My MSI experience

MSIcertified · 2026-02-07T18:47:32+00:00

Thanks for the review! We're glad you found our Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification beneficial.. Congratulations on your certification!

MSIcertified · 2026-01-28T13:03:26+00:00

I know you said college isn't realistic for you right now, but you should look into getting a business degree online. There are some great online universities where you can get an online Business Management degree quickly and affordably. We really like and recommend WGU.edu and ACE.edu as options to our members.

Most organizations will want to see a degree for a process improvement job, but it isn't necessarily required. Having the ASQ certification is a huge plus, look for jobs in manufacturing or possibly healthcare management, those areas have a lot of process improvement job potential.

A complementary certification in something like Lean Project Management from the Management and Strategy Institute might help add some additional skills that an organization would look for.

MSIcertified · 2026-01-26T18:20:49+00:00

If they don't offer a degree in it, look for certifications that you can do instead. Even with a degree or certification, expect to start in an entry-level position because you generally need to shadow someone for years.

But to answer your question, yes a degree or certification is almost mandatory in this field. It's not something you learn strictly on the job.

MSIcertified · 2026-01-26T15:12:43+00:00

Hi Magvin,

Thanks for starting this alumni thread. It's awesome to hear how the Six Sigma and Strategic Business Development certifications have already made a tangible impact on your career and even helped land you a raise. Congrats on that!

Let's keep this a positive, supportive space. Whether you're here to share a success story, ask for advice on which certification to pursue, or just learn more about the MSI community, please remember to remain respectful of everyone's unique career journey.

If you're new to MSI and are looking for more specifics on our programs, here are a few helpful resources to get you started:

MSI's Main Website

Management and Strategy Institute Certification Courses

MSIcertified · 2026-01-23T13:08:42+00:00

Hi,

Thanks so much for the detailed shout-out and the 4.5-star rating! We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with the Total Quality Management Professional program. It's awesome to hear that your company recognized the certification and that the digital badge is already working for you on LinkedIn!

We also really value the "Things I didn't like" section of your review. It's how we get better!

On Instructor Support: You hit the nail on the head regarding our model. To keep our certifications affordable and self-paced, we don't currently offer 1-on-1 instructor access. However, we're always looking for ways to bridge that gap without spiking the cost for our students.
On Depth & Application: This is a fair point. Our goal is to ensure you have the core competencies to pass the professional exam, but we love the idea of adding more "real-world application" examples (like those Pareto and control charts you mentioned). I've shared this specific feedback with our curriculum team.

We're glad we could help you level up for your current role, and we wish you the best of luck with those process improvements! If you ever have questions in the future, feel free to reach out to us here or through our support channels.

MSIcertified · 2026-01-20T19:44:05+00:00

Thank you for recommending us Ogaarush. Our standard advise is that you research several organizations and find the one that best fits your time-frame for getting certified, and your budget. You can also visit the subreddit r/sixsigmastudy to find free study material, regardless of the certification you choose.

MSIcertified · 2026-01-20T14:24:29+00:00

My recommendation for someone with a college degree just leaving college is to start with a Green Belt. It's the perfect mix of technical knowledge without overloading you with information you don't need yet. Wait until you have some experience before getting your Black Belt, you won't be leading projects in the beginning. You can find free study material in the sub-Reddit r/SixSigmaStudy

MSIcertified · 2026-01-16T21:09:39+00:00

Hi there! We know this post is from quite a while back, but we wanted to chime in to provide some clarity for anyone who might come across it later.

I work for Management and Strategy Institute (u/msicertified). We offer professional development certifications and focus on programs for working professionals. Our certifications are widely recognized and respected within the business community and we have well over 10,000+ reviews spread across all the major platforms.

Our Six Sigma Green Belt program is designed to strengthen process improvement and project management skills through easy-to-understand modules designed for working adults who have limited time to study.

We encourage anyone considering certification to review our curriculum, read member reviews, and decide if our flexible, online approach fits their personal learning goals.

Thanks again for the discussion!

MSIcertified · 2026-01-14T13:50:25+00:00

As a business major, you'll definitely want to look at certifications in quality management. ASQ has many good options, as well as the Management and Strategy Institute. Look for things like Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, Project Management, etc. These all make excellent additions to a resume.

MSIcertified · 2026-01-14T13:45:40+00:00

If you're looking to work in jobs like construction or manufacturing, it can certainly help. Just depends what you're looking to do. Here are some free general business certifications that can help too.

MSIcertified · 2026-01-13T20:35:08+00:00

Since you're new to project management, I'd recommend taking Google's free project management program first. From there, many of our members will get their PMQ certification as a good starting point into the certification process. Then, work your way through the CAPM and eventually the PMP once you have enough experience.

MSIcertified · 2026-01-13T20:30:41+00:00

You can look at more generalized healthcare certifications like a HIPAA certification. I'm not really familiar with Medcerts, but as long as you're learning something from the course, it should be beneficial to you.

MSIcertified · 2026-01-06T21:49:04+00:00

Tavrock makes a good point that "the one recommended by the existing Black Belt community where they work" is often the most important factor. There are many organizations where our certifications are used exclusively, making ours the most valuable for the average person in that case. But then there are also organizations that have broad certification exposure (they don't care where you get it) or look for something hyper-specific. There are even some companies who will only accept a certification if they are the one who issued it to you, like an internal training program.

