Black Belt

Green Belt and Black Belt training are two distinct programs which must both be completed separately, and Black Belt training builds upon the content within the Green Belt program. However, after finishing Green Belt training you may start our Black Belt program even if you have not yet completed your Green Belt project. You must still complete a Green Belt project as well as a separate Black Belt project in order to be certified as a Black Belt, but you may find it more convenient to complete both training programs as quickly as possible. It may also be convenient to define a Black Belt project that builds upon your Green Belt project. Lastly, RIT offers a discount on Black Belt training if you complete your Green Belt with us - see the pricing section.

Yes! Black Belts are process improvement experts with skills that apply across disciplines and industries even though application domains differ. For example, professionals in medical and transactional fields may find lean tools more helpful initially while manufacturing professionals often take a more balanced approach to utilizing lean and six sigma tools. RIT integrates lean and six sigma because waste and process variability are challenges to all organizations. Examples from different industries and application domains are used in the program to demonstrate the broad applicability of Lean Six Sigma. Black Belts are responsible for deciding which tools and methods will be most effective in specific situations within their own organizations.

No. We require Green Belt certification from a reputable provider because our Black Belt program builds on concepts and tools learned and practiced through Green Belt training and applied to at least one Green Belt level project. Training and project work are co-dependent – neither is adequate on its own. Employers of RIT Certified Black Belts expect graduates to be immediately capable of driving complex, high-value, cross-organizational projects.

This depends on the rigor of the program that you completed for your Green Belt and how active you’ve been in applying Lean Six Sigma tools, which is why we request information about your Green Belt provider and the curriculum you followed. We will review this material to ensure that you’ve received adequate preparation. If there are gaps we will point you to Green Belt material for review.

Our online format is designed to provide you with flexibility to meet your other commitments from wherever you are, while insuring that you are actively engaged with our expert instructors and other program participants. Elements include: (1) pre-recorded lectures, articles, videos, and quizzes that you complete each week at your convenience; (2) online “discussion boards” that you participate in each week with other participants at your convenience; (3) several “live” project review sessions scheduled in advance to offer direct feedback on all projects; and (4) conference calls or web-conferences as needed.

If you’ve never experienced a blended online format, we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and will find it a very rich learning experience. Our Black Belt certification program is only offered via this format, although we offer on-site programs on a contract basis for employers with a minimum number of participants. Contact certreg@rit.edu if you are interested in a customized program for your organization.

You should plan to spend 6-8 hours each week on course materials, homework, discussions, quizzes, and occasional project reviews. In addition, you should plan 6-8 hours each week for work on your project, holding team meetings, and preparing for tollgates.

Every Black Belt project requires a sponsor whose role is: (1) to help identify in advance an opportunity suitable for a Black Belt project; (2) to help remove roadblocks and support project execution; and (3) to participate in tollgate reviews and sign-off on all tollgates. Your direct manager should also provide assurance that he/she understands the demands on your time for and is committed to your success in the program.

Before starting our Black Belt program, you must have identified an appropriate project “opportunity” with the support of a sponsor. You will receive information from us to assist you and your sponsor in selecting an appropriate project but, as a Green Belt, you already have experience with project selection. A Black Belt project is usually significantly larger in size and scope than a Green Belt project, involving multiple functions across the organization and generating more significant benefits. We suggest that a suitable Black Belt project returns at least $150,000 in estimated benefits, recognizing that other metrics may be more appropriate to your situation. The project should be completed (with sign-off from sponsor and finance) within two years of training. Your RIT instructor is the final reviewer and approver of your project.

No, credit is not given for projects that are either in-process or were completed prior to the start of RIT training.  Projects must be started in conjunction with our training program.

After the formal training ends, you will have 1 year to complete your project in order to earn Black Belt certification. Extensions may be granted for extenuating circumstances but they must be approved by RIT and your sponsor.

Minitab isn’t required but it is highly recommended, and a copy (6-month license) will be provided to you if you don’t have one available from your employer. All statistical tools and associated lectures, problems, and examples utilize Minitab so it will be much easier to learn the material with Minitab. Other statistical packages have the capabilities of Minitab but we have elected to use Minitab because it’s a good balance between ease-of-use and features.

All readings and slides will be available in our online repository, from which you can print a copy for your own use. Videos are viewable but cannot be downloaded.

Yes. Upon request, you will be issued 11 CEU’s at the end of the training portion of the program.

Once we have confirmed that you satisfy our pre-requisites, you will be provided a link to our registration and payment system. Registration is first-come-first-served – to be assured of a seat, you should register and pay as soon as it is feasible for you. RIT accepts credit cards and purchase orders. In the event that you need to cancel, we will refund the full cost of the program until 3 weeks (15 business days) prior to the program start date.