Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate

Elevate your leadership and Lean Six Sigma expertise with this advanced certification program. Designed to refine your interpersonal and technical skills, this program prepares you to lead impactful, sustainable projects that align with organizational strategic goals. The curriculum builds on Green Belt training, empowering participants to guide teams, mentor Green Belts, and master advanced process improvement tools.

Who Should Register

This program covers the advanced tools and approaches a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt needs to learn to take their process improvement skills to the next level.

Lean Six Sigma Black Belts are typically professionals who possess or aspire to higher-level leadership and management positions. Leading process improvement projects, Lean Six Sigma Black Belts guide teams and mentor Lean Six Sigma Green Belts.

The advanced Lean Six Sigma concepts taught in this program are applicable across virtually any industry, including manufacturing, healthcare, government, technology, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, engineering and business.

*Completing the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt program through SMU CAPE is a prerequisite to register for this Lean Six Sigma Black Belt program. If you have earned a Green Belt credential from another institution or organization and can provide proof of completion, the prerequisite requirement may be waived, upon university approval.

Why SMU?

• Over 70 years of experience in noncredit professional education.
• Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
• Graduates earn a digital lifetime credential through SMU CAPE via Credly.

Take the next step in your professional development and become a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with SMU's trusted and comprehensive program.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisite
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification (verification required if completed externally).

Project Component
Participants must select a project for completion during the program.

Software Access
Minitab software required for data analysis.

Program Overview

Week 1:
Introduction to Lean Six Sigma – Principles, Toyota Way, Design for Six Sigma.

Week 2:
Project Assessment & Planning – Hoshin Planning, KPIs, portfolio tracking.

Week 3:
Team Dynamics & Change Management – Coaching, stakeholder engagement.

Week 4:
Define & Measure Phases – Voice of Customer, advanced SPC, MSA.

Week 5:
Analyze Phase – ANOVA, advanced regression, Design of Experiments.

Week 6:
Improve Phase – Solution deployment, visual management, future state creation.

Week 7:
Control Phase – Statistical Process Control, standardization, sustaining improvements.

Week 8:
Project Closure – Documentation, PDCA, problem-solving approaches.

What You'll Learn

In the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt program, you’ll gain the knowledge to master the principles and philosophy of Lean Six Sigma methodology and manage process improvement projects that drive efficiency and lead to higher quality products, processes and services.

• Project Assessment and Planning
• Team Dynamics and Change Management
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Advanced Statistical Process Control
• Design of Experiments
• Sustaining Process Optimizations

Throughout the program, you will also complete scenario-based project assessments to test your comprehension of each week’s material. These simulated assignments are reviewed by your instructor and help you understand the situational purpose and applicability of advanced Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques.

This Black Belt program builds upon the lessons taught in Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training and teaches you how to situationally apply Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques for the projects you lead and support.

At the conclusion of this eight-week program, you should expect to be able to:

• Manage a portfolio of Lean Six Sigma projects consistent with organizational needs
• Execute a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt project through the five phases of DMAIC
• Apply appropriate mentoring and coaching methods to assist Lean Six Sigma Green Belts in their projects
• Assess and apply appropriate Lean Six Sigma tools during the execution of a Black Belt project
• Employ software programs (Minitab and/or MS Excel) to validate data and identify potential solutions