Executive Education & Career Accelerator Program Policies

About the Accelerator

Bryant University fosters a career advancement mindset where students learn in an interactive format to stay ahead with industry-aligned, practical learning that builds the skills you need in a fast-changing environment. Since 1863, Bryant University has been a leader in offering innovative educational programs that strengthen your capacity to innovate, influence, and guide others at any stage of your career.

The University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE, formerly NEASC). The College of Business is accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The University also is a member of CUIBE, a consortium of nationally recognized international business programs.

Bryant’s Executive Education & Career Accelerator empowers organizations and individuals to gain business advantages through its expertly designed online certificates or solution-driven customized professional development programs developed and led by our world-renowned faculty.

All courses, prerequisites, and schedules are subject to change without notice.

Becoming An Accelerator Student

All Bryant University students of the Executive Education and Career Accelerator (Accelerator) are responsible for complying with the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures contained in this publication, and in Accelerator announcements, which may be issued.

Our open enrollment programs are available primarily online via instructor-led Zoom meetings or through self-paced multi-media learning experiences using our learning management system Canvas. 

Requirements & Prerequisites

Accelerator programs do not require applications, associated fees, or prerequisites (unless otherwise stated) to enroll. However, a minimum educational equivalent to a US High School Diploma is ideal.

Students can register and pay course tuition on our website: accelerator.bryant.edu

All new Accelerator open enrollment students must take the one-week Strategies for Success module once. This module is free and familiarizes students with our online learning system. 

Schedule of Programs

Our certificate programs are offered online (both self-directed and virtual instructor-led).

Each certificate program has a pre-defined window of time in which the certificate can be completed. If you need a course extension, please refer to the Student Progress and Dismissal for Non-Progress section.

Online self-paced programs are typically offered in a five-week format. Programs begin the Sunday following enrollment. Students progress through weekly modules sequentially to ensure mastery of foundational concepts before advancing.

Virtual instructor-led programs are always thoughtfully scheduled with working professionals in mind. The Zoom lectures are typically scheduled for weekday evenings. 

Payment & Tuition Assistance

Payment of tuition is required at the time of registration. Enrollment is not complete until payment is received. Confirmation of registration will be issued via email when payment is received.

We accept checks, company purchase orders, MasterCard, Visa, and American Express.

Tuition Reimbursement

We provide grade reports upon completion of your course in the event you must submit proof to your employer for tuition reimbursement.

Tuition cost may be covered by a company’s tuition assistance program and may also be tax deductible. However, company policies for tuition reimbursement vary and often require a specific process for qualifying and payment of tuition. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the requirements of their employer’s tuition assistance program.

Bryant University certificates offered through the Accelerator may be approved on Tuition Advisory Services.

Please consult your HR department and/or your tax advisor for more information. Our office can provide any necessary documents or details to help facilitate your tuition reimbursement process.

Government Assisted Funding

The Accelerator is an educational partner for workforce development and training with the Department of Labor and Training (DLT) in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Individuals

Government assistance is available for qualified displaced workers through an application process with the RI or MA Department of Labor and Training.

Companies

Companies that contribute to the Rhode Island Job Development Fund are encouraged to apply for grants designed to fund training for their employees, available through the Governor's Workforce Board.

The Accelerator participates in the Bright Horizons Ed Assist Program which is a tuition management service that helps employers manage their tuition reimbursement programs. If your employer participates in EdAssist, Bryant offers a tuition discount to eligible employees of 20% (with the exception of the Certified Financial Planning Program). 

Eligibility and enrollment verification are both handled through your employer’s EdAssist portal or HR representative. Please reach out to our office at accelerator@bryant.edu for more information or visit our website.

Veterans Education

Many veterans are faced with the challenges of transitioning to civilian life, including establishing a career. Bryant University values and honors our veterans, and we are committed to helping you in the process of transitioning to your next career. Our certificate programs are designed to develop in-demand skills for your chosen profession.

Active-duty military and veterans receive a 10% discount on all courses and certificates offered through the Accelerator, with the exception of Certified Financial Planning and Technology Bootcamps.

For information on how you can apply your VA Benefits to study at Bryant University, contact the Veteran Specialist. Your Certificate of Eligibility is required to confirm your eligibility and applicable VA benefits.

Contact Kathy Drezek, Veteran Specialist

p: 401-232-6237

e: kdrezek@bryant.edu

Read more about how Bryant University is a Military Friendly School.

Required Texts

For self-paced programs, the cost and acquisition of any required textbooks is the responsibility of the student. Most required textbooks typically cost less than $50.

For virtual instructor led programs, the cost of textbooks is included in your tuition.

All additional materials related to the course are included in tuition. 

Cancellation, Postponement, Withdrawal, and Refunds

The Accelerator reserves the right to cancel, reschedule or alter fees for any course, or to change the instructor.

