Corporate Certificate in Advanced Management

The F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College is pleased to offer a customized Corporate Certificate in Advanced Management (CAM) for a cohort of Vertex colleagues.

Develop business acumen and leadership skills with a cohort of Vertex colleagues

The Corporate Certificate in Advanced Management is a graduate credential.

Participants earn 12 credits that can roll into the Babson MBA Program.*

Register for the Virtual Info Session 

Register for the Babson-Vertex Corporate Certificate in Advanced Management Info Session happening on April, 9th from 12pm - 1:00pm ET. Hear directly from Senior Babson Faculty on what makes this program so unique, and how you can use it to jump start the next phase of your career. 

Register Now!

Fall 2026 Classes Start September 8, 2026

Deadlines

April 27th, 2026 Deadline to Submit Vertex Internal Approval Form
May 15th - June 1st, 2026 Babson Applications Accepted
September 8, 2026 Classes Start

Application Next Steps:

There are two components to the application process: A Vertex internal application, and if selected to participate, a separate Babson application must be completed.

  1. Complete the Vertex Internal Approval Form by April 27th, 2026
  2. Approved applicants will be notified by Babson College of their approval on May 15th, 2026
  3. Complete the required Babson College Application to complete your enrollment into the program
  • 5 MBA core business and elective courses selected to develop business acumen and leadership skills, customized with Vertex-specific content.
  • Delivered in a flexible course format with weekly in-person classes held at Fan Pier
  • Finish the Program in 10 months, taking one course at a time with a cohort of Vertex colleagues (7-week semesters with small breaks between courses)

Fall 2026 Courses

Dates Course
Sep–Oct 2026 Experiment to Scale
Oct–Dec 2026 Financial Acumen: Finance and Accounting as Competitive Tools

Spring 2027 Courses

Dates Course
Jan–Mar 2027 Entrepreneurship
Mar-May 2027 Managing People & Organizations 

 

Summer 2027 Course

Dates Course
May–July 2027 Strategy

 

  • Participants will earn a graduate credential (Certificate in Advanced Management), and will have completed 1/3rd of the core courses in Babson’s MBA Program. Colleagues will also join our worldwide alumni network of more than 46,000.
  • For those interested in an MBA, participants are automatically accepted into the Babson MBA program with a 3.0 or higher gpa.
  • A cohorted structure helps associates grow their Vertex network while applying learning directly to work.
  • Because Vertex views this program as a pivotal investment in your professional development, the entire tuition for this program is funded through Vertex. In fact, you will never receive a tuition bill during the entirety of this program.
  • Sessions are taught by senior Babson faculty, utilizing “Entrepreneurial Thought & Action®” (ET&A)—our trademarked solutions-focused teaching methodology, customized with group discussions and learning scenarios specific to Vertex.

The following courses have been selected for Vertex associates to develop business acumen skills that can be applied directly to their work.  Courses will also incorporate Vertex business cases and scenarios to make content applicable and relevant to work situations.

Experiment to Scale: Participants will examine their firms’ operations toward the goals of fine-tuning operations for faster scaling. Using techniques from operations management, including lean, agile, and enterprise systems transformation, students will:

  • Learn and apply several approaches to rapid experimentation (e.g, Kaizen events) to support scaling;
  • Complete a value stream map including steps and operations metrics, of at least one major process within their organization,
  • Identify areas of opportunity (e.g., delays in process) from the value stream map and sketch a plan of action;
  • Discuss how those areas of opportunity may impact their scaling efforts if not addressed prior to scaling (risk assessment)
  • Discuss the importance of leading through coaching.
  • Discussion of rapid experimentation in drug development and an emphasis on developing a “community of scientists” to identify and address problems in companies’ operations, will additionally be incorporated into this course. (Elective, 3 credits)

Financial Acumen: Finance and Accounting as Competitive Tools: This finance course bridges the gap between functional business knowledge and practical financial information. By connecting company strategy to its financial implications, participants increase the value of their firm and become more effective business leaders. Topics covered include: understanding financial statements, using finance to improve decision-making, projecting cash flows, and assessing organizational performance. The curriculum focuses on universal business problems that are specific to Vertex and teaches colleagues how to immediately apply that information in ways that are relevant to their work. (Elective, 3 credits)

