Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Six Sigma Principles

4 days left! Save on skills that make you shine with 40% off 3 months of Coursera Plus. Save now

Six Sigma Principles

This course is part of Six Sigma Yellow Belt Specialization

Instructors: David Cook, PhD

47,575 already enrolled

Included with

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

409 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

89%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

409 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

89%

Most learners liked this course

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

9 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Six Sigma Yellow Belt Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

This course is for you if you are looking to learn more about Six Sigma or refresh your knowledge of the basic components of Six Sigma and Lean. Six Sigma skills are widely sought by employers both nationally and internationally. These skills have been proven to help improve business processes and performance. This course will introduce you to the purpose of Six Sigma and its value to an organization. You will learn about the basic principles of Six Sigma and Lean. Your instructors will introduce you to, and have you apply, some of the tools and metrics that are critical components of Six Sigma. This course will provide you with the basic knowledge of the principles, roles, and responsibilities of Six Sigma and Lean.

Every module will include readings, videos, and a quiz to help make sure you understand the material and concepts that are studied. You will also have the opportunity to participate in discussions and peer review exercises to give you the opportunity to apply the material to your daily life. Our applied curriculum is built around the latest handbook The Certified Six Sigma Handbook (2nd edition) and students will develop /learn the fundamentals of Six Sigma. Registration includes online access to course content, projects, and resources but does not include the companion text The Certified Six Sigma Handbook (2nd edition). The companion text is not required to complete the assignments. However, the text is a recognized handbook used by professionals in the field. Also, it is a highly recommended text for those wishing to move forward in Six Sigma and eventually gain certification from professional agencies such as American Society for Quality (ASQ).

Welcome to the Six Sigma Yellow Belt Specialization! Six Sigma skills are widely sought by employers both nationally and internationally. These skills help to improve business processes and performance. Your team of instructors, Dr. Bill Bailey, Dr. David Cook, Dr. Christine Scherrer, and Dr. Gregory Wiles, currently work in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Kennesaw State University. They have collaborated to create a specialization that is all encompassing of the Six Sigma methodologies for both Yellow and Green belt. Completion of this specialization will provide you with the knowledge to either continue to full Six Sigma certification or simply advance your knowledge professionally. In this module you will be introduced to the foundations of Six Sigma, the purpose of lean, and the value to the organization as a whole.

What's included

11 videos1 reading4 assignments

11 videosTotal 34 minutes

What is Quality - Origins of Six Sigma - David Cook5 minutes
Six Sigma Foundations and Principles6 minutes
Purpose of Six Sigma2 minutes
Six Sigma Methodology2 minutes
Evolution of Six Sigma2 minutes
Value of Six Sigma3 minutes
Individual Contributors2 minutes
Yellow and Green Belt2 minutes
Roles and Responsibilities of Black Belts3 minutes
Role of Master Black Belts3 minutes
Role of Champions2 minutes

1 readingTotal 5 minutes

Get help and meet other learners. Join your Community!5 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 120 minutes

Six Sigma Foundations and Principles Practice30 minutes
Six Sigma Roles and Responsibilities Practice30 minutes
Six Sigma Foundations and Principles Quiz30 minutes
Six Sigma Roles and Responsibilities Quiz30 minutes

In this module Dr. Bill Bailey will introduce you to the different types of quality tools as well as important Six Sigma metrics that can be used throughout the DMAIC process. Quality tools and metrics are a critical tool for process improvement. This module will introduce you to some of the most common quality tools as well as the most important Six Sigma metrics.

What's included

10 videos1 assignment2 peer reviews

10 videosTotal 59 minutes

Introduction to Quality Tools2 minutes
Pareto Charts5 minutes
Cause and Effect Diagrams8 minutes
Flow Charts and Process Mapping6 minutes
Checksheets5 minutes
Scatter Diagrams6 minutes
Histograms5 minutes
Six Sigma Measure - pt19 minutes
Six Sigma Measure - pt27 minutes
Cost of Poor Quality8 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Quality Tools and Six Sigma Metrics Quiz30 minutes

2 peer reviewsTotal 120 minutes

Process Mapping Exercise60 minutes
Data Exercise60 minutes

Teamwork is an essential component of successful quality improvement work. Many successful organizations have leaders who work in teams. In this module you will learn about why teams are so important to the Six Sigma process, the different types of teams and their different objectives, the different stages of team development, decision making methods for use in teams, and team communication methods.

What's included

6 videos2 assignments1 discussion prompt

In this module you will be introduced to the purpose of lean and its methodologies. You will learn about the value of lean to an organization. This module will build off of what you have learned in the previous modules and help you to better understand how to better serve customers.

What's included

8 videos2 assignments1 discussion prompt

8 videosTotal 44 minutes

Purpose of Lean6 minutes
Value Stream Mapping4 minutes
5S4 minutes
Interview: Real World Value Stream Mapping4 minutes
JIT & KanBan9 minutes
Visual Management9 minutes
Poka Yoke7 minutes
Value to the Organization3 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Lean Foundations and Principles Practice Quiz30 minutes
Lean Foundations and Principles Graded Quiz30 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Poka Yoke10 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructors

Instructor ratings

(111 ratings)

David Cook, PhD

Kennesaw State University

16 Courses357,432 learners

Offered by

Kennesaw State University

Explore more from Business Essentials

Kennesaw State University
Six Sigma and the Organization (Advanced)
Course
Packt
Six Sigma White Belt (Accredited)
Course
EDUCBA
Analyze and Apply Six Sigma and Lean Principles
Course
Simplilearn
Foundations of Six Sigma Define Phase Training
Course

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
73.17%
4 stars
17.07%
3 stars
4.87%
2 stars
2.19%
1 star
2.68%

Showing 3 of 409

Reviewed on Apr 8, 2026

Dictor could read the material more professionally.

Reviewed on Oct 12, 2025

Comprehensive foundational knowledge for Lean Six Sigma

Reviewed on Dec 2, 2024

Content is well designed and easy to understand and follow.

View more reviews

Frequently asked questions

Our applied curriculum is built around the latest handbook The Certified Six Sigma Handbook (2nd edition) and students will develop /learn the fundamentals of Six Sigma. Registration includes online access to all course content, projects, and resources. This price does not include the companion text The Certified Six Sigma Handbook (2nd edition).

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.