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Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Certificate

Risk is a fact of doing business. Be a CRO who can see the big picture.

The Chief Risk Officer Certificate is designed to deliver the knowledge and skills CROs need to flourish in their current positions and further develop in their risk management careers. Risk is inevitable in business; CROs who can see the big picture will enable their organizations to thrive in a risk-filled environment.

This six-month program, co-administered by the CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, and CMU’s Risk and Regulatory Services Innovation Center, blends on-campus and synchronous distance learning. Areas of focus include strategies for effectively communicating risks to executive leadership professionals, and tools for analyzing and addressing enterprise risks.

Benefits of the CRO Certificate Program

The CRO Certificate Program provides leaders in risk management with the opportunity to gain the latest skills and best practices impacting their domain. Individuals will receive training on best practices, including topical discussions on current risk challenges and mitigation practices.

Learning objectives are met through a combination of expert faculty instruction, business case analyses, and active exchanges with thought leaders in the field. As part of this certificate program, learners will conceive, develop or enhance, and deliver an enterprise risk plan for an organization that is applicable in today’s business environment. This plan is designed for individuals to apply several of the methods, tools, and techniques taught during the modules of the program.

Who Should Get This Credential?

This certificate program provides leaders in risk management with the opportunity to gain the latest skills and best practices impacting their domain. All students admitted to the CRO Certificate Program will have at least five years of relevant managerial experience, giving them the chance to collaborate with similarly experienced peers and build exciting new relationships and networks with their cohort.

Term and Renewal

The CRO Certificate does not expire. There is no term limit and renewal is not required. Although not required, certified individuals will have the opportunity to pursue additional education through the following benefits:

  • Graduates of the CRO Certificate Program will have access to new CRO Program modules created in the future, providing you with continuing education after the program ends. Approval is required.
  • Students who complete the CRO Certificate Program and who subsequently apply for and are admitted into the Heinz College MSIT Degree Program are eligible for a tuition discount scholarship.

Summary of Fees

Visit the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy’s CRO Certificate website for a full list of program costs.

Note that a discount is available for Carnegie Mellon alumni—including CIO, CISO, CDataO, and CDigitalO program alumni—U.S. government employees, veterans, and employees of non-profit organizations. Fees includes all program materials and daily continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments during on-campus sessions.

How to Apply

Learn more about certification application steps and requirements on the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy’s CRO Certificate website.

When you are ready to apply, visit the application form to apply online.

Training courses provided by the SEI are not academic courses for academic credit toward a degree. Any certificates provided are evidence of the completion of the courses and are not official academic credentials. For more information about SEI training courses, see Registration Terms and Conditions and Confidentiality of Course Records.