Entrepreneurship: This course provides the framework for Babson’s trademarked teaching methodology known as Entrepreneurial Thought & Action (ET&A), which enables you to create, identify, assess, and act on opportunities in a variety of contexts to drive change. Colleagues will explore and practice the concepts of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship and learn how to foster innovation in identifying, solving and acting on management challenges. You will build an ET&A toolkit to create and evaluate opportunities, marshal resources, and form teams driven by creativity, leadership, and smart action. This course is an immersion experience for finding, creating, and evaluating early-stage opportunities for value creation. (MBA Core, 2 credits)

Managing People & Organizations:  The People & Organizations course will offer you a better understanding of your leadership and career capacity with a particular emphasis on developing your ability to think and act as an entrepreneurial leader. You will have multiple chances to reflect on who you are, how you work with others as you pursue an opportunity, and how this relates to you as a growing leader. This self-awareness forms the basis for your leadership development as we explore issues such as enlisting and motivating a diverse team, influencing and negotiating, cultivating a developmental network, and how to grow and align an organization to support new and innovative opportunities. You will have a variety of ways to practice and gain feedback on these skills. (MBA Core, 2 credits)

Strategy: This strategy course focuses on strategic and competitive analysis to enable entrepreneurial action in a corporate setting. Participants will explore how to position their business units, products, or firm to compete effectively, as well as identify what sources of competitive advantage can be created, exploited, and sustained.   Finally, this course will review what capabilities are needed to launch, grow, and adapt successfully to changes in the environment. (MBA Core, 2 credits)

 

 

Course Dates Dates of Mandatory Synchronized Sessions Credits Type of Course Tuition w/20% Off

OIM7503

Experiment to Scale

September 8 - October 27, 2026​

Thursdays @ Fan Pier, 4pm - 7pm

September 10, September 17, September 24, October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22

3 Elective $4,920

ACC7577

Finance & Accounting as Competitive Tools

October 28 - December 19, 2026​​

Thursdays @ Fan Pier, 4pm - 7pm

October 29, November 5, November 12, November 19, December 3, December 10, December 17​

*Thanksgiving week off

 

3 Elective $4,920

EPS7800

Entrepreneurship

January 19 - March 13, 2027​

Thursdays @ Fan Pier, 4pm - 7pm

January 21, January 28, February 4, February 11, February 25, March 4, March 11

*MA February school vacation week off

2 Core $3,280

MOB7800

Managing People & Organizations 

March 21 - May 8, 2027​

Thursdays @ Fan Pier, 4pm - 7pm

March 25, April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22, April 29, May 6

2 Core $3,280

STR7800

Strategy

May 16 – July 1, 2027​

Thursdays @ Fan Pier, 4pm - 7pm

May 20, May 27, June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24, June 29

*Note: Tuesday, June 29 is the last day of class to avoid 4th of July weekend

2 Core $3,280

The Babson–Vertex Corporate MBA Scholarship provides a seamless pathway from the Corporate CAM Program to Babson’s Part-Time MBA Program. Designed to support the continued professional growth of Vertexians, this Scholarship is awarded annually to some* graduates of the Corporate CAM Program who enroll in the Part-Time MBA. It reflects our shared commitment to lifelong learning and leadership development.

*Recipients must start the Part-Time MBA Program in the Fall immediately following their Corporate CAM Program graduation date, to be eligible for the Scholarship. Scholarship approval (number of students and award amount) subject to review each year.

 

Questions?

Email Kendra Wilson, Corporate Engagement & Enrollment Lead

At Vertex, we invest in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. To ensure our success in this mission, we also invest in our people, offering leadership, business and biopharma specific skill development opportunities. We are thrilled to continue the partnership with Babson College by offering the accredited Babson Corporate Certificate in Advanced Management to our talent.
Stephanie Franklin
SVP & CHRO, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
*The Babson-Vertex Corporate CAM Program is the first step towards earning a Babson MBA. Colleagues must complete this program before applying to the MBA. With a 3.0 or higher colleagues will automatically be accepted into the Babson MBA Program.
**Class space is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applicants are encouraged to apply prior to the application deadline to increase chances of securing a spot in the program.