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Curriculum | Black Belt EA Certification Program
Are There Any Prerequisites?
Yes. Candidates for the Black Belt EA Practitioner Certification Program must be Certified Enterprise Architects. Certification achieved in any university-sponsored EA certification program is acceptable.Black Belt students who have been recently EA-certified are encouraged to bring their EA projects completed during the basic EA certification program and use them as a point of departure in the Black Belt program.
Structure
This program furthers the skill set of Certified Enterprise Architects in the critical areas of Enterprise Architecture analysis. This five-module program, identified as modules BB 201 through BB 205, spans five classroom days, and culminates in formal Certification of successful students as Black Belt EA Practitioners by National-Louis University.This program focuses on the evolving architecture analyst requirements being defined by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), but is also appropriate for architects working in any Government or commercial domain who are using any of the major EA frameworks and methodologies. The advanced analytical techniques taught in this program are truly unique and proven, particularly with respect to capability progression modeling and IT interoperability analysis.
Don Zugby, Technical Director of SowellEAC, is the principal instructor of the Black Belt Program. Don has extensive experience and expertise in EA development, analysis, and follow-on systems engineering, and has developed unique, tried-and-true methodologies for facilitating EA analysis, EA assessments, and EA capability transitioning. His emphasis throughout this program is on expanding and deepening the enterprise architect’s understanding and insights regarding various types of architecture issues and analyses, and in exposing the students’ to pragmatic analytical techniques and aids for facilitating EA assessments and EA transition strategies. Certified Black Belt graduates will be equipped to produce and present defendable and actionable products to senior executives, strategic planners, and systems engineers alike.
The Black Belt EA Practitioner Certification curriculum currently consists of five modules:
BB 201: Setting the Stage for the Practice of EA Analysis
BB 202: EA Analysis Using Capability Progression ModelsTM (CPMs)
BB 203: EA Systems Interoperability Analysis
BB 204: EA Analysis Extensions
BB 205: Analysis Perspectives and Final ReviewApproximately half of the program focuses on Module BB 202 where students are taught not only how to use CPMs, but how to structure and build them as well.
Schedule
The program covers six classroom days, the last day reserved for student presentation of their final projects. The program is usually spread over two weeks, depending on the overall employment commitments governing the students’ participation. In addition to classroom hours, students are expected to spend 15 hours outside the classroom for project refinement and analysis.Class Size
The minimum number of students per class is six, and the maximum class size permitted is 25.The Project
Since Black Belt students have previously completed basic EA certification, some may wish to carry forward their projects completed during basic EA training. Others may wish to focus on current employment work content, and still others may wish to form Black Belt project teams and create hypothetical architectures to be subjected to Black Belt analysis. The larger the class, the more students are encouraged to form project teams of 4-6 students per team.Each project will evolve progressively from day 1, and will serve to demonstrate the student’s grasp of the analysis principles and techniques learned. Frequent presentations of progress made following each major topic covered will be given by the students, with ample instructor feedback and class participation provided. Thus, the final project presentation should be mostly a synthesis of the earlier presentations.
Completion Requirements
Successful completion of the curriculum requires the following:• Attending class sessions
• Completing all quizzes and participating in class exercises
• Attaining a grade of at least 80% on the Final Examination
• Attaining a grade of at least 80% on the final presentation of the ProjectThe Final Examination
The Final Examination will consist of approximately ten questions, some of which will be essay questions that require the students to think and to express their understanding of the rationale and application of the various analysis techniques taught during the class. The exam will be “open book,” whereby each student can consult the workbook and any notes he or she may possess. However, each student will not be permitted to confer with other classmates.Final Presentation of Projects
The final Presentation of Projects will require each member of each group to present a major portion of the group’s Project to the faculty and to the other students, and to any outside experts that may be appointed for that purpose.Criteria for a Successful Project Presentation
Students must demonstrate their understanding of the theory and application of the major analysis techniques taught in the program. Communication of the methods applied in the Project and the resulting “bottom lines” must be clear and oriented to senior executives and analysts alike.Each student will be graded individually, though a major portion of the grade will reflect how well the student contributed to and participated in a Project Team environment.
Students who successfully complete the curriculum will receive Certification as a Black Belt EA Practitioner and five (5) CEUs (Continuing Education Units) from National-Louis University.
Basic EA Certification Program (Classroom)
Basic EA Certification (Online)
Black Belt EA Certification Program
