital Marketing. Dr. Chalasani also helped launch undergraduate online courses and an online undergraduate certificate in project management. He helped launch the first competency-based education programs in the UW System. The Flex BSBA is the world's first AACSB accredited competency-based business degree.

Dr. Chalasani contributed to HLC and AACSB accreditation efforts and was the HLC's Accreditation Liaison Officer during the 10-year HLC re-accreditation effort.

Competency-based learning

The UW Flexible Option is a national pioneer in competency-based education for adult learners. This means, you can earn the project management credential you need to get ahead—without sacrificing your commitments to work and family. 

Competency-based education is all about your ability to prove mastery over the knowledge and skills in the program, not about seat time in a classroom. That means if you already have experience in some areas, you’ll be able to build on that and accelerate your progress. On the other hand, if you’re struggling with a concept and need more time to study it, you can do so without the stress of a looming deadline. 

Benefits of the UW Flexible Option:

• Complete the certificate 100% online, with no live log-on times or course deadlines
• Leverage your existing experience to accelerate through the program
• Earn an accredited credential taught by respected UW faculty 
• Get started any month of the year 
• Have a dedicated Success Coach to support you

"I wanted to let you know that doing the project management certificate has really paid off for me.  I was able to frame my existing skills in new ways, and think outside the box when it came to what I might want to pursue.

I am starting a 1/2 time position, which will still allow me to continue my singing career, through the UW extension program.  I'll be working as a regional coordinator for a grant funded farmer's market project.  I'm really excited for this new experience and feel like my confidence in applying for the position came in a large part from doing the project management certificate." - Emily Fons

Why choose the non-credit certificate?

Earning the non-credit project management certificate is a great choice for someone with a bachelor’s degree—or higher—seeking professional development but are not interested in earning additional academic credits. With fixed start and end points, this non-credit certificate gives you 24 weeks to complete the program, so plan your start date at a time that works best for you.

This program has a one-time tuition cost of $1,995.00, which covers the full 24-week program.

Still unsure if this is the best option for you? Call one of our advisers at 608-800-6762, they are happy to answer any questions.

Terms & Conditions

The following terms and conditions apply to registration in the Project Management Non-Credit Certificate:

Registration Requirements: To register for the Non-Credit Project Management Certificate Program, you must meet at least one of the following four requirements:

• An undergraduate degree (i.e. bachelor of science); or,
• Be actively enrolled in a bachelor’s degree with junior or senior standing; or,
• Have an associate degree and at least two years of business experience; or,
• If you have no degree, then at least five years of business experience, preferably at mid-level management or above

Refund and Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your registration through the Friday before your subscription period begins and will receive a full refund minus a $50 administrative fee. No refund is provided for cancelled registrations received after this time frame. Please see the Compassionate Refund/Extension Policy for information on exceptions to this policy. 

Project Management Institute Certification: This program does not automatically grant the PMP, CAPM, or any other project management certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) upon graduation. Though our program will prepare you for those certifications, it is your responsibility to complete all the requirements (which includes education, tests, fees, and experiential hours), as outlined by the PMI, to earn those industry certifications. 

Modality: UW Flexible Option is not a traditional learning experience. We encourage you to review the resources on how the UW Flexible Option works, as well as this short overview of competency-based education. Please note, students are encouraged to discuss any questions or concerns with an Enrollment Adviser (608-800-6762) prior to registering for this program.

Course Policies: You acknowledge that you have reviewed all the course policies, which include policies on registration, cancellation, withdrawal, grading, repeat, and more.

Wallace Wang is the author of over 40 computer books including "Microsoft Office 2019 For Dummies." In addition to writing computer books, he has also co-authored "Breaking Into Acting for Dummies" and ghostwritten several books about investing in real estate, day trading stocks, and becoming an entrepreneur.

Chad Wambolt has spent his entire professional career in the finance field, working for both private and publicly-held companies with sales ranging from $500 million to $5 billion. Through the course of his career, Wambolt became an expert user of Microsoft Excel. Since 1997, he has taught Excel to students of varying skill levels and helped organizations streamline internal processes. He is a graduate of Boise State University, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in accounting.

