Don't just learn about AI. Learn how to lead the change around it.
The Digital Transformation Certificate Course is an eight-week online professional education course from WatSPEED at the University of Waterloo. It helps professionals understand the technologies shaping the future, evaluate AI and emerging opportunities realistically, manage organizational change effectively, and build a practical transformation roadmap that delivers business value.
The course has been updated with increased AI-focused content, current technology examples, refreshed case studies, and practical activities that help you understand how emerging technologies can create sustainable organizational value, not simply how to adopt the latest tools.
Developed in partnership with the Ontario Engineering Academy and the Ontario Society
of Professional Engineers (OSPE), the course addresses the impact that technology
is having on our workforce and helps you identify the technologies that fit your organization
and plan for their integration into your workplace. It covers current digital transformation
models, examples of new technologies and their applications, and case studies from
a wide range of organizations that have undergone their own transformation.
You will also learn alongside professionals from various industries through peer learning and a facilitated open forum. As AI changes how work gets done and reshapes the division of labour between people and technology, this course prepares you to balance technology, people, and processes so your organization can remain competitive and agile.
Why this course, now
Digital transformation is no longer a future challenge. AI has made it an immediate leadership challenge.
- Updated for the AI era: Discover how AI and other emerging technologies can improve organizational performance today, and how to integrate them into a practical digital transformation strategy.
- Turn technology into business results: Explore opportunities to improve productivity, modernize operations, strengthen resource management, and enhance customer service, rather than simply adopting the latest tools.
- Choose opportunities that fit your organization: Learn to assess emerging technologies, connect investments to business priorities, and build a compelling case for change.
- Lead the organizational change that makes AI valuable: Develop the skills to align people, processes, and technology, secure stakeholder buy-in, and overcome common barriers to adoption.
- Build a plan you can put to work: Apply your learning through a practical capstone project, supported by real-world case studies, peer discussion, and an hour of individual instructor coaching focused on your organization's transformation challenges.
- Build confidence to lead AI-enabled transformation: Strengthen your ability to ask the right questions, evaluate proposals, and guide conversations about how AI can address your organization's performance challenges.
- Connect immediate improvements with long-term change: Position AI within a broader transformation strategy, linking opportunities for better performance today with the capabilities your organization needs for the future.
WatSPEED has been approved by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) to issue contact
hours and PDUs for our courses. This course provides 10 Ways of Working hours, 10
Power Skills hours and 20 Business Acumen hours for the Talent Triangle® for a total
of 40 hours.
The "PMI Talent Triangle" and the PMI Talent Triangle image are marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Who should enrol
- Professionals who lead or influence their organization's digital or AI transformation.
- Business and technology leaders seeking to evaluate, adopt, or scale AI and other emerging technologies in their workplace.
- Project and program managers responsible for delivering technology-enabled change.
- Professional engineers and operations leaders who need to turn technology investments into measurable business results.
Benefits for your organization
- Improve your chances of success, including obtaining stakeholder buy-in, when adopting or implementing AI and other new technologies.
- Modernize your systems, processes, operations, and customer service.
- Strengthen your resource management to improve productivity and increase profitability.
- Increase your organization's digital agility for faster innovation, adaptation, and continuous improvement.
- Connect AI investments to clear business priorities instead of isolated pilots.
Interested in bringing an existing program into your organization?
We can provide a custom learning experience for large groups from any single organization. Register three or more employees from the same organization and receive 15 per cent off. Contact our team at watspeed@uwaterloo.ca for more info.
What you will learn
- Examine the impact that technology will have on your career.
- Discover emerging technologies, including AI, and identify opportunities that align with your organization's priorities.
- Understand the common challenges that organizations face with digital transformation.
- Balance the human and organizational aspects of digital change.
- Develop a comprehensive plan to guide your digital transformation.
- Explore innovative solutions to avoid potential roadblocks to your own digital transformation plans.
- Utilize practical tools and techniques to continuously improve your digital strategy.
- Develop your skills and digital literacy and build a compelling case for your business to implement a new digital strategy.
1:1 coaching for all learners
For the duration of the program, the instructor offers one hour of individual 1:1 coaching to each participant in addition to the scheduled program sessions. Use this time to discuss how AI and other technologies could address your organization's performance challenges, and receive expert feedback and insight that you can implement into your plan.
Course overview
- Expert instruction from University of Waterloo faculty.
- Updated for Fall 2026 with AI-focused content and current technology examples.
- Live discussion sessions via Zoom every Friday from 12 – 1 p.m. ET (also available as recordings).
- Peer discussions and networking opportunities.
- Refreshed case studies from well-known organizations in a variety of industries.
