Newswise — The University Of Virginia Darden School Of Business has partnered with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to create a four-week online course on digital transformation. The launch follows last year’s successful collaboration on the Pricing Strategy Optimization Specialization.

Instructional material drawn from both BCG partners and Darden’s top-ranked faculty makes up the new four-module course. The first two modules set the foundation for digital transformation, discussing the pace of change and the imperative it creates for businesses. Then, participants learn the context for this transformation and what is necessary to win in the digital age. The course concludes with BCG’s proprietary framework, providing a practical model for transforming a business.

“Digital transformation is no longer optional. It is an imperative for all industries today,” said Amane Dannouni, lead course instructor and principal in BCG’s Singapore office. “For the organizations to succeed, every member must understand why digital is important and what it means for their daily work. This course is designed to help our clients address those challenges.”

The course will be available globally on the Coursera platform. Certificates earned upon completion of the course can be shared on LinkedIn and other social media.  Additionally, BCG plans to use the course material for both internal training and client engagement, while Darden will use the material in degree programs and Executive Education courses.

“We’re pleased with the opportunity to partner with BCG on this critical topic,” said Darden Professor and Chief Strategy Officer Mike Lenox, who will co-lead the course. “A comprehensive and forward-thinking digital strategy is a necessity for any organization that hopes to thrive in the 21st century. This course will give users the mindset and tools necessary to fully grapple with the issue.”

The four modules that make up the digital transformation certification are:

  • How Technology Changes Business
  • The Mechanics of Disruption
  • Digital Trends Past and Future
  • Your Path to Digital Transformation

Leaders from BCG’s Technology Advantage (TA) practice area led BCG’s contributions to the course. The TA practice helps clients transform their digital journey and reimagine the entire experience by addressing major pain points, deploying digital technologies, and streamlining underlying processes through techniques such as Lean, automation and robotics.

“Although the course topic is digital transformation, the focus remains on value creation. This means insightful ideas are just the beginning. As we’ve seen with clients, harnessing digital technology creates more value,” said Ching-Fong Ong, senior partner in TA and BCG’s Digital Transformation Accelerator topic leader in the Asia-Pacific region. “Just as we enable our clients to continue the journey, we help learners translate digital knowledge into practical, actionable programs.”

Darden is a leader in innovative online learning, and its offerings are a key component of the world’s best business education experience both in degree programs and custom programs for leading organizations. Through its partnership with Coursera, Darden has developed over 30 popular massive open online courses (MOOCs), reaching more than 1.1 million people via courses in areas such as agile product development, design thinking, business strategy and project management.

 

About the University of Virginia Darden School of Business

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business delivers the world’s best business education experience to prepare entrepreneurial, global and responsible leaders through its MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education programs. Darden’s top-ranked faculty is renowned for teaching excellence and advances practical business knowledge through research. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.