Tracy Loffer holds a Master's degree in Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She has been involved in education for twenty years, as a music educator and technology trainer of students and teachers. She has also worked in the private sector as a trainer of domestic and international technology franchisees as well as a writer and developmental editor of educational technology materials using Office and Publisher.

1. Introduction to Microsoft Excel 2019/Office 365

1. Excel Basics
2. Creating a Worksheet
3. Time-Savers
4. Relative, Absolute, Mixed, and Circular References
5. Three-Dimensional Workbooks
6. Sorting, Subtotaling, and Filtering
7. Charting Basics
8. Advanced Charting Techniques
9. Intro to Excel's Statistical Functions
10. Financial Functions
11. Worksheet Automation
12. Mastering Excel's IF Function

2. Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint 2019/Office 365

1. The PowerPoint 2019 Interface
2. Creating Presentations
3. Working With Files and Creating and Editing Tables
4. Creating Professional Presentations
5. Working With the Images Group
6. WordArt and the Illustrations Group
7. All About Charts
8. Making Global Changes to a Presentation
9. Creating Links
10. Applying Animation to Slides, Text, and Objects
11. Adding Advanced Animation Effects to Text and Objects
12. Sharing and Saving Your Presentations

3. Introduction to Microsoft Word 2019/Office 365

1. Getting Started
2. Typing and Navigation
3. File Management
4. Editing Text
5. Working With Multiple Documents
6. Text Formatting and Alignment
7. Printing
8. Margins, Tabs, and Page Numbering
9. Paragraph Formatting
10. Language Tools
11. Customizing Word
12. Making a Word Document Pretty and Organized

Class Schedule:

Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You will have access to all the released lessons until the course ends.

You do not have to be present when lessons are released. An interactive discussion area accompanies each lesson and automatically closes two weeks after the lesson is released.

The final exam is released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you have two weeks to complete all coursework, including the final exam. A 10-day extension is available if you fall behind.

Instructor(s) Interaction:

The instructors look forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites to complete these courses.

Hardware Requirements:
This course must be taken on a PC. Macs are not compatible.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
• Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2019 (desktop versions) Available to download with a subscription to Microsoft 365, or with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019. (not included in enrollment)
• Note: The "Starter Version" and "Web App" versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will not work with the full versions of the software taught in this course.

Other:
Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify strategies for making professional connections
• Cultivate strong relationships at work
• Consider how to network over the course of a career
• Identify potential resources for networking
• Explain how to use business cards effectively
• Explore the importance of networking during the job search process
• Describe strategies for effective cold call emailing
• Examine networking strategies for introverts
• Consider the role that gender can play in networking
• Describe tips for handling awkward conversations
• Explore strategies for conquering networking anxiety

"I really enjoyed this class. I learned some new tips on how to properly network and cold call and cold email. This is information I can put to use right away. Thank you!"

What are the minimum technical requirements?
Software: 

• Any modern Office suite: Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice
• The latest Adobe Reader/Acrobat Reader ( free download available at https://get.adobe.com/reader/ )

Web Browser:

• An updated version of one of the major modern browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 11
• Cookies must be enabled
• JavaScript must be enabled

Reliable internet connection:
Broadband cable or highspeed DSL is recommended for optimal experience.

Note: Some courses may have additional hardware and/or software requirements. Any additional requirements will be listed in the course description and course syllabus.

What is your refund policy?
You may request a refund up to 7 days from the purchase date. The registration fee will only be refunded if less than 10% of the course has been completed.

How do I contact technical support?
To report technical issues please email us at support@mindedge.com.

What are badges?
We now issue Badges, an online standard to recognize and verify learning, for more than 100 courses and simulations offered here online.

Badges allow students and professionals to publicly share their skills, knowledge, and accomplishments online, which may help with future career and education opportunities. Learners can manage and share badges across the web from their Badgr. (You can set up a free Badgr at https://badgr.com/.)

