Older notions of leadership, such as one leader bravely leading his or her followers, no longer serve the needs of our complex and rapidly changing society. Today, we need a more fluid concept of leadership, recognizing that leaders need to emerge in many different tiers of an organization. Designed for those who seek to expand their leadership potential, this certificate will help professionals in all walks of life learn theories and best practices of leadership, from understanding how organizations work to learning how to develop consensus among competing factions to achieve shared goals.
Post-baccalaureate students at Northwestern's School of Professional Studies pay per course. For more information about financial obligations and tuition, please visit the Tuition page.
Admission for the Leadership Certificate Program
In addition to completing an online application, you'll also need to submit a few supplemental materials. A list of requirements for admission including application deadlines and tips on how to apply can be found on the Admission page.
Leadership Registration Information
Whether you're a first-time registrant or current and returning student, all students register using our online student registration and records systems. Important information about registering for courses at SPS, including registration timelines and adding or dropping courses in which you are already enrolled, can be found on the Registration Information page.
Find out more about the Leadership Certificate Program
Program Courses:
Course Detail
Team Leadership & Decision Making <> COMM_ST 250-CN
This course is organized to expose students to concepts and
issues related to effective, ethical leadership and collaboration.
Students will come to understand models and theories that describe
these topics and gain practice thinking and writing critically. The
goal of this course is for all to leave with the foundational
strategies and knowledge to engage with others--as a leader and a
team member-- to achieve good results in good conscience.
Organizations are a part of our everyday lives. Whether at work,
school, church etc., similar interpersonal and group behaviors and
dynamics apply. The focus of this course is to examine several
aspects of organizations from an integrated perspective, including
how the formal organization, culture, people and work can all
connect to transform inputs to outputs. Emphasis will be placed on
understanding individual differences as the foundation of our
interpersonal and managerial effectiveness. Case studies, classroom
and online discussions, team assignments and presentations will all
be part of the learning. At the end of the class, it is anticipated
that students will have a better understanding of today's complex
organizations and more equipped to navigate the workplace.
This course combines classroom lecture and discussion with an
online component. For the lecture and discussion components, this
course is paired with an afternoon session of ORG BEH 311-CN, and
the in-class meetings are on alternate Saturdays: 1/12, 1/26, 2/9,
2/23, and 3/9.
The interaction of individuals in formal organizations; theory
and research integrated with cases and exercises to develop an
understanding of the dynamics of motivation, communication, group
decision making, leadership, intergroup relations, power, and
conflict. Students are encouraged to apply this knowledge to
managing relationships with superiors, subordinates, and colleagues
in their own work settings.
This course introduces the theory and practice of leadership:
the capacity to mobilize group resources to affect fundamental
change in organizations. Topics include understanding organizations
as complex social systems; the difference between leadership and
authority; navigating the politics of competing factions within
organizations to achieve shared goals; emotional intelligence and
the emerging neuroscience of leadership; the role of personal
presence in establishing trust in leader-follower relationships;
and the role of leadership in creating an environment in which
risk-taking and innovative solutions are encouraged. The classroom,
as well as students' experiences, become case studies in
leadership. First class attendance is mandatory. This course
combines classroom lecture and discussion with an online component.
For the lecture and discussion components, this course is paired
with the morning session of BLP/ORG ENGLSISH 205-CN taught by
Leslie Fischer, and the in-class meetings are on alternate
Saturdays: 9/29, 10/13, 10/27, 11/10, and 12/1. This course is part
of the Business Leadership year one cohort.
This course is an in-depth investigation of the forces driving
organizational change and their impact on people and structure.
Today's emphasis on quality, service, and efficiency has created
great urgency for change that runs counter to other factors (e.g.,
a mobile labor force, uninspired leadership, and intense global
economic pressures). The byproduct is often cynicism,
self-preservation, and confusion--ingredients for disaster. Yet
some organizations thrive; this course examines why, and explores
change drivers and dynamics across organizational settings and
situations ranging from major corporate mergers to not-for-profit
politics. This course combines classroom lecture and discussion
with an online component. This course will meet on 8/31, 9/7, 9/9,
9/14, and 9/16 in an intensive format. This course is part of the
Business Leadership year two cohort.
In this course, students achieve a working knowledge of conflict
theory and its application to negotiations; learn about their own
conflict resolution style, understand how group membership can
impact conflict. This course combines classroom lecture and
discussion with an online component. For the lecture and discussion
components, this course is paired with a morning session of BLP/ORG
BEH 301-CN taught by Robert Ernest, and the in-class meetings are
on alternate Saturdays: 1/12, 1/26, 2/9, 2/23, and 3/9. This
course is part of the Business Leadership year one cohort.
No matter the type or size, conflict takes place daily within
every organization. Despite that frequency, conflict still is
misunderstood and mismanaged. Based on research, there are
generally accepted two types of conflict; one has the ability to
increase productivity, effectiveness and satisfaction -and the
other that can create the exact opposite effect. This course
explores both the positive and negative impacts of conflict, and
include strategies used to identify and resolve conflicts so that
benefits can be received, issues addressed, and relationships
maintained. This course combines classroom lecture and discussion
with an online component. For the lecture and discussion the course
will meet in person. First class attendance is mandatory.
This course applies the concepts of strategic planning to
various types of organizations. Initial discussions will provide a
basic framework for preparing a strategic plan for corporations,
non-profits and government agencies. Practical applications will be
developed from case studies and the experiences of the instructor
and students. Since we can learn from wide range of situational
discussions, we will consider entrepreneurial and established
operations, as well as success stories and failures. This course is
conducted completely online. A technology fee will be added to
tuition.
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the
practicalities of engaging in innovative activities within a
business setting. We will focus on the challenges of managing
innovation from three vantage points: those of an entrepreneur, an
early stage investor, and a practitioner of corporate innovation.
We will dedicate most of our time to the first two of these,
exploring how an entrepreneur navigates and tackles some of the
major challenges to be faced in building a successful business, and
how an investor evaluates a business and comes to understand the
inherent risks associated with an early stage investment.
This course goes beyond simple checklists and frameworks, providing
you with practical examples and firsthand experiences interacting
with practitioners. You will, in turn, have the opportunity to
apply what you learn through an in depth final project that
requires you to translate what you learn in the classroom to a
real-life example of innovation in action.
