Fairfield Dolan's collaboration with CMA | SIMA allows students to obtain industry certifications such as the Certified Professional Category Analyst (CPCA) certificate, a prestigious accreditation that indicates skill in shopper analytics, assortment, pricing, and category strategy.
The ability to obtain these industry certifications gives Fairfield’s MSMAS graduates a competitive advantage in the consumer goods and retail industries. According to Julie Marella, MSMAS program director, multiple students have in fact, already achieved the CPCA certification, equipping the Fairfield Dolan graduates to level up in their career.
MSMAS student Daniella Medvedeva shares that earing the industry recognized CMA certificate helped her to build stronger analytical and strategic thinking skills and now feels more confident leveraging these marketing tools in real-world situations.
“Earning the CMA certification as part of the Category Management and Shopper Insights course was a meaningful experience that really increased my understanding of how data supports effective marketing decisions,” Medvedeva said.
With a flexible career focused curriculum and seven specializations to choose from within the MSMAS program, the degree is customizable. The specializations include AI, business analytics, management, media, finance, product management and research. The STEM-designated graduate program, offered in an online or hybrid format, provides students with the flexibility to earn their degree, while furthering their industry-expertise.
Artificial intelligence is integrated across the MSMAS curriculum, in addition to the new AI specialization, offering a blend of coursework and practical, real-world applications. This specialization is strategically designed to meet the increasing industry demand for professionals with AI expertise.
At the core of the MSMAS program is experiential learning opportunities with companies such as BIC, Henkel, and Edgewell Personal Care. Through the MSMAS program, students also learn to build a strong analytical and technical foundation by gaining experience with industry-standard data such as Nielsen, Circana and Kantar Media while using tools like Excel, Tableau, Qualtrics, SPSS, and RStudio.
“The partnership with CMA is such a valuable opportunity for Fairfield students — it provides practical, industry-recognized experience that gives us a true competitive edge as we enter the marketing field,” Medvedeva said.
To learn more about the program and experiential learning opportunities within the program visit Fairfield.edu/mas.
