The University Alliances Program provides access to SAP's world-leading business software to enhance the academic and professional outcomes for university students and professors.

The Walker School of Business & Technology is a proud member of the SAP University Alliance Program, which enables students in select courses to gain hands-on, real-world experience with the world leader in enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems. SAP business intelligence technology empowers our students in their current job, promotion, or in job interviews by developing skills that employers need. Walker students can confirm their knowledge through the SAP Student Recognition Award.

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SAP Recognition Awards

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On Tuesday May 1, 2018, twenty-two Walker Students received the SAP Student Recognition Award through the SAP University Alliance Program. Certificates were presented by Rich Dippel and Ali Ovlia, Walker School faculty members from the SAP Systems Integration Group. Associate Dean David Porras was also in attendance to acknowledge the students' hard work.

FAQ About SAP

SAP (Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung; "Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing") is a German multinational software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. SAP is headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices in 130 countries.

SAP is the world leader in enterprise applications, serving 300,000 organizations in 190 countries around the world. SAP was created with the belief that "real-time" data processing can help bring people closer to business intelligence. The company promotes a dedication to innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit that enable SAP to continually push what's technically possible, and a commitment to collaboration and co-creating solutions with SAP customers.

The SAP University Alliances Program empowers institutions of higher education to accelerate the number of graduate with the skills and knowledge of SAP required for future decision-makers and corporate leaders. SAP University Alliance objectives include:

  • Enable faculty to use SAP solutions in education to enhance students learning on business processes and related technology.
  • Contribute to the growth of SAP's own business, the SAP ecosystem and support society's educational goals and economic growth.
  • Stand as the cornerstone of SAP's social responsibility engagement with higher education worldwide.

Students graduating with actual hands-on experience using SAP in Webster courses gain skills that employers want. Employers indicate that new hires from a SAP's University Alliances member institution are better process thinkers, are information literate, and know how to work in teams. University Alliances member institution faculties have found that working with SAP enables students to:

  • Blend IT with business specialties such as accounting, production planning, marketing and supply chain.
  • Recognize business process integration and how their area of specialization impacts the rest of the business.
  • Understand ERP components, functions and interaction.
  • Appreciate business, financial, and accounting practices in today's global organizations.

SAP counts 300,000 organizations in 190 countries around the world as clients. A few of these include:

  • AT&T
  • Bunge North America
  • Energizer Holdings
  • Graybar Electric
  • Monsanto
  • Nestle USA
  • Peabody Energy
  • Sigma-Aldrich>
  • SSM Health
  • St. Louis Public Schools

Students who complete the criteria outlined below are eligible to earn a Student Recognition Award in conjunction with SAP America, Inc. This award acknowledges that students have gained significant experience with the SAP software as part of their academic degree programs.

Upon completion of the requirements for this award, students will understand how technology can enable integrated business processes and strategic and tactical decision making, with skills that can add immediate value to the marketplace. Students will have a basic understanding of the SAP system and will be experienced in master data creation and transaction processing using SAP.

Students must complete (with a grade of B or better) at least three SAP courses offered by the Walker School. Students who receive this award may list SAP as a basic skill on their resumes and thus increase their desirability to firms and companies that utilize SAP or other ERP and BI systems.

Eligibility Requirements
A student is eligible to receive an SAP Student Recognition Award Certificate issued by SAP America if he or she has successfully completed any three of the courses listed below with a grade of B or above:

  • ACCT 3800 Accounting Information Systems
  • ACCT 4010 Accounting in an ERP Environment OR ACCT 5310 Accounting in an ERP Environment
  • ACCT 4990 Accounting Seminar
  • BUSN 3850 Enterprise systems OR BUSN 5250 Enterprise Systems
  • BUSN 4120 Integrated Business Processes and ERP OR BUSN 6160 Integrated Business Processes and ERP
  • BUSN 4140 Configuration of ERP Systems OR BUSN 6180 Configuration of ERP Systems
  • CSIS 5330 Business Intelligence and ERP
  • CSIS 5300 Database Systems
  • CSIS 5320 Data Analytic Foundations
  • CSIS 5420 Data Mining

Application Deadline
Students must apply for the SAP Student Recognition Award by March 1 for the Spring Semester and November 1 for the Fall Semester. Completed applications should be returned to the Department of Business or Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. Applications received after the application deadline will be processed for the following semester.

Download the SAP Student Recognition Award Application (PDF). Completed forms should be emailed to Professor Ali Ovlia.

When to Apply
A student needs to have completed or will be completing the required three courses before the application submission deadline. For example, if a student completed BUSN 5250 and BUSN 6160 in Fall 2017 and is currently taking BUSN 6180 in Spring 2018, the student can apply for SAP Recognition Award Certificate in Spring 2018 or later. However, the certificate will not be awarded until final course grades are posted and the requirements are met.

For a student who is completing his or her SAP courses during his or her last semester of study at Webster University, the above process applies. Students can request that the SAP Student Recognition Award is mailed to their home address.

For additional information about Webster's relationship with SAP University Alliance and the SAP Recognition Award, contact Dr. Ali Ovlia, professor of math & computer science, at aovlia@webster.edu or 314-246-7878.

School of Business & Technology

The George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University is a leading provider of business education worldwide. With an international student body and a network of campuses throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and cyberspace, we know firsthand what it takes to succeed in the dynamic global business environment.

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