Learners who successfully complete their course or simulation will earn Badges. They can share their credentials online through social media and display them on resumes and transcripts.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognize key career development questions to ask before beginning a job search
• Employ a written goal-setting process to establish career development and job search priorities
• Recognize the purpose of tailoring a resume and cover letter
• Develop a more effective resume
• Develop a more effective cover letter
• Identify the five stages of the interview process
• Conduct industry and company research efficiently using web-based resources
• Brainstorm potential interview questions and answers
• Understand what constitutes a good answer in the mind of a hiring manager
• Anticipate some of the most common interview questions
• Explain to a hiring manager how the past successes represented on your resume will translate to future success in your desired position
• Recognize whether a job aligns with your career objectives

"Very well organized, easy for navigating and moving along one step at a time!"

"The course was well put together."

What are the minimum technical requirements?
Software: 

• Any modern Office suite: Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice
• The latest Adobe Reader/Acrobat Reader ( free download available at https://get.adobe.com/reader/ )

Web Browser:

• An updated version of one of the major modern browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 11
• Cookies must be enabled
• JavaScript must be enabled
• Reliable internet connection:
• Broadband cable or highspeed DSL is recommended for optimal experience.

Note: Some courses may have additional hardware and/or software requirements. Any additional requirements will be listed in the course description and course syllabus.

What is your refund policy?
You may request a refund up to 7 days from the purchase date. The registration fee will only be refunded if less than 10% of the course has been completed.

How do I contact technical support?
To report technical issues please email us at support@mindedge.com.

What are badges?
We now issue Badges, an online standard to recognize and verify learning, for more than 100 courses and simulations offered here online.

Badges allow students and professionals to publicly share their skills, knowledge, and accomplishments online, which may help with future career and education opportunities. Learners can manage and share badges across the web from their Badgr. (You can set up a free Badgr at https://badgr.com/.)

Learners who successfully complete their course or simulation will earn Badges. They can share their credentials online through social media and display them on resumes and transcripts.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the basic concepts of home computing and networking
• Be empowered to make informed and effective choices regarding products and services
• Utilize different tools and resources to troubleshoot common computing problems
• Identify the key steps to having your own domain for web or email services
• Effectively identify and use cloud computing resources
• Identify common pitfalls and expenses in home technology
• Effectively secure home resources

What are the minimum technical requirements?
Software: 

• Any modern Office suite: Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice
• The latest Adobe Reader/Acrobat Reader ( free download available at https://get.adobe.com/reader/ )

Web Browser:

• An updated version of one of the major modern browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 11
• Cookies must be enabled
• JavaScript must be enabled
• Reliable internet connection:
• Broadband cable or highspeed DSL is recommended for optimal experience.

Note: Some courses may have additional hardware and/or software requirements. Any additional requirements will be listed in the course description and course syllabus.

What is your refund policy?
You may request a refund up to 7 days from the purchase date. The registration fee will only be refunded if less than 10% of the course has been completed.

How do I contact technical support?
To report technical issues please email us at support@mindedge.com.

What are badges?
We now issue Badges, an online standard to recognize and verify learning, for more than 100 courses and simulations offered here online.

Badges allow students and professionals to publicly share their skills, knowledge, and accomplishments online, which may help with future career and education opportunities. Learners can manage and share badges across the web from their Badgr. (You can set up a free Badgr at https://badgr.com/.)

Learners who successfully complete their course or simulation will earn Badges. They can share their credentials online through social media and display them on resumes and transcripts.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognize when it's appropriate to use an email, a memo, or a letter
• Explain the parts of an email, a memo, and a letter, and format each so that the communication is effective
• Consider primary and secondary uses for the email, memo, or letter
• Explain how to facilitate both primary and secondary uses
• Create a sample email, memo, and letter employing best practices

"This was a wonderful refresher course for those of us who have been in the business world for many years. I would highly recommend this to anyone coming into the workforce or those, like myself, who have been in it a while. It teaches you how to know when to use a letter, a memo, or an email when corresponding with various business associates. It also teaches you when to use and not to use certain salutations and, finally, the proper method of using PS (post script)."

