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Contract No. GS-10F-0163W
Curriculum | Basic EA Certification Program
Are There Any Prerequisites?
No. Some students will be practicing enterprise architects already, some will be positioning themselves for future positions as enterprise architects. Others simply have an interest in learning Enterprise Architecture techniques.Most students will have a degree in a related field, such as engineering, business administration, computer science, or operations research, but this is not a requirement. In fact, some of Ms. Sowell’s most successful students, and some of the most successful enterprise architects, come from widely diverse backgrounds.
The program starts from the beginning, and assumes no previous knowledge on the part of the students. We have found that this approach works well with a class of students with mixed backgrounds. Many “seat of the pants” enterprise architects gain a greater understanding of the logic behind Enterprise Architecture and are then able to hone their skills in the discipline.
Structure
The Basic Certification curriculum consists of four modules:Module One: Introduction to the Practice of Enterprise Architecture
Module Two: Intermediate Topics in Enterprise Architecture
Module Three: Advanced Topics in Enterprise Architecture
Module Four: Final Examination and Presentation of ProjectsEach of the first three modules consists of the “Three Ps:” Principles (on Day One), Products (on Day Two), and an evolving Project (on Day Three). In addition, the third day of each module includes a practice quiz on the material presented in that module.
Schedule
This is an intense program, covering three consecutive weeks. The material will be presented for three consecutive days in Week One, three consecutive days in Week Two, and four consecutive days in Week Three. This means that students commit to three consecutive weeks of class, but in the first two weeks they will have two days each week to keep up with their other duties and to work on their own on their Projects. In the third week, class time lasts for four days because this week contains both Module Three and Module Four.Class Size
The minimum number of students is eight. The maximum of number of students is 24 per class: this is to allow ample time and attention for mentoring of individuals and of project groups.The Project
For the Project, the class will break into groups and each group will build an example architecture. The Project architectures will be drafted in class, during Day Three of each of the first three modules. This is done for three reasons:1. to give students the benefit of expert mentoring in real time, while they are working in their groups
2. to enable the students to put what they are learning into practice immediately, and
3. to allow students to work together as a group before they work outside of class, where getting together physically as a group may be difficult.At the end of Day Three of each of the first three modules, the groups will present the portion of their Projects that they worked on that day. Between modules, students will work on their own, in groups, to refine their draft Project architectures. During Module Four, the students will present the complete Project, for grading.
Students will develop their architecture Projects using easels, flip charts, and colored markers - and/or any other creative, manual techniques they may devise, such as large sticky notes, cardboard cutouts, etc. If they wish, students may use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. for final presentations, but this is not required, and the use of sophisticated Enterprise Architecture tools is discouraged. The rationale for this largely manual process is the belief that the students should concentrate on the underlying logic of the process, analysis, and group participation, rather than on the mechanics of an automated tool. Training in automated tools is widely available elsewhere, and should be taken after the student gains an understanding of the discipline of Enterprise Architecture.
Completion Requirements
Successful completion of the curriculum requires the following:• Attending class sessions. (Excused absences for some class sessions may be arranged at the discretion of the faculty.)
• Completing all quizzes and participating in all 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, most of which are expected to be essay questions that require the students to think and to express themselves clearly. The exam will be “open book” in the sense that students are allowed to consult the course materials and their notes, but not each other. Access to the Internet will not be allowed during the exam. The exam answers are to be hand-written, and will be graded and returned in real time, before the final Presentation of Projects, which follows the examination. Students will be allowed two hours to complete the examination.Final Presentation of Projects
The final Presentation of Projects will require each member of each group to present a 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 presentation of the Project include the students’ ability to:
• Articulate their architecture’s purpose, in terms of the issue area their architecture explores, what questions they hope to answer by analyzing the architecture, and what results they hope to achieve with the architecture
• Demonstrate that they have built the required architecture products
• Demonstrate the required logical relationships among their architecture products, as covered in class
• Communicate well to a human audienceEach student will be graded individually.
Students who successfully complete the curriculum will receive Certification as an Enterprise Architect and 10 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) from National-Louis University. Certifications and documentation of the CEUs will be mailed from the University at a later date.
Basic EA Certification Program (Classroom)
Basic EA Certification (Online)
Black Belt EA Certification Program
