Psychology of Ethical Leadership Graduate Credit Certificate Program

The Psychology of Ethical Leadership Graduate Certificate will help students learn how to build ethical organizational cultures based on diversity, equity, and respect.  Students will learn how to assess difficult ethical situations and dysfunctional behaviors, taking appropriate steps for preventing and resolving such situations.  Lastly, students will learn how to lead collaboratively and leverage the talents of all individuals in service of ethical, principled organizations.

This certificate is offered as the second in a series of three stackable credentials building toward the M.P.S. in Psychology of Leadership. It follows the Psychology of Leadership Foundations certificate, which is the first of the stackable credentials, and precedes the third of the stackable credentials, which is for the Psychology of Team Leadership. While it is not a stand alone certificate, completing this as the second of the three stackable certificates also would provide a firm foundation with which to enter other programs with a leadership emphasis.  It is intended for those early in their careers who wish to be competitive for promotions into leadership roles in the future.  It also is intended for those early or midway in their careers who are in leadership roles and aspire to advance; are in ethics and compliance, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, or human resources roles; and who work directly with leaders and teams.

Effective Semester: Spring 2024
Expiration Semester: Spring 2029

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.

• Earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• At least 2 years of paid, full-time work experience
• Formatted resume’ showing all work experience, education, and other experience
• One letter of recommendation from a professional contact who can speak to the applicant’s leadership and other skills

The language of instruction at Penn State is English. English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) may be required for international applicants. See GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

Certificate Requirements

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

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. APPLY/CREATE: Apply psychological theories to leadership issues and situations.
2. THINK: Analyze leadership situations in order to evaluate leader behaviors and predict their effectiveness in self and others.
3. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Analyze leadership situations with respect to ethics and understand the implications of leader behavior in self and others.

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