Overview
Elevate your skills and secure your future by unlocking the power of data governance
With the rise of big data, robust data governance has never been more critical. Our Data Governance program can help you acquire the skills and knowledge needed to manage data effectively. Whether you’re new to the field or looking to deepen your expertise, this program is a practical how-to guide and offers the tools to excel in today’s data-driven world.
- Developed in collaboration with top industry experts and the McMaster Data Governance Office
- Gain practical and strategic advice to develop and implement a data strategy by leveraging data management, data governance, data technology, data analytics, and a data-driven culture
- Earn a microcredential for each course to showcase the specific skills you’ve learned, and complete all four online courses to receive a Certificate of Completion recognizing your overall learning achievement
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Program highlights Learn More
- Earn a microcredential for each successfully completed course
- Successfully complete all four online courses to earn a Certificate of Completion to recognize your learning achievement
- Flexible online courses
- Learn from industry experts
Data Governance program features:
- Course content built on industry best practices, academic research, and faculty experience building data strategy for organizations across various industries
- Data governance topics at an extensive in-depth level for a thorough understanding
- Convenient online learning format
- Learn from instructors with industry expertise
- Network with professionals from various disciplines
- Opportunity to earn a microcredential upon successful completion of all four courses
What you'll learn Learn More
- The essential components of data management, including data quality, data security, and data accessibility
- Key elements for a robust data governance framework, including data stewardship, data ownership, and data governance councils
- Tools and best practices that help streamline the development and implementation of a data strategy
Through our Data Governance program, you’ll learn to:
- Use the rules and guidelines of data management to create effective systems for handling company data
- Create and assess a plan for managing data that ensures high quality and aligns with industry rules and best practices
- Build a strong foundation in data literacy, enabling you to confidently interpret and communicate data, while understanding the methods behind it
- Discuss the ethics involved in handling company data
Learn more about the Data Governance program
- Professionals working in the technology and data field seeking training to understand the importance of data governance
- Professionals interested in entering the technology and data field
- Anyone interested in a career change
- Data Privacy Officer
- Data Engineer
- Business Analyst
- Information and Data Governance Analyst
- Data Visualization and Analytics Specialist
- Data Governance Developer
- Data Governance Supervisor
- Data Governance Manager
- Product Manager
- Data Analytics Manager (Governance and Privacy)
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Apply the principles, strategies, and best practices of data governance to develop and implement effective frameworks in organizational settings
- Design and evaluate a comprehensive data governance roadmap and operational model that ensures data quality, in compliance with industry standards and best practices within an organization
- Develop a baseline of data literacy to ensure that data users are equipped to read, understand, and communicate data in context and have a shared understanding of the underlying methods used to extract meaning from the data
- Explain the ethical considerations of managing the enterprise’s data assets
What our recent graduates say
The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work.
The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work. Our field in data is continuously changing. I found that sweet balance in terms of the focus of the course. It’s a life cycle of how the data is coming in all the way to make it a service or a product. The course gives you that 360 spectrum.
Zaki
Big Data graduate
The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work.
The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work. Our field in data is continuously changing. I found that sweet balance in terms of the focus of the course. It’s a life cycle of how the data is coming in all the way to make it a service or a product. The course gives you that 360 spectrum.
Zaki
Big Data graduate
Other programs you may be interested in
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Certificate in Data Governance
Data Governance program
Earn a certificate of completion and receive a microcredential highlighting the skills you’ve gained
Upon successfully completing an online course in this program, you will receive a microcredential recognizing your learning achievement. Complete with details of the skills and specialized knowledge you have acquired, the microcredential is digitally shareable, making it easy to add to your resume, LinkedIn profile and to share with current or prospective employers.
Explore the requirements below and register today!
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Certificate of Completion in Data Governance
Upon successful completion of all four courses, you will receive a microcredential to complement your non-academic certificate of completion. This microcredential will list all the skills you acquired during the courses for you to share and showcase to present and future employers.