- Four hours of independent work online each week (including graded assignments and activities).
- Capstone project that integrates your learning into a transformation plan for your own organization.
- Attendance requirement: It is highly recommended that participants attend live sessions, but it is not required. Live discussion sessions will be recorded and available for later viewing.
Receive a certificate from the University of Waterloo
Upon successful completion of this program, you will receive a professional education certificate from the University of Waterloo.
Professional development hours
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For project management professionals: The curriculum for this certificate program is relevant for experienced project managers tasked with guiding digital and AI transformation projects. If you are a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), completing this course may qualify for required professional development units as part of your Project Management Professional (PMP) designation.
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For professional engineers: Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive 40 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours from the Ontario Engineering Academy, part of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE). It may also qualify for the mandatory CPD hours for the Practice Evaluation and Knowledge (PEAK) program for Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) licence holders.
Your instructor
Peter Carr, PhD, P.L.Eng
Continuing Lecturer, University of Waterloo | Program Author and Instructor, WatSPEED
Peter Carr is an associate professor in the Department of Management Science and Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where his work focuses on how technology can be used to improve business performance and social outcomes. He works at the intersection of digital transformation, operations, project management, and technical entrepreneurship, helping organizations and students navigate the opportunities and risks of rapidly changing technologies.
Carr teaches a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including operations and supply chain management, project management, the strategic management of technology, the impact of information systems on society, and technology innovation and entrepreneurship. He has created multiple online simulations in project management and digital transformation and leads WatSPEED and extended learning offerings that support managers and professionals in leading technology-enabled change.
Carr completed his PhD at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, where he studied the lean transformation of traditional manufacturing organizations. Before joining Waterloo, he served as executive director of the Centre for Innovative Management at Athabasca University and accumulated substantial industry experience, informing his practice-oriented approach to teaching, curriculum design, and advising organizations on aligning technological innovation with human and organizational change.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Digital Transformation Certificate Course?
The Digital Transformation Certificate Course is an eight-week online professional education course from WatSPEED at the University of Waterloo. It helps professionals understand emerging technologies, including AI, evaluate where they can create real business value, lead the organizational change required to adopt them, and build a practical transformation roadmap for their own organization.
What has been updated in the course for the AI era?
The course has been updated for Fall 2026 with AI-focused content, current technology examples, refreshed case studies, and enhanced transformation planning resources. You learn how to position AI within a broader transformation strategy, linking opportunities for better performance today with the capabilities your organization needs for the future.
Is this an AI course or a digital transformation course?
It is a digital transformation leadership course built for the AI era. Rather than teaching you to build AI systems, it focuses on how to assess AI and other emerging technologies, connect them to business priorities, secure stakeholder buy-in, and manage the people and process changes that determine whether technology investments deliver value.
Who should take the Digital Transformation Certificate Course?
The course is designed for professionals who lead or influence their organization's digital or AI transformation, business and technology leaders evaluating emerging technologies, project and program managers delivering technology-enabled change, and professional engineers seeking continuing professional development.
How long is the course and how much time does it take each week?
The course runs for eight weeks and takes about five hours per week: a one-hour live discussion session on Zoom every Friday from 12 to 1 p.m. ET, plus about four hours of independent online work, including graded assignments and activities.
Do I have to attend the live sessions?
Attending the live sessions is highly recommended but not required. All live discussion sessions are recorded and available for later viewing.
Do I need a technical background to take this course?
The course focuses on strategy, leadership and organizational change rather than programming, so it is suited to both technical and non-technical professionals who are responsible for guiding technology decisions and change in their organization.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. Upon successful completion, you receive a professional education certificate from the University of Waterloo.
Does the course count toward PMI PDUs or engineering CPD hours?
Yes. WatSPEED is approved by the Project Management Institute to issue PDUs. This course provides 40 PDUs: 10 Ways of Working, 10 Power Skills and 20 Business Acumen hours. Professional engineers receive 40 Continuing Professional Development hours from the Ontario Engineering Academy, part of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), and the course may qualify toward the mandatory hours for the PEAK program for Professional Engineers Ontario licence holders.
Will I get personalized support on my own organization's challenges?
Yes. Every learner receives one hour of individual 1:1 coaching with the instructor, in addition to the scheduled sessions. You also complete a capstone project that applies what you learn to your own organization's transformation plan.
Can my organization enrol a team?
Yes. Register three or more employees from the same organization and receive 15 per cent off. WatSPEED can also deliver a custom learning experience for large groups. Contact watspeed@uwaterloo.ca for details.
How can I ask my employer to support my enrolment?
Download the Request to Attend letter. It outlines the course, the time commitment and the benefits to your organization so you can make the case to your manager.