Earn a leadership credential that can take you forward.
No matter your industry or career stage, our programs can help you advance your career and expand your skill set by combining theory, research, and practice across certificate options for current and aspiring leaders. Our graduate certificates can be completed as stand-alone credentials or earned as stackable programs embedded in the Master of Science in Leadership degree. Undergraduate certificates complement any bachelor's degree pathway and apply directly toward the B.S. in Leadership or B.S. in Criminal Justice. Each certificate requires three courses.
Undergraduate Certificate Programs
The Department of Leadership offers two undergraduate certificate programs, both available 100% online. Each applies directly toward the B.S. in Leadership or B.S. in Criminal Justice, so the credits you earn work toward your degree from day one.
This program develops the durable skills—communication, leadership, teamwork, and critical thinking—that employers consistently prioritize across every industry. Aligned with National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career readiness competencies, it complements any major and strengthens students' marketability in a competitive job market. Topics include leadership development, information and digital literacy, group dynamics and collaboration, and professional communication.
This undergraduate certificate combines foundational leadership principles with core criminal justice knowledge, preparing both aspiring and current law enforcement professionals for careers in public safety. Topics include leadership foundations and skill development, organizational leadership and civic engagement, the U.S. criminal justice system, criminal law, and law enforcement administration and supervision.
Graduate Certificate Programs
The Department of Leadership offers six graduate certificate programs, all available 100% online. Each can be completed as a stand-alone credential or stacked toward the Master of Science in Leadership, giving you the flexibility to advance your career on your own terms.
This online program is designed for professionals who have already earned a Bachelor's degree and would like to enhance their leadership skills to increase individual success and maximize the impact they have on their colleagues, communities, and organizations.
The Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution and Negotiation explores the realm of its subject through a mixture of required and elective coursework. Topics covered include negotiation, conflict management, ethics, power, organizational dynamics, and best practices.
The interdisciplinary curriculum in this 9-hour program promotes a scientific approach to optimizing organizational outcomes by equipping leaders with the skills to cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive climate.
Students will learn how to find a funding source among various public and private sources and how to plan and write a proposal. Additionally, students will become well-prepared for the procedures required within organizations for proposal processing and managing grant awards such as budget development, implementation, accepting and managing grant and contract awards, reporting and record keeping, ethics in the grants environment, closeout procedures, and program evaluation.
The Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Law Enforcement integrates leadership and criminal justice coursework to prepare working professionals for supervisory and administrative roles in public safety. Topics include leadership development and organizational innovation, ethical decision-making in high-stakes environments, conflict management and negotiation, and the foundations of criminal justice systems spanning policing, courts, and corrections.
The Graduate Certificate in Leading Organizational Change explores the realm of organizational change in a series of three courses that cover topics including organizational change itself, structure, and dynamics and also the topics of influence and persuasion.