The Retail Management and Analytics Certificate
Texas A&M University has partnered with Pathstream to deliver this online program – The Retail Management and Analytics Certificate equips you with leadership, project management, marketing, and data skills required for retail management positions. You’ll learn best practices of people management and how to plan and execute marketing plans and projects across a variety of business contexts. Finally, you’ll use spreadsheets to analyze business performance.
Why Retail Management and Analytics?
Retail management jobs increasingly require tech, analytical and operational skills
Store managers are increasingly overseeing multi-million dollar businesses and need skills in digital marketing, project management, business analytics, and leadership to help effectively manage their team and store
Salaried store managers can earn between $50,000 and $170,000 depending on their location and experience level
You’ll learn skills that will help advance your career in retail management and potentially help prepare you to launch or run your own business one day
4 Courses | Hands-On Learning and Career Exploration
Course 1:
Management and Leadership Fundamentals
Course 2:
Foundations of Project Management
Course 3:
Foundations and Strategy of Marketing
Course 4:
Business Analytics Fundamentals
Course 1: Management and Leadership Fundamentals
This course will equip current and aspiring managers with the skills needed to become an effective leader. You will gain practical, applied strategies for communicating like a leader, building relationships, managing time effectively, and navigating difficult conversations.
Learning Outcomes:
- Communicate effectively to increase respect and confidence in the workplace.
- Apply best practices in time management, prioritization and delegation.
- Conduct difficult conversations and navigate sources of conflict in the workplace.
Course 2: Foundations of Project Management
In this course, you will be introduced to the foundations of project management. You will become familiar with the role of the project manager and the leadership skills needed to be successful as a project manager. You will learn essential information about projects, project life cycles, project management processes and methodologies, and you will explore stakeholder management and create a plan for engaging with stakeholders. You will be introduced to Asana, a leading tool in the project management industry, and other project management tools such as spreadsheets.
Learning Outcomes:
- Prepare a project charter that defines a project, guides the project activities and serves as an agreement between stakeholders.
- Create a scope statement based on the sponsor’s requirements that details what is in scope and out of scope and identifies objectives, constraints, assumptions, acceptance criteria and deliverables.
- Create a work breakdown structure using project management software.
Course 3: Foundations and Strategy of Marketing
In this course, you’ll learn foundational concepts in marketing that you can apply to help activate sales at your store.
Learning Outcomes:
- Analyze a business using the 4Ps of marketing (product, price, place and promotion) and conduct a SWOT analysis to identify and highlight a company’s unique value proposition.
- Recognize the purpose of setting objectives using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based).
- Understand the importance of market segmentation in marketing research and the four primary methods of segmentation: demographic,geographic, psychographic and behavioral.
- Describe the stages in the customer journey and marketing funnel as it relates to digital marketing.
Course 4: Business Analytics Fundamentals
In this course, you’ll learn analytical skills that can help you make data-driven decisions in a retail environment.
Learning Outcomes:
- Use spreadsheet software to manipulate and prepare data for analysis.
- Apply analysis techniques to identify insights that can improve a retail business.
- Communicate analysis insights to business stakeholders by creating presentations about your findings.
- Gain practical analysis skills that are essential for effectively managing retail operations.
4 Courses | Hands-On Learning and Career Exploration
Course 1:
Management and Leadership Fundamentals
This course will equip current and aspiring managers with the skills needed to become an effective leader. You will gain practical, applied strategies for communicating like a leader, building relationships, managing time effectively, and navigating difficult conversations.
Learning Outcomes:
- Communicate effectively to increase respect and confidence in the workplace.
- Apply best practices in time management, prioritization and delegation.
- Conduct difficult conversations and navigate sources of conflict in the workplace.
Course 2:
Foundations of Project Management
In this course, you will be introduced to the foundations of project management. You will become familiar with the role of the project manager and the leadership skills needed to be successful as a project manager. You will learn essential information about projects, project life cycles, project management processes and methodologies, and you will explore stakeholder management and create a plan for engaging with stakeholders. You will be introduced to Asana, a leading tool in the project management industry, and other project management tools such as spreadsheets.
Learning Outcomes:
- Prepare a project charter that defines a project, guides the project activities and serves as an agreement between stakeholders.
- Create a scope statement based on the sponsor’s requirements that details what is in scope and out of scope and identifies objectives, constraints, assumptions, acceptance criteria and deliverables.
- Create a work breakdown structure using project management software.
Course 3:
Foundations and Strategy of Marketing
In this course, you’ll learn foundational concepts in marketing that you can apply to help activate sales at your store.
Learning Outcomes:
- Analyze a business using the 4Ps of marketing (product, price, place and promotion) and conduct a SWOT analysis to identify and highlight a company’s unique value proposition.
- Recognize the purpose of setting objectives using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based).
- Understand the importance of market segmentation in marketing research and the four primary methods of segmentation: demographic,geographic, psychographic and behavioral.
- Describe the stages in the customer journey and marketing funnel as it relates to digital marketing.
Course 4:
Business Analytics Fundamentals
In this course, you’ll learn analytical skills that can help you make data-driven decisions in a retail environment.
Learning Outcomes:
- Use spreadsheet software to manipulate and prepare data for analysis.
- Apply analysis techniques to identify insights that can improve a retail business.
- Communicate analysis insights to business stakeholders by creating presentations about your findings.
- Gain practical analysis skills that are essential for effectively managing retail operations.
What You’ll Learn:
After completing this program, you’ll be ready to:
- Create a strategic marketing plan using techniques including SWOT Analysis, the 4Ps of marketing, and brand positioning
- Lead a team and communicate effectively with other managers and direct reports
- Use spreadsheet software to analyze data and key performance indicators of a business
- Apply project management techniques to plan, budget for, and execute a variety of projects
Learning Experience
- No required times to log in. Complete lessons at times during the week that work for you. Keep up with deadlines to stay on track and complete in 9 months.
- Complete real business projects in an online platform and get individualized support and feedback from instructors.
- Practice using project management, spreadsheet, and other types of software directly in the learning platform. No separate downloads.
- Explore the real work that retail managers do on the job and apply those skills to your own career.
FAQs
What is the schedule?
There are four required courses which will be open for 8 weeks with a 1-week grading period after each. You should expect to spend 10-12 hours per week completing your coursework. The program is flexibly-paced, meaning you can move as quickly or slowly as you’d like through each course, as long as you complete all sections and projects during the 8-week course period. We provide a suggested course schedule to help pace yourself through each course. Students who follow this schedule are more likely to earn the certificate and get more out of the course by spreading out their workload, and our instructors provide weekly nudges to keep you on track. As long as you submit all projects by the course end date, you can progress through the course at whatever pace works best for you! For example, you might do all your work over the weekend or space it out throughout the week.
Can I work full-time while enrolled in this program?
Yes, the entire course experience is online and can be completed on your own schedule as long as you work towards the deadlines set in each course. There are no set times or classes when you need to log in. Our courses are designed for working professionals, students, and parents!
What prerequisites do I need?
Students must have a high school degree prior to taking this program. No prior experience is required.
What is Pathstream?
Pathstream is a provider of digital skills training based in Silicon Valley. We partner with leading tech companies and universities like the Reynolds and Reynolds Sales Leadership Institute at Texas A&M University to develop programs that prepare people for in-demand jobs.