When individual Accelerator sessions are postponed or cancelled due to unforeseen situations, students will be notified as soon as possible.

Course Withdrawals

Virtual Instructor Led or On-Campus

Requests for withdrawal must be made in writing via email to Austin Prario, Assistant Director of Recruitment at aprario@bryant.edu. Please CC accelerator@bryant.edu.

A full refund will only be issued if withdrawal request is received on or before 15 business days prior to the start date of the course.

Online Self-Paced

Students are encouraged to review course descriptions, syllabi, and technical requirements before enrolling to ensure the program meets their needs. There are no refunds for any online self-paced programs. Upon registration and/or receipt of your access codes, no refunds will be issued.

Inclement Weather

Cancellation/delay of all Bryant University classes, due to weather conditions, will be announced over local radio and television stations.

A detailed message will also be available by calling the University’s emergency line at (401) 232-6002. This number is updated daily at 6:30AM and 3:30PM. The announcement to cancel or delay all Bryant University classes will also be available on the University website at www.bryant.edu.

Where possible, additional notice of Accelerator sessions that are cancelled due to inclement weather will be communicated to students as soon as possible.

Extraordinary Circumstances

The Accelerator reserves the right to cancel or alter class schedules for circumstances outside of its control i.e., public health crises, extreme natural events, etc. In these cases, the Accelerator will work diligently to provide a workable solution for students, not inclusive of a refund.

Attendance or Leave of Absence

Full attendance and participation in classes are expected of all students and is the responsibility of all students.

Certificate program syllabi and grading include attendance and coursework requirements.

The class professor is in the best position to determine fair and reasonable attendance and communicate the policies for their course. While professors have wide latitude in determining to what degree attendance and/or class participation may count toward the course grade, they are expected to make reasonable accommodations for students to make-up missed exams or assignments under the following documented circumstances:

• Required military duty as certified by the student’s commanding officer
• Jury duty
• Illness or injury sufficient to prevent class attendance
• Death or serious illness in the family

Accelerator students who require a Leave of Absence will have up to 1 year from original enrollment date to return to the certificate program.

Students are to contact the Accelerator office in the event of situations requiring a Leave of Absence. In turn, the Accelerator will provide initial notification of the student’s absence to their professors for the current program. However, this will not preclude or replace the necessary communication between the student and the professor regarding the absence.

Student Progress and Dismissal for Non-Progress

Student progress and performance is regularly monitored and discussed by both the Accelerator staff and course instructor throughout the student’s program.

An on-campus student’s performance will be closely reviewed for the following reasons:

• Two (2) unexcused absences
• Failure to make-up coursework from absences
• Lack of class participation
• Two or more failing grades in class assignments, quizzes, and/or exams (below a C-average)

An online student’s performance is closely monitored weekly according to the Optimal Completion Time Frame for each course.

If a student shows no activity during one of the weekly checks, the student will be contacted via email by the Accelerator. The student will be offered support from the staff and instructors to improve their performance based on the course syllabus and Optimal Course Timeframe for the course. The expectation is the student will follow the cadence of the course and timeframe to successfully complete the program on time.

Course extensions will be available on a case-by-case basis for extreme circumstances. Requests for an extension must be made in writing prior to the completion due date to: Austin Prario, Assistant Director of Recruitment at aprario@bryant.edu. Please CC accelerator@bryant.edu.

If program extension is granted, students will be notified in writing and an additional fee of $300 will apply. Extensions are a one-time privilege and valid for two weeks following the original completion due date.

Any student identified as falling below the academic requirements and making no effort to improve and complete the coursework, as outlined by the Accelerator Optimal Completion Time Frame and course syllabus, will be dismissed from their program without the option of course extension. Dismissal will occur using the following criteria:

• Failure of student to meet the academic requirements according to the Accelerator’s timeline for course completion and syllabus AND
• Three (3) email attempts and at least one phone call to student’s contact information on file with no response

A student that has a failing or incomplete grade may apply to retake the course. The student will be charged for the course and will be required to complete the entire course. If the student is not successful in completion of the course, appropriate guidance will be given. No refund policy will apply.

Waiving or Substituting Courses

Courses completed at other Universities do not transfer into our programs, except for the Bryant Financial Planning Certificate.

Financial Planning students are allowed up to two (2) courses to be transferred. Financial Planning Certificate students may request waivers for successful completion of a similar course taken at another institution (must include a transcript and course syllabus). The waiver request should be submitted to the Accelerator for review and approval, at: Austin Prario, Assistant Director of Recruitment at aprario@bryant.edu. Please CC accelerator@bryant.edu.

Military credits and training may also be submitted for evaluation.

