Catalog 2026–2027

AI for Business Certificate

Contact: Sukhwa Hong, Ph.D
Email: sukhwa@hawaii.edu

Contact: Chenbo Shi, Ph.D
Email: chenbo@hawaii.edu

Certificate Description:

The AI for Business Certificate equips students to acquire, prepare, and analyze structured and unstructured business data using both traditional quantitative methods and modern AI/LLM tools. The program emphasizes responsible AI use, quantitative reasoning, and clear communication of evidence-based results for managerial and organizational decision-making.

  • Students will learn end-to-end data workflows including data acquisition, cleaning, visualization, and modeling. They will also gain experience applying generative AI (LLMs) for text analysis, summarization, and reporting.
  • This certificate prepares students for careers in business, finance, marketing, operations, consulting, and other fields where data-driven decision-making and AI integration are critical.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the certificate, students will be able to:

  1. Acquire, clean, and transform business data using analytics workflows, including AI-assisted tools.
  2. Apply statistical and introductory machine learning techniques to business problems and justify decisions with quantitative evidence.
  3. Analyze unstructured text using NLP and LLM-supported workflows while recognizing issues of accuracy and limitations.
  4. Produce clear reports, dashboards, and managerial briefs that incorporate ethical AI practices and transparency.

Curriculum (18 Credits)

Required Courses (12 credits):

  • QBA 260 Business Statistics (3) or QBA/DATA/CS 180 Intro to Prompt Eng. & AI (3)
  • QBA/DATA 362 Business Analytics (3)
  • QBA/DATA 367 AI-Driven Business Analytics (3)
  • QBA/DATA 465 NLP and GenAI in Business (3)

Required Electives (6 credits)
Choose two of the following courses

  • ACC 350 Intermediate Acc I (3)
  • ACC 351 Intermediate Acc II (3)
  • ECON 390 Econometrics (3)
  • ECON 430 Quantitative Forecasting (3)
  • FIN 320 Prin Bus Finance (3)
  • FIN 321 Invest & Secur Analysis (3)
  • MKT 318 Internet Marketing (3)
  • MKT 319 Market Research (3)
  • QBA 300 Operations Management (3)

Notes:
1. Students must pass each course within the certificate program with a grade of C or better.