Green Belt Paychex

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Green Belt - Paychex Portal

Achieve Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification while earning academic credit! 
Supported by Paychex's tuition reimbursement program.

  • Available fall, spring, and summer terms – online
  • Graduate or undergraduate course option – earn 3 credits
  • Earn Yellow Belt certification as part of the course
     

RIT is an approved training provider for Paychex and has delivered Lean Six Sigma certification programs to Paychex employees since 2005. The information below tells you how to achieve Green Belt certification via an academic (for-credit) pathway – payment is deferred until the course is completed, consistent with Paychex’s reimbursement policy (see the FAQ's).

You will learn tools and methods for improving processes and how to apply them to projects within your organization to generate significant cost savings, greater efficiencies, and higher customer satisfaction.  Important tools will be introduced to clearly define a business problem, gather and analyze data, and implement improvements that can be sustained.

RIT’s “Fundamentals in Lean Six Sigma” course, ISEE 582 (undergraduate) or ISEE 682 (graduate), is offered online during the fall, spring, and summer terms.  After completing the course you will be awarded 3 academic credits and also granted Yellow Belt certification. Then, complete an appropriate project and achieve Green Belt certification!

Step 1:  Register for ISEE 582/682 Lean Six Sigma Fundamentals

  • Complete RIT’s non-degree enrollment form (only the top sections on general information & history plus your signature at the bottom), and email to cqas@rit.edu along with a copy of a government issued ID (eg. driver's license or passport).  We will contact you to determine which section is appropriate, undergraduate (582) or graduate (682). An associate's degree is prerequisite.
    • For the fall semester, the form should be submitted to us by August 1. (Classes start late-August).
    • For the spring semester, the form should be submitted by December 15.  (Classes start mid-January).
    • For the summer semester, the form should be submitted by April 15.  (Classes start mid-May).
    • See https://www.rit.edu/calendar for course dates or contact us at cqas@rit.edu.  
    • Submit the form as early as possible since the courses fill quickly.
  • We will complete the form and enroll you in the appropriate section. You will then receive an email to activate your RIT computer account which is necessary to access course materials and your student account.
  • To be eligible for deferred tuition (after course completion), download and complete RIT’s Employee Sponsored Tuition Plan (ESTP) form, have it signed by the appropriate Paychex representative, and email to RIT’s Student Financial Services office at ASKSFS@rit.edu. More information about ESTP can be found at https://www.rit.edu/sfs/student-sponsored-billing#employer-sponsored-tuition-plan-estp.  Reimbursement for tuition, books, and fees by Paychex requires a grade of C- or higher in the course.
  • Tuition payment is deferred until after the semester is completed: by Jan 15 (fall semester), by June 15 (spring semester), by Sept 15 (summer semester).  This should provide enough lead time for Paychex to reimburse you before tuition is due RIT.

Step 2:  Complete an approved Green Belt project to achieve Green Belt certification.

  • You must first secure a project sponsor and submit a draft charter.  This can be done anytime between the start of the course to within 1 year of course completion. Green Belt certification requires submission of a final report (through the Control phase) that has been approved by your sponsor and your RIT instructor.
     

RIT also offers the Advanced Certificate in Lean Six Sigma, which consists of four graduate level courses.

ISEE 582/682 Fundamentals of Lean Six Sigma

This course presents the philosophy and methods that enable participants to develop quality strategies and drive process improvements. The fundamental elements of Lean Six Sigma are covered along with many problem solving and statistical tools that are valuable in driving process improvements in a broad range of business environments and industries.  Successful completion of this course is accompanied by Yellow Belt certification and provides a solid foundation for those who also wish to pursue a Green Belt.  (Green belt certification requires completion of an approved project in addition to this course).

Topics include:

  • The Quality Movement
  • Leadership
  • Systems Thinking
  • Affecting Change
  • Lean Six Sigma Overview
  • Strategic Planning
  • Project Selection
  • Project Management
  • Voice of the Customer
  • Teamwork
  • Define Stage
  • Measure Stage
  • Cost of Quality
  • Standard Work
  • Basic Statistics
  • Measurement Systems Analysis, Regression
  • Analyze Stage
  • Benchmarking
  • Improve Stage -  Kaizen and Line Design
  • 5-S and Visual Controls
  • Setup Reduction, TPM, Kanban
  • SPC, Process Capability
  • Introduction to Design of Experiments
  • Control Stage
  • Management By Fact

For more information download the syllabus and course schedule.

 

ISEE 582/682 is priced at RIT’s online tuition rate, which is $4,209 for the 2024-25 academic year (through summer 2025).

There is no charge for project mentoring by RIT.

Paychex employees are invoiced AFTER program completion but you must submit the Employee Sponsored Tuition Plan (ESTP) form to RIT’s Student Financial Services office (ASKSFS@rit.edu).  Also, be sure to get approval in advance for tuition reimbursement by contacting your manager.  Reimbursement by Paychex requires a grad of C- or higher in the course.

FAQ's

Yes.  Paychex employees interested in pursuing Lean Six Sigma certification will require your manager's approval before you can enroll in a course or submit an application to Edcor.  Please complete the online "manager approval form" found on Paychex's internal Tuition Reimbursement Program site.

