Organizational Leadership Graduate Credit Certificate Program

The Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership is designed to enhance essential skills for making effective decisions in changing business environments. The certificate's required courses provide a strong foundation in management theory, building on the concepts of organizational behavior and leadership. Students will acquire technical skills for developing analytical approaches and improve critical thinking abilities through hands-on coursework and case studies. Real-world examples will be covered in a team and organizational culture, leadership, negotiations, and managing organizational change.

In addition to being an excellent stand-alone credential, all of the courses in the Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership can be applied toward the blended MBA program offered through Penn State's Behrend Campus. However, successful completion of the certificate neither guarantees nor implies acceptance into any graduate program at Penn State. Admission to the MBA graduate degree program is a separate step and is not guaranteed. Approval to apply non-degree graduate credits toward a degree program must be granted by the student's academic adviser, the program head or graduate officer, and the Graduate School. A maximum of 15 credits earned as a non-degree student may be applied to a degree program, subject to restrictions outlined in GCAC-309 Transfer Credit.

Effective Semester: Fall 2021
Expiration Semester: Fall 2026

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies. International applicants may be required to satisfy an English proficiency requirement; see GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

An applicant must demonstrate fundamental competence in Management, Economics, and Statistics either by attaining a B or better in MGMT 301, ECON 102 or ECON 104, and SCM 200 or equivalents, or by completing an online training module as designated by the program.

Certificate Requirements

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in Graduate Council policy GCAC-212 Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Programs.

All candidates are required to take 12 credits in four courses (managing effective organizations, leadership and ethics, negotiations, and organizational change).

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the individual, group, and organizational level drivers of behavior with an emphasis on discrimination and biases, motivation, decision making, communication, and organizational culture.
2. Recognize ethical issues, identify stakeholders affected by decisions and actions, analyze an ethical dilemma by applying multiple ethical theories and formulate a plan of action for resolving it.
3. Understand how leaders manage people and organizations to achieve effective and ethical performance and vary their leadership approaches in response to situational demands
4. Recognize negotiation situations, understand how negotiation works, and determine when to seek a negotiated agreement.
5. Know how to prepare for and take part in negotiations and obtain successful results.
6. Understand the fundamental theories and models of change processes, types of organizational change and the basic models for organizational structure, as well as the relationship between structure, culture, and management practices).

Contact