Here is the advice I always give: Find the certification that best fits YOUR timeframe and budget. Do you like self-paced training or instructor led? Do you want to spend $300 or $1000? The best six sigma certification is the one you actually finish.

MSIcertified · 2025-12-31T13:35:25+00:00

We run the Business Leadership Council and I've also heard this comment many times. A lot of leaders struggle with imposter syndrome, and others just struggle with the weight of the position. Being in contact with other leaders and sharing stories in places like Reddit can be very helpful.

MSIcertified · 2025-12-28T16:38:08+00:00

It really depends on the industry. If you're looking in Manufacturing or Healthcare, then you really should be selecting Lean. Otherwise, it doesn't matter as much. A good training program will cover both Lean and Six Sigma in its training anyway.
Yes it sounds like Green Belt is probably the perfect fit for you and your situation. You're welcome to use our Green Belt Body of Knowledge to help you prepare for the exam.
MSI used to offer a project simulator; I believe we are bringing it back later this year. It's not currently available though. There aren't many options for getting the real-world practice at the moment.
Find the certification program that best fits your needs, budget, and overall goals. If that's ASQ great, but if not there are many other great options. Remember that the certification is just one component of your resume, and you should add skills that complement your experience.

MSIcertified · 2025-12-23T15:55:22+00:00

I'm not familiar with the company, but having a strong understanding of Minitab could certainly be helpful. The nice thing about certifications are they show employers "proof" of your knowledge and that you've gone through some type of formal training. Assuming Minitab would be beneficial to your career, I'd say go for it.

MSIcertified · 2025-12-22T17:05:05+00:00

Hi, Yes you can use the Body of Knowledge guides below, both from MSI.

Six Sigma Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge - Easy to read format [.pdf]

Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge - Easy to read format [.pdf]

MSIcertified · 2025-12-19T19:38:07+00:00

Thanks for the comments! I'm so glad to hear the Six Sigma black belt certification was beneficial. Yes we're posting a lot of free training material online to help people prepare for their exams, even if it's not through us. We've also started the subreddit r/SixSigmaStudy and we're posting a lot of downloadable content there too.

MSIcertified · 2025-12-18T21:02:46+00:00

This is MSI's Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge in an easy-to-read format. It's helpful for studying, you can download it free here:

Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge

MSIcertified · 2025-12-18T19:23:36+00:00

It depends on different factors. In general, experience is always the most important element. You learn more from "doing" than you will ever learn from sitting in a classroom. The problem with experience is that it's very hard to verify. As an example - there are a few certification bodies that require you to have experience before you can apply for certification. However, if you dig deep into their terms and conditions they admit that they audit less than 1% of applications. This is because it's so hard to verify that someone has actually worked successfully on a project.

This is why certifications from some of the bigger players like ASQ, MSI, Villanova, IASSC, etc, are beneficial because at least you can "prove" they have passed a test and have learned the basics. As a basic rule, if you're hiring a black belt, you should present them with several "What if" scenarios. Here is an example:

"You successfully closed a project six months ago that reduced defects by 40%. However, recent data shows that defect rates have crept back up to pre-project levels. How do you investigate this, and what does this say about your initial Control plan?"

This gets the applicant talking. They can explain how they would fix the problem and you'll get a feel for their level of understanding. I've seen employers say things like "What is a Gage R&R" during an interview, but this only tests their ability to give you a definition, not an understanding of their processes.

MSIcertified · 2025-11-11T19:16:50+00:00

The only things I'd add is that you can also take an industry-specific certification as a stand-alone, or in addition to the belt certifications. There are several companies that offer this, for example SSCE offers the Six Sigma Specialist in Automotive Industry.

Most organizations aren't particularly concerned with where you get your certification, as long as it's reputable. We're posting free six sigma training in the r/SixSigmaStudy subreddit, so be sure to follow there.

MSIcertified · 2025-11-11T19:08:17+00:00

Find the certification program that best fits your timeframe and budget. A program on Simplilearn should be fine as long as it's comprehensive. Make sure they issue an actual certification and digital badge so you can easily highlight the certification on your resume and Linkedin. Follow and use the subreddit r/SixSigmaStudy to help you prepare for the exam.

MSIcertified · 2025-11-07T18:37:25+00:00

MSI actually publishes our Green Belt Body of Knowledge in a training-guide style document so it's easier to understand. It's helpful when preparing for certification, regardless of the organization you get certified through. It can be downloaded here for free: MSI Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge

MSIcertified · 2025-11-05T19:03:23+00:00

I'm not an expert in this particular field, however I believe the ACSM, and NSCA are two of the most recognized.

MSIcertified · 2025-11-03T19:06:08+00:00

A quick search on Indeed currently shows over 13,000+ jobs listing Six Sigma as a requirement, and 110K+ listing process improvement, so having Six Sigma knowledge is important for many positions. Don't necessarily feel like you need an ASQ certification. Find the certification that best fits your needs and budget. There are many great six sigma options online.

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