The Exclusive Program Access Point for Indiana Students

About CFDS

The Center for Digital Studies was formed to provide students with quick, focused, and tailored certificate programs to prepare them for their careers of interest. This is the access point to the Center's courses for Umich students. The certificate programs are highly effective ways for students to distinguish themselves in seeking jobs and internships. CFDS programs are not affiliated with the Umich and are not taken to earn credit hours; they are all career-readiness programs that are meant to provide students with focused lessons on a certain discipline while allowing them to earn a reputable certificate. This is the official access point for Umich students. Programs are made available to Umich students because of a strong relationship history with Umich students and the academic prestige of the college. The center actively supports over 1,000 students in furthering their education.


What does a tailored education look like?

The Center for Digital Studies is a pioneer in the space of personalized education, leveraging generative AI to personalize each student's certificate program to their career interests. The purpose of this is to prepare them for the particular type of job they are seeking and give them a way to stand out from other job candidates. What might this look like? You have a student who is earning a degree in Supply Chain. Through her education, she has learned many useful skills. However, her education is limited. She wants to work in the supply chain of high fashion. She has found her dream internship at Louis Vuitton. Wouldn't it be preferred if she had studied the Supply Chain of high fashion? Generally, this type of focused education is not possible in academia. At the Center for Digital Studies, we make this possible. Using cutting-edge AI, this student can take a course in Supply Chain with a focus on the high fashion industry through which she will learn relevant lessons, skills, and history tailored to her focus. The purpose of this education is two-fold:


1. It prepares students for the particular career field they want.

2. It gives students a meaningful way to distinguish themselves


A lot of students are going to study supply chain, but few are going to have a focused education in the high fashion industry. We talk to employers to learn what they want. This is one of the most powerful ways to distinguish a candidate. This is why many Fortune 500 leaders have validated our credentials. The focus of our certificate programs is on career readiness and career-relevant education as opposed to general academic instruction. We focus on the skills that employers demand.


How do we make courses?

We make base courses with academic and professional input that are purposed to prepare students for their careers of interest. Students who take these courses are then allowed to choose an emphasis. To do this, students respond to a series of questions to be clear on what they want to study and why. Our team then reviews these answers and feeds them to cutting-edge AI that produces a custom learning module. The module is carefully reviewed by our course-building team. This team will embed relevant learning videos. You can view an example of one here. 


Why earn an emphasis?

  • Focus your learning on a domain of your interest
  • Prove to your potential employers an interest in their field
  • Demonstrate career-relevant proficiency in a particular field or fields
  • Gain skills that are tailored toward your personal career objectives
  • Distinguish your resume 
  • Further your preparation for high-stakes job interviews


What is the purpose of taking a CFDS certificate program?

The purpose of taking a CFDS certificate program is two-fold:

  • Learn relevant skills to prepare you for your career
  • Earn a respected credential to distinguish your resume


What programs am I eligible to enroll in?

Students can enroll in any programs available on the website regardless of their academic year or major. Some programs are reserved for particular majors. These programs will be marked accordingly. To verify if you are eligible to enroll in a program, refer to the eligibility section in the course description.

To enroll through this access point you must be a current Umich student enrolled in 1 or more credit hours or have graduated in the last semester.

If you do not meet this requirement, you cannot enroll through this website, but you may be eligible for general enrollment at standard enrollment prices.