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Leadership Online Graduate Certificate Program

can be completed in as little as

2 terms*

*2 terms per semester; each term is 8 weeks

Tuition

$595/credit

$1,785 3-credit course

Active Duty Military

truED Preferred Tuition

Credit Hours Required

9

Application Deadline

Spring 1: Dec. 20

Upcoming Start Dates

Spring 1: Jan. 6

Explore Leadership

Change management has become an important skill of leaders in every organization. Establish yourself as an effective leader, able to lead change in organizations and coaching diverse people to work toward a common goal, through a professional development with an online leadership certificate.

This graduate certificate in leadership can be taken as a stand-alone program, or can be embedded in Champlain's online MBA program or online master's in organization development & human relations program.

 

Build Your Career Future

In today's businesses and organizations, employers are seeking leaders who can champion change, inspire teams, and cultivate a culture of emotional intelligence.

A graduate certificate in leadership is a great way to highlight leadership development and showcase subject matter expertise, as well as gain knowledge that can be applied to your workplace from day one.

Take the next step

Academic Excellence and Recognition

New England Commission of Higher Education Logo

Regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education

gold badge for military friendly schools 2023-2024

Designated as a Military Friendly School for our commitment to the military community

Tech Guide logo/badge

Ranked among the best by Tech Guide for game design and computer science

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Named the among the best schools with accelerated bachelor's degrees by Intelligent.com

Accomplish More with a Graduate Certificate in Leadership

Business and financial occupations are expected to grow 8% from 2020 to 2030 - faster than the average growth for all fields - as a result of an increasingly complex global business landscape. The median annual wage for these roles is $72,250.*

A specialized certificate can help you build new skills, differentiate your resume, and demonstrate your value as an employee in your current organization.

*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2020

Top Reasons to Earn a Graduate Certificate

  • Climb the career ladder
  • Build new skills
  • Earn a recognized credential
  • Differentiate your resume
  • Test a new field
  • Pursue a passion
  • Demonstrate subject matter expertise
Online leadership graduate certificate student having a friendly discussion with a colleague

Program Details

Learn more about Champlain's 100% online graduate certificate in leadership, designed for working professionals.

Champlain's online leadership courses encompass the top skills needed by today's business leaders.

Required Courses:

Explore the formal and informal communication strategies that help leaders influence beyond their formal authority. Topics will include how to have generative conversations, communication tactics for engaging stakeholders, cross cultural communications, managing conflict, building impactful narratives that engage and inspire, and the impact of technology on communication in today's organizations.

Examine how to cultivate meaningful relationships across an organizational system, from co-workers, to team members, to broader stakeholders. Attention will be given to how to leverage both formal and informal relationships to create positive impact. Topics include perceptions, motivation, emotional intelligence, building teams, and conflict management.

Explore how to accelerate organizational change by focusing on and leveraging the core strengths of individuals and the collective system. Learn how to challenge the traditional deficit mindset that pervades organizations, and how to use evidence-based appreciative practices to cultivate shared leadership across a system.

Graduates of the leadership online graduate certificate program will demonstrate the following industry-specific skills, knowledge, and competencies:

  • Apply diverse communication strategies, articulate technology's role in communication, and craft narratives to manage conflicts and engage stakeholders.
  • Navigate and leverage organizational relationships by identifying interpersonal dynamics, evaluating their leadership roles within teams, and adopting behaviors that enhance both personal and group interactions.
  • Apply a strengths-based and collective approach to leadership, utilizing tools to identify and magnify organizational strengths, and design transformative processes that foster distributed leadership and drive change.

Champlain College Online's business faculty, led by Program Director Dr. Linda Miller, are expert practitioners in the field. Their industry expertise ensures that our leadership curriculum is aligned with the needs of employers, and reflects the skills today’s business professionals need for success. Classes led by our seasoned experts will give you real-world insight into the field and create a rich community of career-focused learning.

Alumni of the Champlain College Online leadership graduate certificate program work in corporations, small businesses, government organizations, and nonprofits nationwide, including:

  • Belcam, Inc.
  • Cox Automotive
  • Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • Jay Peak, Inc.
  • Naval Facilities Engineering Command 
  • Office of the Director of National Intelligence

 

Titles our alumni hold include:

  • Business Owner
  • Executive Officer
  • Patrol Agent 
  • Section Chief, Program Analysis & Reporting
  • Senior Production & Materials Planner
  • Senior Software Engineer

Many certificate students come to us seeking ways to get noticed at their current employers or to get hired in a new field. Given that, we are hyper focused on increasing the career mobility of our students and that's why we developed the Fast Start Formula Career Bundle, a suite of career offerings designed to help our students get noticed, get hired and land jobs they'll love.

Valued at over $1,000, the career bundle is offered to Champlain College Online students and includes: 

  • Fast Start Formula Course: The Fast Start Formula Course for getting noticed and getting hired is taught by Jen Morris, an executive career coach that we've developed a partnership with to support our students in their job search journeys. This course is online, self-paced and full of tips and tricks to land a job you'll love.
  • Live Webinars: Log-on to ask your specific job search questions, get live “hot seat” coaching and gain valuable insights from leading career coach, Jen Morris.
  • Landing A Job You'll Love Ebook: Download this ebook full of tips and tricks for standing out from the competition. From how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, to insider information on how recruiters work and bypassing the automated application websites, you’ll be sure to learn how rise to the top. 

Upon enrollment in a degree or certificate, your access to the Fast Start Formula Career Bundle will made available to you. 

Tuition & Costs

Graduate Tuition Fall '23 - Summer '25

$595 per credit
$1,785* per course
$450** PER CREDIT FOR ALUMNI WHO EARNED A DEGREE FROM CHAMPLAIN, ON-CAMPUS or online
$450 per credit military service members (family members see truED tuition)
$150 One-time graduation fee

*Based on a 3-credit course; cost will vary if course is a different number of credits

** Starting Summer 2024, not retroactive

See the graduate cost of attendance and fees here

 


 

Save Up To $200 Per Course

Save up to $200 per course when you take two courses per term in spring and summer 2025. 

Talk to your advisor about this opportunity to accelerate your program where you could save money on tuition. 

If you enroll in two courses during any term within the Spring or Summer semesters, you will receive a special tuition rate on your second course. This discount is for graduate students in good standing, enrolled in a degree program. 

  • For the standard tuition rate receive $200 off your second course of the term
  • For the truEd/partnership rates receive $150 off your second course of the term 

Important Note: This special tuition rate is based on course availability. If a second course isn’t available in your degree program for a given term, the rate cannot be applied. 

This offer applies to each of the four terms during the 2025 Spring and Summer semesters—Spring 1, Spring 2, Summer 1, and Summer 2, up to four times during these semesters. This special tuition rate does not extend to any additional courses, such as a third course in a term. 

The special tuition rate will be applied to the next semester as a credit after the entire semester is complete. If you do not plan to return for the next term, graduate from your program, or have other extenuating circumstances, the credit may be issued as a refund. This special tuition rate is available if you complete two courses in a term and have paid your tuition. For example, if you register for two courses but drop one, the rate will not be applied.

What To Expect at Champlain Online

Expect Convenience

Go to school wherever and whenever is best for you, on the device of your choice.

Expect A Career Focus

Relevant and immediately applicable coursework gets you ready for your next career move

Expect Support

Your dedicated academic advisor provides the support you need to meet your academic goals

Expect Superior Faculty

Learn from practitioner faculty working in the field, with real-world experience and knowledge.

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