"This course was very informational, and I learned way more than I thought I would. I went in thinking I knew how to write emails, memos, and letters, but I was willing to learn some new tips to make my writing better. I went through the course and found out there was a lot of information I was doing incorrectly and learned many ways to make my writing better!"

What are the minimum technical requirements?
Software: 

• Any modern Office suite: Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice
• The latest Adobe Reader/Acrobat Reader ( free download available at https://get.adobe.com/reader/ )

Web Browser:

• An updated version of one of the major modern browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 11
• Cookies must be enabled
• JavaScript must be enabled
• Reliable internet connection:
• Broadband cable or highspeed DSL is recommended for optimal experience.

Note: Some courses may have additional hardware and/or software requirements. Any additional requirements will be listed in the course description and course syllabus.

What is your refund policy?
You may request a refund up to 7 days from the purchase date. The registration fee will only be refunded if less than 10% of the course has been completed.

How do I contact technical support?
To report technical issues please email us at support@mindedge.com.

What are badges?
We now issue Badges, an online standard to recognize and verify learning, for more than 100 courses and simulations offered here online.

Badges allow students and professionals to publicly share their skills, knowledge, and accomplishments online, which may help with future career and education opportunities. Learners can manage and share badges across the web from their Badgr. (You can set up a free Badgr at https://badgr.com/.)

Learners who successfully complete their course or simulation will earn Badges. They can share their credentials online through social media and display them on resumes and transcripts.

Courses Included in this Certificate

• Effective Business Writing
• Effective Presentations
• Effective Public Speaking
• Communicating Collaboratively
• Effective Emails, Memos, and Letters

"Great learning experience! I have become conscious of avoiding jargon! The presentations were clear and precise! Thank you!"

"This course provided useful information and exercises that aid in grasping key concepts while at the same time being able to apply what was learnt."

What are the minimum technical requirements?
Software: 

• Any modern Office suite: Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice
• The latest Adobe Reader/Acrobat Reader ( free download available at https://get.adobe.com/reader/ )

Web Browser:

• An updated version of one of the major modern browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 11
• Cookies must be enabled
• JavaScript must be enabled
• Reliable internet connection:
• Broadband cable or highspeed DSL is recommended for optimal experience.

Note: Some courses may have additional hardware and/or software requirements. Any additional requirements will be listed in the course description and course syllabus.

What is your refund policy?
You may request a refund up to 7 days from the purchase date. The registration fee will only be refunded if less than 10% of the course has been completed.

How do I contact technical support?
To report technical issues please email us at support@mindedge.com.

What are badges?
We now issue Badges, an online standard to recognize and verify learning, for more than 100 courses and simulations offered here online.

Badges allow students and professionals to publicly share their skills, knowledge, and accomplishments online, which may help with future career and education opportunities. Learners can manage and share badges across the web from their Badgr. (You can set up a free Badgr at https://badgr.com/.)

Learners who successfully complete their course or simulation will earn Badges. They can share their credentials online through social media and display them on resumes and transcripts.

Chad Wambolt

Chad Wambolt has spent his entire professional career in the finance field, working for both private and publicly-held companies with sales ranging from $500 million to $3 billion. He is a graduate of Boise State University, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in accounting. Through the course of his career, Wambolt became an expert user of Microsoft Excel. Since 1997, he has taught Excel to students of varying skill levels and helped organizations streamline internal processes.

Week One

Lesson 01 - Excel Basics - Wednesday

In this lesson, you'll develop a solid understanding of the Excel interface. You'll become fluent in the secret language spoken only by Excel users, you'll discover the best way to correct just about any mistake you might make in Excel, and you'll find yourself gliding effortlessly from cell to cell, leaving behind expertly written labels, numbers, and formulas.

