Higher Education Leadership Program
Today’s universities operate in an environment of rapid change, increasing accountability, and growing complexity. Effective leadership in higher education requires more than subject-matter expertise; it demands strategic vision, collaborative decision-making, and the ability to lead institutions through transformation.
The Higher Education Leadership Program is designed to develop university leaders who are ready to navigate these challenges with confidence. Through a dynamic blend of research-informed practice, peer dialogue, and real-world application, participants strengthen their capacity to lead change, drive innovation, and foster institutional excellence.
Your leadership journey starts here.
Our three Higher Education Leadership Program certificates prepare faculty, staff, and senior administrators to lead with confidence and clarity in today’s complex higher education environment. Each certificate addresses the distinct realities of academic leadership, equipping you with practical skills, strategic insight, and the self-awareness needed to create meaningful impact.
Organized into three progressive tiers—Essentials, Growth, and Excellence—the program supports you at every stage of your leadership journey, from building foundational capabilities to shaping institutional direction.
Leadership Essentials Certificate
Your leadership journey is just getting started, and this is where you build your foundation. The Leadership Essentials Certificate is designed for early-career professionals, faculty, and staff in higher education who are ready to grow their influence, effectiveness, and self-awareness. Strengthen both the practical and interpersonal dimensions of leadership and gain tools you can immediately apply across academic and administrative settings.
Leadership Growth Certificate
You’re already leading, and now it’s time to lead with greater clarity, alignment, and strategic focus. The Leadership Growth Certificate supports mid-level academic and administrative leaders responsible for programs, departments, initiatives, and institutional priorities. This experience equips you with the tools, strategies, and applied knowledge to lead people effectively, manage operations thoughtfully, and connect your unit’s work to broader institutional goals.
Leadership Excellence Certificate
At this level, leadership is about shaping the institution itself. The Leadership Excellence Certificate prepares senior academic and administrative leaders to guide strategy, steward resources, and lead transformation across the university. Designed for deans, provosts, directors, and executive-level professionals, the program will strengthen your ability to navigate complexity, influence at scale, and position your institution for long-term success in a rapidly evolving higher education landscape.
Which Higher Education Leadership Certificate is Right for You?
Select the certificate that best reflects your current role, level of responsibility, and leadership experience. Each certificate is designed to meet leaders where they are and provide a pathway for continued growth and advancement within higher education.
Build the foundation for leadership success in higher education.
The Leadership Essentials Certificate builds the foundational skills you need for effective engagement in teaching, research, service, programming and operations with a focus on contribution, collaboration and individual accountability.
Register in Leadership Essentials Certificate courses if you:
- Are an early career professional (staff or faculty).
- Have worked in higher education for less than five years.
- Want to expand your influence, effectiveness, and leadership capacity.
- Are looking to build a strong foundation for career growth and advancement.
Discover new opportunities to grow as a leader.
The following courses are scheduled for Fall 2026:
- Leadership Essentials | Foundations of University Leadership
- Leadership Essentials | Ethics, Integrity and Decision-Making in Higher Ed
- Leadership Essentials | Leading Self: Time, Energy and Professional Boundaries
Our Valued Program Partners
We’re grateful for the collaboration and support of our partners, whose contributions helped us bring this program to life.