Note: Certificate programs are non-credit bearing and are not classified as undergraduate or graduate programs. Certificate programs cannot be categorized as full-time or part-time.

Academic Graduation Requirements

Students must pass all required courses with a grade of C or better to successfully complete a certificate program and must have not engaged in any misconduct.

Grading System

Letter grades (A-F) are awarded based upon the student’s assigned points earned out of 100.

An ‘I’ for Incomplete is assigned when coursework is not completed within the allotted time frame.

A ‘P’ for Pass is assigned when coursework is not assigned but attendance and participation is satisfactorily noted.

Below is the standard for graded assignments. However, some instructors may have an altered grading scale. Students must check their course syllabus for specific graded scales.

Academic Grievance Policy

Students who have academic grievances are entitled to have their dispute reviewed by a formal and systematic process. Students should first discuss concerns directly with the professor via email or during virtual office hours.

Students have sixty (60) days from the time the grade is posted to initiate their concerns in writing to the professor of the course.

If an issue cannot be resolved between student and professor, the student must subsequently confer with the Accelerator office to seek resolution of the matter.

Ethical Conduct & Plagiarism

You will engage in online and offline research throughout your certificate program. Proper attribution, attention to copyright laws, and full disclosure of sources is mandatory.

We reserve the right to withhold grades from, suspend or expel participants engaging in unprofessional or unethical practices.

A high standard of conduct is expected. Each student, accordingly, understands that to submit work that is not their own is not only a transgression of University policy but also a violation of personal integrity. The academic community, therefore, does not tolerate any form of “cheating”–the dishonest use of assistance in the preparation of outside or in-class assignments.

As students at Bryant University, you are privileged members of an academic institution with high standard or academic integrity and conduct. Student dishonesty will not be tolerated.

Any student who plagiarizes any portion of a paper, cheats, or shares assignment answers will receive a zero (0) for that assignment, a lowering of the final grade, and/or failure in the course. More serious sanctions are also possible. Ignorance of University policy is NOT a valid excuse. If you are not sure whether you are plagiarizing or not, please check with your instructor.

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism include but are not limited to:

• Submitting an assignment that has been wholly or partially created by another person.
• Presenting as your own work the ideas, representations, research, or words of another person without proper acknowledgement (citation) of sources.
• Knowingly permitting your work to be submitted by another student as if it were her or his own work.
• Submitting identically, or substantially, the same assignment to fulfill the requirements of two separate courses.
• Copying from another student's examination, paper, homework, report, other assignment, or other personal work.
• Misappropriation of examination materials or information.
• Unauthorized communication with another student during or about quizzes.
• Unauthorized access to or the use of the computerized work of others.
• Falsification of data for research projects.
• Turning in another student’s name on an assignment when the student failed to contribute.

All violations are subject to disciplinary action.

To preserve its commitment to the highest standards of intellectual and professional behavior, Bryant University will respect intellectual excellence and expect intellectual honesty.

Professional Conduct & Standards

Members of the Bryant University community, including students of the Accelerator, are expected to exhibit considerate and appropriate behavior. The University expects students to assume responsibility for their actions. It also has an equal obligation to protect its educational purpose and the interests of its student body; therefore, it must be concerned with the actions of individuals or groups that are in conflict with the welfare and integrity of the University or in disregard for the rights of other students, faculty, or other members of the University community.

When students enroll at Bryant University it is assumed that they have a serious purpose and a sincere interest in their own social and intellectual development. It is also assumed that students familiar with the regulations, procedures, and policies set forth at Bryant University have accepted them as a “way of life” during their studies with the University.

Students are subject to federal, state, and local laws as well as University rules and regulations. Examples of prohibited behavior are:

• disruption of learning
• threats to the safety of self or others
• foul or obscene gestures or language
• disrespect to others
• destruction of property or theft

Student status is a privilege subject to certain expectations. The Accelerator reserves the right to suspend or dismiss students at any time for conduct that Bryant University deems to be detrimental to the Bryant University community or that violates laws of the State of Rhode Island or the United States.

Dismissal

As these are non-credit certificate programs and students are not considered full time, please refer to the aforementioned section, Student Progress and Dismissal for Non-Progress, for more details. However, in extreme circumstances, a student can be dismissed at any time, for conduct that Bryant University deems to be detrimental to the Bryant University community or that violates laws of the State of Rhode Island or the United States.

Non-Discrimination

Bryant University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law in admission to, participation in, or administration of its educational programs and activities; in employment; or in its other programs and activities.

Notice to People with Disabilities

Bryant University and the Accelerator attempts to make its classes, programs, events and services accessible by providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations. If you need accommodations to participate in any class, program or event offered by the Accelerator please contact: Austin Prario, Assistant Director of Recruitment at aprario@bryant.edu. Please CC accelerator@bryant.edu.