Courses (complete all 4)
DTG 101
Foundations of Data Governance
(Currently Not Available)
DTG 103
Data Privacy, Security and Control
(Currently Not Available)
DTG 104
Managing a Data Governance Program
(Currently Not Available)
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Data Governance Schedule
Data Governance Schedule
This schedule table displays courses planned to be offered this year and is a guide to planning your courses for the academic year. Please note: Spring term registration opens mid-March and Fall/Winter term registration opens mid-July.
For more information about our learning formats and to choose a format that works best for you, please visit our Learning Formats page. All times listed below are in the Eastern Time Zone (ET).
Course Name (Course Code) | Cost | Units | Fall 2024 | Winter 2025 | Spring/Summer 2025 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Foundations of Data Governance (DTG 101) | $299.00 | Oct 21 - Nov 17 Format: Online | — | — | |
Essentials of a Data Governance Program (DTG 102) | $299.00 | — | Feb 17 - Mar 23 Format: Online | — | |
Data Privacy, Security and Control (DTG 103) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
Managing a Data Governance Program (DTG 104) | - | - | Currently Not Available |
The schedule table is subject to change. Please visit the course pages to browse classes currently available for registration and the latest cost information.
Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements
This program is open enrolment, which means there is no formal application or admission procedure. To enrol in a course, simply register online. Our courses can be taken as part of a program or individually.
To enrol in McMaster Continuing Education programs, you must:
- Have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent
- Be a mature student as defined in the Undergraduate Calendar of McMaster University or
- Be deemed an exceptional case
To ensure you are successful in your online courses, you are required to have knowledge and skills with general computer applications, such as keyboarding, file management, video conferencing and word processing.
Language Requirements
If your first language is not English, you must meet the University’s English language proficiency requirements. Completion of TOEFL exam with a minimum acceptable score of 20 on each of the four components (reading, writing, speaking and listening), valid for 2 years.
Expandable List
- Visit continuing.mcmaster.ca/programs to find your program of choice
- Click on each tab on the program page to learn about credential options and requirements, schedule and fees, and a list of all courses in the program
- Select a course and then select an available offering, noting important information such as cost, delivery format, and start/end dates; then click ‘add to cart’
- Once you have added your courses, click the shopping cart icon at the top right-hand corner of the page (bottom of the browser screen on mobile)
- Review your cart and, once you’re ready to proceed with enrolment, click ‘proceed to checkout’
- As the next step, you will be redirected to Mosaic – McMaster’s Administrative Information and Enrolment system
- Once you are in Mosaic, select ‘new to McMaster’ or log in with your existing MacID and password (if applicable)
- Complete all required fields and select a program of study when prompted (i.e., a specific program or open studies for standalone courses)
- Finally, payment is required in full to secure a spot in your course(s)
A payment receipt email will be issued to you immediately after registering, and a course confirmation email will be sent to you overnight. Within approximately 24 hours of registering, you will also receive an important email containing credentials used to activate your MacID, which you must do before you can access courses in Avenue to Learn. Please review our Getting Started page to learn more about the next steps for beginning your studies after registration, and our Help Centre for our Refund Policy and other frequently asked questions. Please note that on average, each course requires 6-8 hours of study per week, per course (sometimes more) and some courses may have listed prerequisites. Please plan your schedule accordingly. Most students take 1-2 courses per term across a few different terms and a full-time equivalent course load is typically 3-4 courses per term.
For more information and a walkthrough on how to register, please check out this video.
- Payment must be made in full at the time of enrolment
- Online credit card or debit payments are preferred
- Accepted credit cards: Visa, MasterCard and American Express
- Accepted debit cards: Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard
- Google Pay is available for faster checkout
- Payments can be made from a Canadian Financial Institution and can take 2 to 4 business days to arrive in your McMaster student account. Once payment has arrived, you can register for your course. Please note that if the amount of the course fees owing is more than what was transferred to your student account, you will be dropped from the course.
- Problem processing your payment? Please reach out to your credit card company if your payment was declined. Otherwise, wait two hours before attempting your registration again.
Ready to get started?
Visit the Schedule tab to select your course and proceed with the registration steps.