Leadership Certificate Program | Northwestern SPS - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

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: 1/11, 1/25, 2/8, 2/22 and 3/7. This course is part of the Business Leadership year one cohort.

Our contemporary lives are shaped by participation in commercial, social, and government organizations. This course uses social science research to explicate the dimensions of formal organizations and show how they influence our public and private behavior. The course will investigate sources of organizational success (positive function) and failure. Students will learn how to address organizational dysfunction through applying research-based solutions. Exercises include case study scenarios, role-play videos, simulations, and path-dependent decision making. By the end of the course, students will be able to diagnose organizational problems and devise targeted remedies. This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will be added to tuition.

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 another session of the BLP program, and the in-class meetings are on alternate Saturdays: 9/28, 10/12, 10/26, 11/9, and 11/23.

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 is part of the Business Leadership year two cohort.

See Northwestern Summer Session schedule to view available sections of this course. 

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: 1/11, 1/25, 2/8, 2/22, and 3/7. This course is part of the Business Leadership year one 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. The class is structured in a blended format, with alternating weeks of in-class meetings and online participation. In-person meeting days are: 9/26, 10/10, 10/24, 11/7 and 11/21.

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.

See Northwestern Summer Session schedule to view available sections of this course.

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.

Leadership of global organizations requires understanding, appreciating and managing the impact of culture and the interplay of cultural patterns in everyday interactions. To be successful, leaders must be able to interpret complex cultural contexts and develop intercultural competence, not only in themselves but in the people they lead and the other organizations they work with. This course is designed to help students identify and explore the essential elements of a global mindset. Students examine the leadership styles of 21st century global leaders as they work collaboratively in teams to develop a unified construct of effective global leadership. This course is part of the second year Business Leadership cohort. This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will be added to tuition.