Academic Pathway Program (CAP)

The CAP Academic Pathway Program is an ideal opportunity for students looking to differentiate themselves early in their analytics career. This program connects your academic training in the MS in Business Analytics program with an industry-recognized credential and prepares you for future Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) certification.

The CAP Academic Pathway aligns with the INFORMS Analytics Framework and provides a strong foundation in key analytics competencies, including ethics and business problem framing.

Program Highlights:

• CAP Academic Pathway Credential: Earn a professional credential and digital badge from INFORMS, recognizing your academic preparation in analytics. 
• CAP Certification Pathway: Build a foundation for pursuing CAP certification levels such as CAP-Essentials. 
• Ethics and Problem Framing: Develop core skills aligned with industry standards. 
• Career Advancement: Demonstrate readiness for analytics roles and stand out to employers.

Graduating students from the MS in Business Analytics program follow these simple steps to complete the CAP Academic Pathway:

Step 1:
After successfully completing your MSBA program, contact the Director of Graduate Enrollment and Success in the College of Business. Provide your unofficial graduate transcript and indicate your intent to obtain the CAP Academic Pathway certificate. You will receive a certificate confirming completion of your MSBA degree. This document must be submitted to INFORMS when registering for the CAP certification.

Step 2:
Create an INFORMS account (if you do not already have one).

• Sign up here: INFORMS Account Form
• Be sure to use your school email address

Step 3:
Log in to your INFORMS account and register for the CAP Academic Pathway.

• Register here: CAP Academic Pathway

Step 4:
At checkout, pay the $139 registration fee.

Step 5:
You will receive an email with a link to access the course in the LMS.

• Sign in using your INFORMS credentials
• Complete the required courses: Ethics and Business Problem Framing

Important:
We strongly recommend completing the process and taking the exam as soon as possible. Graduating students are typically allowed about one month after the end of their final semester to complete the certification.

Step 6:
After successfully completing the certificate, email the following to the College of Business Dean’s Office:

• A scanned copy of your CAP certificate
• A scanned copy of your INFORMS payment receipt

Your reimbursement will be processed within approximately three weeks and sent via check to your official mailing address.

For additional details or questions, contact Professor Charu Chandra at [email protected].

The College of Business at UM-Dearborn is proud to be a founding member of the Meeting of the Analytics Program Directors (MAPD)—a select group of institutions advancing Business Analytics and Data Science education. This reflects our commitment to preparing students in Southeast Michigan for data-driven leadership in today’s economy.