Leadership Development Certificate

Program Overview 

Leadership effectiveness is an important factor today when organizations must simultaneously cut budgets while retaining and nurturing talent. Every organization needs skilled leaders to allocate limited resources and to create a work environment that encourages employees’ growth, involvement, commitment, and retention. All of our instructors are industry professionals that deliver expert instruction that help to create solutions that ensure relevant, continuous development that will help create future leaders. 

Program Scope and Sequence 

A Penn State certificate is awarded upon completion of the four required courses. Participants not wishing to take the entire sequence are welcome to take any course that interests them pending prerequisite knowledge. 

Who Should Attend 

This program will be beneficial to any leader, supervisor, or manager—particularly those new to their role who are interested in achieving leadership excellence through a personal journey that explores values alignment, communication strategies, and ethical values. It will also help prepare new managers and supervisors to be more effective leaders. 

Program Objectives 

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to define aspects of leadership and be able to explore its relationship to not only concepts, theories, and models they have learned in class, but also to real-life scenarios in the workplace and business community. In addition, a student will be able to connect leadership development to leadership behaviors. 

Course Descriptions 

BUSAD 5526: Developing Personal Leadership 

This course covers the characteristics and key competencies of high performing leaders, helps students assess their existing skill set compared to those of an effective leader, and offers suggestions on how to implement an individualized development plan. 

BUSAD 5520: Leading Change in Organizations 

Leading an organization through change is a critical competency of leadership. Topic areas include developing blueprints for organizational change, systems thinking, whole-scale change, communicating plans, and measuring performance against bottom line results. 

BUSAD 5701: Decision Making 

This course offers a level of awareness and knowledge about the decision-making process through the lens of several tools, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator(MBTI) assessment. Building on the internationally-utilized MBTI theory, students will review and apply the five core decision making processes to their professional and personal lives. This course will offer the tools needed to prepare for an ever-changing work place, leveraging on the student’s own individualized work preferences. 

BUSAD 5604: Strategic Planning 

This course focuses on the planning responsibility of senior management. Students will examine how senior management can turn business visions into realities and gain competitive advantage in a crowded market. Readings are balanced with class exercises to develop practical skills. Students will work in teams to present their recommendations on appropriate case studies.