Certificate in Franchise Management

Certificate in Franchise Management

Learn the fundamental theories, models, and practices that prepare you to confidently manage and succeed in a franchise environment.

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The Franchise Management program includes asynchronous online courses and an in-person classroom learning component.

Georgetown’s Certificate in Franchise Management is designed for all individuals seeking to learn about franchising, the franchise model, and the key tenets of business format franchising. Our program is structured to provide you with a broader knowledge of and improved competencies in the foundational components related to franchise management. Through a blend of online learning and on-site instruction, the program integrates case studies, interactive exercises, guest speakers, and group projects to foster new insights and strategies. By the end of the program, you’ll feel confident in your ability to approach, evaluate, and effectively respond to all aspects and challenges of managing in a franchise environment.

  • Ideal for
    Professionals interested in franchising

  • Duration
    3 months to 2 years

  • Tuition
    $5,500

  • Format
    Online & On-Campus classes

  • Schedule
    Thursday, Friday, Saturday and online

  • Semester of Entry
    Fall, spring, summer

Upon successful completion of the certificate, you will be able to:

  • Differentiate franchise business models
  • Determine critical success factors for managing a franchise
  • Identify and leverage emerging trends in the franchise industry
  • Analyze risk and reward to inform probability of success in franchising

Curriculum & Schedule

The Franchise Management Certificate consists of two unique sessions which can be completed in any order and/or independently. Each session comprises an online component, which must be successfully completed prior to attending a three-day face-to-face component. CFE Credits from the ICFE will be granted upon completion of either/each session as outlined below:

  • Online Component = 175 CFE Education Credits
  • Face-to-Face Component = 500 CFE Education Credits

Students that complete both Sessions I & II within a 2-year period will be eligible for the Certificate in Franchise Management from Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies.

You must successfully complete the two required courses for a total of 6.30 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which is equivalent to 63.0 contact hours. The two courses must be completed within a two-year period.

  1. Fundamentals of the Franchise Model (Required; 3.1 CEUs)
  2. Franchise Management Theory and Practice (Required; 3.2 CEUs)

What Is Hybrid Learning?
This method has two unique sessions which can be completed in any order and/or independently. Each session comprises an online component, which must be successfully completed prior to attending a three-day face-to-face component.

Course Schedule

Course Name Semester and Section
Required Courses  Spring 2024
Fundamentals of the Franchise Model
XCPD-598-001 | Status: Open
Online

Mar 25 to Apr 3, 2024
Spring 2024
Class
Mon/Thu/Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Apr 4 to Apr 8, 2024
Spring 2024
Franchise Management Theory and Practice
XCPD-599-001 | Status: Open
Online

May 28 to Jun 5, 2024
Spring 2024
Class
Thu/Fri/Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Jun 6 to Jun 8, 2024
Spring 2024

Faculty


Benjamin Litalien

Ben Litalien is one of a few global franchise experts with a unique combination of broad franchise experience and academic credentials. Ben has invested over twenty-five years in the franchise ...
Read more

How to Register

Please review the refund policies in our Student Handbook before completing your registration.

Degree Requirement

You must hold a bachelor's degree or the equivalent in order to enroll in our certificate programs.

Registration

This certificate is an open-enrollment program. No application is required. Click the "Register Now" button, select your courses, and then click "Add to Cart". Course registration is complete when your payment is processed. You will receive a confirmation email when your payment is received. Please retain the payment confirmation message for your records.

You can combine on-campus and online courses (if available) to complete your certificate. Depending on the certificate program, we may suggest taking courses in a specific order, but this is not a requirement.

Most students register for all courses at the same time and complete their certificate within a few months. However, you may choose to register for courses one by one over time. Once you begin a certificate, you have up to two years from the time you start your first course to complete all required courses.

International Students

International students who enter the U.S. on a valid visa are eligible to enroll in certificate courses. However, Georgetown University cannot sponsor student visas for noncredit professional certificate programs.

A TOEFL examination is not required for non-native English speakers but students are expected to read, write, and comprehend English at the graduate level to fully participate in and gain from the program.

Students from most countries may register for our online certificate programs; however, due to international laws, residents of certain countries are prohibited from registering.

Tuition & Funding

Tuition for each course is $2,750. Total tuition for 2 courses is $5,500. Most course materials are included.

Funding

Noncredit professional certificates do not qualify for federal financial aid, scholarships, grants, or needs-based aid. However, several finance and funding options do exist, as listed below.

Employer Education and Training Budgets

Some employers offer funding for employee education or professional development. If an employer guarantees payment for employee education and training, Georgetown will accept an Intent to Pay form. If you are using employer sponsorship or training authorizations, you must submit an Intent to Pay form with your registration.

If your employer will pay for your tuition, select “Third-Party Billing” as your method of payment when you register for courses online. Please submit an Intent to Pay form indicating that your employer or another third party should be billed for tuition. Invoices will not be generated without this form on file.

Federal Agency Training Funds*
  • According to the Federal Employees Almanac 2014, federal agencies may:
    • Pay training and education expenses from appropriated funds or other available funds for training needed to support program functions
    • Reimburse employees for all or part of the costs of training or education
    • Share training and education costs with employees
    • Pay travel expenses for employees assigned to training
    • Adjust an employee's normal work schedule for educational purposes not related to official duties

Georgetown accepts Standard Form-182 (SF-182) for training authorizations from the federal government.