Requests for accommodations should be made at the time of registration. Arrangements for all accommodations requested less than two weeks before the start of the program/course(s) cannot be guaranteed, and many accommodations take time to arrange. It is in your best interest to make your formal requests as early as possible to ensure accommodations are in place prior to the start of the program/course(s). Failure to do so might limit our ability to meet your needs.

Please note that modifications cannot be made to curriculum. 

Student Records & Privacy

Students’ academic records are maintained by the University and are a private matter between the student and the University.

Disciplinary records are held separately from academic records and are maintained solely for the use of the University. All Accelerator disciplinary records are maintained by the Executive Director of the Accelerator. These records are not forwarded outside the University, except with the permission of the student or by judicial order.

Academic records are maintained permanently.

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), an individual enrolled at Bryant University is listed as an eligible student and any rights previously accorded to parents under the Act are transferred to the student. Information contained in the educational record of the student may not be released without the student’s written consent, except as indicated in the Act.

1. The Bryant University student has the right to inspect and review those records, files, documents, and other materials that contain information directly related to the student and which are maintained by the University, but with the following exceptions:
   • Records of institutional, supervisory, and administrative personnel, and educational personnel that are in the sole possession of the maker, and that are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a substitute.
   • Records that are created or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional or paraprofessional.
   • Confidential letters and statements of recommendation that were placed in the educational records prior to January 1, 1975.
   • Records maintained solely for law enforcement purposes.
   • Parents’ financial records and related parental financial information
2. Who has access to records.
   • The student (former or present) upon presentation of proper identification.
   • Other University officials, including faculty within the University or local educational agencies who have been determined by the responsible official to have legitimate educational interest.
   • Officials of other schools in which the student seeks to enroll, upon condition that the student is aware of the transfer, receives a copy of the record if desired, pays the appropriate fee, and has the opportunity to challenge the content of the record.
   • Authorized government officials as described in the Act.
   • Authorities to whom request for financial aid has been made.
   • State and local officials or authorities specifically required by the Act.
   • Authorized organizations conducting studies on behalf of educational agencies, provided such studies do not disclose personally identifiable materials.
   • Accrediting organizations.
   • Parents of a dependent student as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
   • Authorized persons, if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons.
   • Compliance with judicial order or subpoena – the student to be notified in advance of compliance.
3. Other than the routine in-office use of the record, the purpose for requesting access must be indicated.
4. The University maintains records in many media including but not limited to handwriting, print, tapes, microfilm, microfiche, and computer disks. Policy on Review, Appeal, and Expungement of Record:
   • Upon receipt of a written request to review the record, an appointment will be arranged.
   • In the event that some item is challenged by the student, an appeal may be made, described by the particular office (e.g., in the case of an academic item, after meeting with the appropriate academic Dean, the matter may be pursued to the University Committee on Scholastic Standing for its recommendation to the Provost).
   • A favorable decision on the appeal would result in the item being expunged.
5. Copies of Records:
   • The student, upon payment of a $10 fee per item, may obtain a copy of his or her academic transcript generated by the University.
   • Copies of records generated from other institutions must be secured from such institutions subject to their policies.
6. Student Directory Information
   • Name, address, e-mail address, telephone listing, date, and place of birth.
   • Major field of study and class schedule.
   • Participation in officially recognized activities and sports, including weight and height of members of athletic teams.
   • Dates of attendance.
   • Distinguished academic performance, degrees and awards received, including dates.
   • Most recent previous educational agencies or institutions attended.
   • Photographic view or electronic images.
   • Unless the student requests to the contrary, all of the above directory information will be published by the University as appropriate. A request not to publish must be made annually in writing to the Office of the Registrar within two weeks of the start of the fall semester.
7. The privacy of Bryant students and their parents is protected under the authority of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-380) as amended (P.L.93-568), also known as the Buckley Amendment.
8. Waivers:
   • The University cannot require eligible students to waive their rights.
   • A student may waive the right of access to confidential statements submitted on or after January 1, 1975.
   • A student has the right to know the names of all persons making confidential recommendations. Such recommendations are used solely for the purpose for which they were intended.
   • Waivers may not be required as a condition for admission to, receipt of financial aid from, or receipt of any other services or benefits from such agency or institution of the University.  

Bryant Stackable Model

At Bryant, stackable certificates create a flexible, interconnected learning pathway designed for working professionals. Rather than committing to a full credential all at once, you can build your education progressively by adding skills, deepening expertise, and advancing toward a graduate degree or certificate in a way that aligns with both immediate professional demands and long-term goals. It is the right learning, at the right time, delivered in a format that works for you.

The successful completion of three Accelerator certificate courses can transfer into graduate level coursework as one 3-credit course. Please contact our team to see if your coursework can accelerate your pathway to a graduate degree. Learn more on our website.