Executive Education and Leadership Certificate
Mini MBA
Gain practical business fluency, the judgment to lead with confidence, and a foundational shift in how you think about business.
The Fall 2026 cohort begins October 17.
The MBA Mindset. Condensed.
The Mini MBA from the Rick Goings Institute (RGI) is an intensive certificate program that condenses the core disciplines taught to students pursuing an MBA degree—leadership, communication, marketing, operations, finance, strategy, and AI-enabled decision-making—into thirteen integrated modules taught over six weeks of primarily evening classes, bookended by in-person Saturday sessions. Designed for working professionals who want to sharpen their business judgment without stepping away from their careers, Mini MBA modules are taught by the same faculty who teach in Crummer’s MBA programs in addition to industry practitioners.
Quick Facts About the Mini MBA from The Rick Goings Institute
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Program Length
Six weeks comprising 13 integrated learning modules.
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Fall 2026 Dates
October 17–December 5, 2026, followed by graduation on December 12.
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Schedule
Primarily Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with select daytime and Saturday sessions.
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Format
A combination of in-person, hybrid, and remote instruction.
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Location
Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, with select sessions offered virtually.
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Tuition
Current tuition and registration details are available on the RGI website.
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Group Rates
Group rates may be available for two or more participants from the same organization.
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Certificate
Earn a Mini MBA certificate by completing the program and remote certification exam.
Faculty Perspective
The Mini MBA program empowers professionals to lead with critical business insight and transformative leadership strategies they can apply from day one. It was a privilege to lead the marketing modules, where I challenged participants to think boldly about creating authentic, enduring brand value that resonates across industries and markets. Fueled by participants’ drive and expertise, each session became a catalyst for collaborative innovation and strategic growth — equipping leaders to embed marketing practices that adapt to and shape the evolving forces impacting business today.
— Tracy Kizer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Marketing, regarding her courses during the Spring 2026 Mini MBA
Fall 2026 Mini MBA Course Schedule & Details
Most sessions meet Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30–9:30 p.m. The 2026 Mini MBA also includes two daytime finance sessions, two Saturday sessions, a remote certification exam, and an in-person graduation ceremony. Schedule subject to change.
| Date | Time | Session | Module | Faculty | Modality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 17 | 8:30–9:00 a.m. | Orientation | Not applicable | RGI Executive Education Team | In person |
| Sat, Oct 17 | 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Exploring Your Leadership Mindset | 1 | Kim Jentsch, Ph.D. | In person |
| Tue, Oct 20 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Transformational Leadership in Turbulent Times | 2 | Kim Jentsch, Ph.D. | TBA |
| Thu, Oct 22 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Communication | 3 | Josh Hammonds, Ph.D. | In person / Hybrid |
| Tue, Oct 27 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Listening Leadership | 4 | Josh Hammonds, Ph.D. | In person / Hybrid |
| Thu, Oct 29 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Conflict Management: Embracing Differences | 5 | Tim Flanagan, MA | Remote — D2L/Canvas |
| Tue, Nov 3 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Customer-Centric Marketing | 6 | Wenkai Zhou, Ph.D. | In person / Hybrid |
| Thu, Nov 5 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Operational Strategy | 7 | James Rappold, Ph.D. | In person / Hybrid |
| Tue, Nov 10 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Business Ethics | 8 | Robert Hebeler, DBA | In person / Hybrid |
| Thu, Nov 12 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Strategic AI: Scaling Operations with Ethical Guardrails | 9 | Rihana Msadek, AI Engineer | Remote — D2L/Canvas |
| Tue, Nov 17 | 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Finance: Cash Flow, Health, & Capital Markets (Part 1) | 10 | Halil Kiymaz, Ph.D. | Remote — D2L/Canvas |
| Thu, Nov 19 | 1:00–4:00 p.m. | Finance: Cash Flow, Health, & Capital Markets (Part 2) | 11 | Halil Kiymaz, Ph.D. | Remote — D2L/Canvas |
| Nov 23–27 | Not applicable | Thanksgiving Break — No Classes | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Tue, Dec 1 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Organizational Strategy | 12 | Greg Marshall, Ph.D. | In person / Hybrid |
| Thu, Dec 3 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Executive Presence | 13 | Josh Hammonds, Ph.D. | In person / Hybrid |
| Sat, Dec 5 | 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Capstone Wrap-Up: AI EDGE | Not applicable | Charlie Render, MBA | In person |
| Dec 5–7 | At your own pace | Certification Exam | Not applicable | Not applicable | Remote — D2L/Canvas |
| Sat, Dec 12 | TBA | Graduation — Rollins College Campus, Winter Park, FL | Not applicable | Not applicable | In person |
The New Model for Leadership Development
View the architectural fly-through of the Rick Goings Institute.
The Rick Goings Institute for Management & Executive Leadership is Rollins College’s new center for executive education—and the new home of the Mini MBA. Built on the conviction that leadership education must adapt to the demands of AI-era decision-making, the Institute is grounded in the College’s longstanding dedication to the liberal arts and convenes executives, board members, and enterprise leaders whose responsibilities now exceed the tools they were trained with to strengthen the most fundamentally human capacity of all: judgment.
Learn more about the Institute, its programs, and its people on the RGI website.
RGI Completes Rollins College’s Innovation Triangle
The Innovation Triangle is a $200 million cultural, educational, and hospitality development that serves as a collaborative forum through which art informs leadership, leadership informs art, and hospitality advances Rollins College’s broader philanthropic mission. Together, The Rick Goings Institute, Rollins Museum of Art, and The Alfond Inn represent a major investment in the future of business and industry, the arts, and student opportunity.
The Rick Goings Institute
Now rising on campus—a convening center for leaders across business, healthcare, government, and civic life.
Rollins Museum of Art
A relocated, expanded home for the museum and its distinguished permanent collection.
The Alfond Inn
Rollins’ award-winning boutique hotel, whose philanthropic model funds student scholarships.