*Federal employees should ask the appropriate budget officer about training budgets available.

Georgetown Employee TAP Benefits

Eligible Georgetown employees may use their Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) benefits to fund 90% of the certificate program tuition—employees will be invoiced for the remaining 10% of tuition and must pay any other charges associated with their certificate program. Employees using TAP benefits may work directly with the HR Benefits Office to ensure payment prior to the start of any course. This payment option is only valid if registration occurs at least 10–14 business days prior to the start date of the first course. Any fees incurred due to course withdrawal are the student’s responsibility and are not funded by Georgetown University TAP. For questions regarding TAP benefits, please contact the HR/Benefits Office at tapbenefits@georgetown.edu or (202) 687-2500.

GoArmyEd.com for Active Duty, National Guard,
Army Reserve Soldiers, and Army Civilians

SCS is registered with GoArmyEd.com to accept SF-182 training authorization forms. GoArmyEd.com is the virtual gateway for all eligible active duty, National Guard, and Army Reserve soldiers to request Tuition Assistance (TA) online. GoArmyEd.com is also the virtual gateway for Army Civilians to apply for their Civilian education, training, and leadership development events.

Interest-Free Payment Plan

The professional certificate programs offer an interest-free payment plan for certificate programs that are more than one month in duration and for which the total tuition is greater than or equal to $4,000. The payment plan is structured in the following manner:

  • Payment #1: A down payment of 25% of the total tuition balance must be paid online (within 72 hours after you register and select Payment Plan) via the Noncredit Student Portal. Please submit your down payment as soon as possible.
  • Payments #2, #3, and #4: Your remaining balance will be due in three (3) equal monthly installments beginning 30 calendar days after your down payment is processed. Your monthly payments must be paid via credit card in the Noncredit Student Portal. You will be able to access each invoice and payment due date in your student account.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Automatic Payment Service is not available. You must make each subsequent payment via the Noncredit Student Portal.

Military Benefits/GI Bill®

A number of tuition benefits are available through the Department of Veterans Affairs and under various parts of the GI Bill®. Please visit the Resources for Military Students page for additional information and instructions.

Private Education Loans

Some students choose to finance certificate programs with private education loans. Students are responsible for contacting lenders directly to find out if a noncredit professional certificate program is eligible for a loan. While Georgetown University will not recommend specific lenders, it will certify loans for eligible programs from approved lenders.

For eligible noncredit professional certificate programs, Georgetown University will certify loan amounts up to the full cost of tuition for the program. Tuition does not cover books, travel, or living expenses. Please see individual program pages for tuition rates.

Georgetown University has a unique campus code for Sallie Mae. Our Sallie Mae branch code is 001445-99.

You must be approved for a loan before registering for courses. Follow these steps to pursue a loan option:

  1. Check the list of lenders that have offered private education loans in the past to Georgetown University students.
  2. Contact the lender and confirm your program is eligible for a private education loan.
  3. Obtain the necessary paperwork and apply for the loan.
  4. Georgetown will certify loan amounts based on the information below. Please note that our branch code is 001445-99.
  5. If approved, register for courses:
    • Payment sent to Georgetown: Select “Third-Party Payment” at the time of registration if the lender is sending funds directly to Georgetown.
    • Enter the information about the lender and then contact Noncredit Student Accounts at noncreditaccounts@georgetown.edu.

Note: It is your responsibility to contact Georgetown University Noncredit Student Accounts at noncreditaccounts@georgetown.edu to ensure that your loan is processed.

Registering for Courses Over Time

While you may choose to complete your certificate program in one semester, many programs (but not all) allow up to two years to complete all requirements. As a result, you may choose to register for required and elective courses over several semesters to spread out the cost of tuition over time. We generally offer every course in a program each semester, so you'll have many opportunities to enroll in required and elective courses within the two-year time frame.

Tuition Discounts

Only one tuition discount may be applied at the time of registration. Tuition discounts cannot be combined. Tuition discounts are not applied retroactively. Please contact pdcprograms@georgetown.edu with any questions.

International Franchise Association members are eligible for a 10% tuition discount.

Boeing 10% Discount

Employees of Boeing receive a 10% tuition discount on select programs and courses

EdAssist 10% Discount

Employees of companies that belong to the EdAssist education network may receive a 10% tuition discount on select programs and courses. Contact EdAssist directly to find out if you qualify.

OPM Federal Scholarship Alliance 10% Discount

Eligible federal employees across the country receive a 10% scholarship applied to the current tuition rate for all SCS degree programs and professional certificate programs each academic semester. Please contact pdcprograms@georgetown.edu for steps to be added to this discount group.

Contact Us

Still Have Questions?

Certificate Admissions and Enrollment
Email: pdcprograms@georgetown.edu
Phone: (202) 687-7000

Student Accounts
Email: noncreditaccounts@georgetown.edu
Phone: (202) 687-7696

Certifying Military Benefits
Email: pdcvabenefits@georgetown.edu
Phone: (202) 784-7321

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