New eCornell Certificate Program Teaches the ‘Right Way’ to Develop Products and Services

Ithaca, NY, July 20, 2009 - eCornell has announced the launch of a new online Professional development certificate program in Systems Design – A Systems Approach to Product and Service Design.

Systems design is the process of defining and developing a system to satisfy specified requirements of the marketplace for a product or service.

Through the Cornell Systems Approach to Product and Service Design certificate program, learners will:

• Learn a structured methodology for designing products/services the right way
• Avoid the pitfalls that can lead to “designs gone wrong”
• Learn to effectively communicate design requirements across an organization
• Understand how systems interact and “talk” to each other
• Develop tools that can be applied to a broad range of initiatives
• Gain confidence in developing new products/services
• Learn how to lead new organizational initiatives
• Focus on product/service design without needing expertise in math or physics
• Benefit from a top-ranked systems engineering program

The program is delivered by eCornell using its proven instructor-led Structured Flexibility model that combines the structure of a well-defined course schedule, the flexibility of online learning, and access to subject-matter expert instructors to contextualize the learning and guide the learner to successful completion. Students who successfully complete all six 2-week courses in the Systems Approach to Product and Service Design series earn a certificate from the Systems Engineering Program in Cornell University's College of Engineering.

"Based on years of teaching these concepts to freshmen, graduate students, and industry professionals, I authored this program to engage the broadest possible audience in the essential steps of product and service design and development. The approach is an integration of best practices from Design for Six Sigma, systems engineering, and general problem solving," says certificate author Peter Jackson, Ph.D, Director of Systems Engineering at Cornell University’s College of Engineering. “In just three months, Systems Approach to Product Development and Design will teach you a proven eight-step methodology in a hands-on way to take an idea from conception to final test and implementation. This process, with adaptation, applies to business initiatives, software development, consumer product development, and one-of-a-kind complex systems design. What’s more, this program requires no special expertise in math or engineering, so it’s appropriate for professionals from a wide range of backgrounds.”

eCornell is a Registered Education Provider with the Project Management Institute (PMI). Each of the six courses in the Systems Approach to Product and Service Design series has been approved for 6.0 PDUs by the PMI for PMPs.

Registrations are now being accepted for the program; courses will open to learners in early September with certificate completion as early as December 2009.

The systems design certificate and courses are available to individuals and as part of an eCornell corporate training solution. For more information, please visit http://www.ecornell.com/certificate-programs/project-leadership-and-systems-design-training/a-systems-approach-to-product-and-service-design-certificate/crt/cesc1.

About eCornell
eCornell, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cornell University, provides many of the world's leading organizations with online, asynchronous professional and executive development in the areas of strategy, leadership and management development, human resources, financial management and hospitality management. Its proven course development model and instructor-led course delivery provide for engaging, rigorous and interactive learning. The company has delivered over 115,00 courses to more than 30,700 students in 189 countries. For more information, visit www.ecornell.com.

About the Cornell University College of Engineering
Founded in 1870, the Cornell College of Engineering is the preeminent engineering school in the Ivy League. The college has a long history of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education within the context of a uniquely broad and renowned research-intensive university. Its strengths have developed from cutting edge discovery, a genuine commitment to students, and a sincere desire to contribute to society. Cornell Engineering faculty members are global leaders in the discovery of new knowledge and creation of transforming inventions, the development of innovative interdisciplinary research and programs, and the education of students who will better the future.

Cornell University’s Systems Engineering Program has developed a distance learning Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Systems Engineering designed for working professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.systemseng.cornell.edu/dl_home.html