  1. Discuss Lean Six Sigma certification with your manager: plan a process improvement project.
  2. Complete the online "manager approval form" which will go to your manager for approval.
  3. Once manager approval is in place, enroll in the RIT course (see Step 1).
  4. Submit your application to Edcor (see {Paychex Tuition FAQ's for more information). Questions related to application submission or tuition reimbursement should be directed to Edcor at 844-248-0783.
  5. When the course is completed, please submit the required documentation to Edcor for reimbursement.  (See the Paychex site Tuition FAQ's for more information).

Please note that planning and completion of a Paychex process improvement project are required to obtain tuition approval.  Please do not submit an application to Edcor for Lean Six Sigma certification until you have obtained your manager's approval and submitted the required online "manager approval form." Applications submitted without the proper approvals will be rejected.

Please note that a grade of C- or higher in the course (ISEE 582/682) is required for reimbursement of tuition, books and fees from Paychex.  Certification as a Green Belt is separate from tuition reimbursement by Paychex and requires completion of a Paychex approved process improvement project. 

In addition to receiving 3 academic credits which can be leveraged toward a future certificate or degree program, the rigor inherent in an academic course (versus a non-credit training program) means that you will be exposed in more depth to more practical material that will have direct benefit to your job and your organization.  Since your work will be graded, you will be highly vested in your learning and the application of tools and methods to practical problems and processes within your organization.  Finally, the diversity of participants enrolled in these courses provides exposure to experienced professionals from a number of companies in different industries.

Academic courses require about 6-10 hours each week, and it is especially important to keep up with the material since there are deliverables each week and you will be graded on your participation as well as on quizzes, homework, and exams.

Our online format is designed to provide you with flexibility to meet your other commitments from wherever you are while insuring that you are actively engaged with the instructor and your classmates on a weekly basis.  (This is not a self-study course).  Materials are available on our course management website and you submit homework and participate in discussions each week at your convenience.  Homework, quizzes and exams, as well as a simulation exercise are also online.

Yes, but you must first secure a project sponsor and submit a draft charter to the instructor.  The project will likely continue beyond the end of the course, and Green Belt certification is not awarded until the final project report is signed off by your sponsor and the instructor.

Most students will wait until the course is over to work on their projects.  You have up to 1 year after course completion to begin a project and another year to complete it.  Extensions may be granted for extenuating circumstances but they must be approved by your instructor and your sponsor.

A suitable Green Belt process improvement project must utilize the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) structure and return significant benefits, usually at least $50,000, recognizing that other metrics may be more appropriate to your situation. As mentioned above, the project should be completed (with sign-off from sponsor and instructor) within two years of training.  

Every Green Belt project requires a sponsor whose role is: (1) to help identify in advance an opportunity suitable for a Green Belt project; (2) to help remove roadblocks and support project execution; and (3) to participate in tollgate reviews and sign-off on all tollgates. Your direct manager should also provide assurance that he/she understands the demands on your time for and is committed to your success in the program.

No, credit is not given for projects that are either in-process or were completed prior to the start of the course.

No.  Green Belt and Black Belt are two distinct certifications which must be completed separately. RIT currently does not have an academic pathway to Black Belt certification.

A textbook is required: "An Introduction to Six Sigma & Process Improvement,” Second Edition by James R. Evans and William M. Lindsay, published by Cengage Learning.  Textbooks can be purchased or rented at https://rit.textbookx.com/institutional/index.php. A simulation also is required at a cost of $50.

All presentation slides will be available in our online repository, from which you can print a copy for your own use.  Links to the videos are also provided. 

No special software is required. Excel is utilized for statistical tools and examples, which are also illustrated in Minitab if you prefer this statistical package.  Minitab is available to students free of charge.

As mentioned earlier, ISEE 582/682 is offered online during the fall (late-August until mid-December), spring (mid-January until early-May), or summer (mid-May until early-August) terms.  See https://www.rit.edu/calendar for specific course dates or contact us at cqas@rit.edu.

We suggest (see Step 1) that you submit the non-degree enrollment form to cqas@rit.edu no later than the following dates, although we urge you to submit even earlier since the courses fill quickly:

  • For the fall semester, the form should be submitted to us by August 1.
  • For the spring semester, the form should be submitted by December 15.
  • For the summer semester, the form should be submitted by April 15.

As a Paychex employee, you must first receive approval for tuition reimbursement before submitting RIT’s enrollment form.

In order to cancel your enrollment without incurring tuition charges, you must drop the course within the first 7 days after the course begins.  You can either do this yourself by logging into your student account at http://sis.rit.edu or by sending an email to cqas@rit.edu before the drop period ends.  More information about RIT’s tuition refund policy can be found at https://www.rit.edu/sfs/tuition-refundadjustment.

Your RIT transcript will show the grade you received and the associated credits (3), which you can download/print as proof that you completed the course. 

You will also receive (via email) a Yellow Belt certificate provided that you achieved at least a “B” grade in the course.

Vincenzo Buonomo at (585) 475-7207 or vxbasp@rit.edu, or cqas@rit.edu.