Lesson 02 - Creating a Worksheet - Friday

In this lesson, you'll learn five simple steps you should always follow to ensure that your worksheets are always well-planned, well-constructed, and beautifully formatted.

Week Two

Lesson 03 - Time-Savers - Wednesday

This lesson will teach you the tricks of the Excel masters: a wide variety of useful shortcuts guaranteed to save you time, energy, and frustration. You'll also spend some time working with the Quick Analysis and Flash Fill tools. By the time you finish this lesson, you'll really start to feel like an Excel pro.

Lesson 04 - Relative, Absolute, Mixed, and Circular References  - Friday

Do you know the difference between a relative reference, an absolute reference, a mixed reference, and a circular reference? You will after this lesson. In this lesson, you'll learn to write sophisticated formulas that can help ease you through some rather sticky scenarios.

Week Three

Lesson 05 - Three-Dimensional Workbooks - Wednesday

With enough practice, most Excel users quickly become adept at organizing their worksheets across two dimensions: rows and columns. But only a select few will learn how to take their worksheets into the third dimension. In this lesson, you'll join that exclusive group. Prepare to have your socks knocked off as you gain hands-on experience in the construction of three-dimensional workbooks.

Lesson 06 - Sorting, Subtotaling, and Filtering - Friday

No Excel course would be complete without a discussion of Excel's amazing data-crunching capabilities. In this lesson, you'll learn how to build a table in Excel as well as how to subtotal, sort, and filter.

Week Four

Lesson 07 - Charting Basics - Wednesday

In this lesson, you'll explore the exciting world of charts. You'll build your first graph and learn how easy it is to adjust the chart type, labels, titles, colors, and other aspects of your chart.

Lesson 08 - Advanced Charting Techniques - Friday

In this lesson, you'll dig deep into Excel's charting capabilities. You'll explore everything from bar charts and line charts to more prosaic graphs like the pie chart and 3D charts. You'll find out how to personalize your charts with photographs, text labels, and drawings. You'll also discover the best ways to format your chart for print or otherwise display the truly impressive charts that you'll be creating.

Week Five

Lesson 09 - Intro to Excel's Statistical Functions - Wednesday

Excel includes many powerful functions that can automatically perform some very complicated tasks for you. In this lesson, you'll learn some very interesting ways to put these functions to work for you. You'll find out how to ask Excel to magically derive averages, modes, maximums, minimums, and other useful statistics from nothing more than a column or two of numbers.

Lesson 10 - Financial Functions - Friday

You'll continue your exploration of Excel functions with an in-depth look at Excel's handy financial functions. By the time this lesson is over, you'll be able to figure out how much money you'll have when you retire, when your kids reach college, or just before your next vacation. You'll be able to calculate the monthly payment on just about any type of loan, and you'll know how to figure out how long it will take to pay off your credit cards. You'll even create an amortization table of your very own, just like the one lenders use to track a loan's payoff amount over time.

Week Six

Lesson 11 - Worksheet Automation - Wednesday

In this lesson, you'll find out how to automate just about any task you find tedious or time-consuming. You'll discover how to move your most frequently used commands from their present, obscure locations to a much more convenient place: the toolbar that's always perched at the very top of your screen. You'll also learn how you can use macros to reduce just about any complex task to a single keystroke.

Lesson 12 - Mastering Excel's IF Function - Friday

You'll be intrigued by the final lesson, in which you'll learn how to use Excel to aid you in decisdecision-making'll use a special function in Excel that allows it to make comparisons and use those comparisons as the basis for important decisions.

Class Schedule: 

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your coursework, including the final exam. 

Instructor Interaction:

The instructor looks forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Hardware Requirements:
This course must be taken on a PC. It is not suitable for Chromebook and Mac users.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Excel 2019 (desktop version), available to download with the desktop version of Microsoft 365, or Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 (not included in enrollment).
• Note: The "Starter Version" and "Web App" versions of Microsoft will not work with the full version taught in this course.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:
Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.