- Teach.com
- Online Education
- Online Short Courses
- Online Leadership Courses
2021 Guide to Online Leadership Certificates and Courses
Every business needs talented leaders, but there’s not always a clear path to become a leader. If you find yourself in a supervisory position or have goals of landing an upper-level management position, developing your leadership skills can help prepare you. You don’t necessarily have to earn a full degree, though. Online leadership certificates and courses can help you develop these valuable skills quickly.
Sponsored
School Name | Program | Description |
---|---|---|
Yale School of Management | Yale SOM Executive Education Women's Leadership Program | Harness Values-Based Leadership Practices to Help Advance Your Organization. Validate Your Knowledge With an Official Certificate From Yale SOM Exec Ed. Learn More. |
MIT Sloan School of Management | MIT Sloan Leadership in an Exponentially Changing World | Strategies for Executives. 6-Week Online Short Course. Explore a Range of Communication Tools and Techniques Imperative for Today’s Executive. |
University of Cambridge | High Impact Leadership | Enhance Your Leadership Influence and Pioneer Meaningful Change in Any Context. Learn About the Importance of Leadership at an Organisational Level. Register Online. |
University of Oxford | Executive Leadership Programme | Study Transformational Leadership with Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Register for the Oxford Executive Leadership Programme & Develop Your Influence. |
Northwestern University | Leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | Gain Insights Into the Business Impact of D&I With Global Case Studies. Showcase the Value of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Business. Apply Online Today. |
UC Davis | UC Davis Leadership Program | Learn to Adapt Your Leadership Style to Become a More Effective Communicator. Learn with a Top-ranked US University UC Davis Online in 8 Weeks. Find out more! |
Can You Study Leadership Online?
Many leadership courses are available entirely online, meaning you can learn new leadership and management skills without having to travel or take time off of work. You also don’t have to put your career on hold to go back to school when you take an online leadership certificate or course.
Who Can Benefit from Studying Leadership?
You don’t have to aspire to become a CEO to benefit from studying leadership. An article from Harvard Business School Online suggests that leadership training can help all sorts of professionals improve their skills and expand their career prospects:
- Early- and mid-career professionals: Can use leadership training to prepare themselves for upper-level management opportunities.
- New leaders: Can benefit from leadership training as they get oriented in their new positions.
- Aspiring entrepreneurs: May need leadership skills as they hire and train their first employees.
- Businesses and organizations: Can use online leadership training to prepare employees for internal promotions and boost employee retention.
Whether you’re just starting your career or are preparing for an upcoming opportunity, leadership training can help.
Topics in Leadership and Management Online Courses
Leadership and management courses consist of many elements to give you a well-rounded foundation in the challenges and questions you may encounter in your career. Most leadership courses will focus on some or all of these topics:
- Team-building
- Interpersonal communication
- Strategic decision-making
- Negotiation skills
- Women in leadership
- Coaching skills
- Creating effective presentations
- Employee engagement
Online Leadership and Management Certificates and Courses
Some online management certificates programs are general in nature, while other certificates and courses focus on more specific areas. These certificates can be ideal if you’re interested in a specialized topic or have a particular leadership career goal that aligns with the program.
Online Leadership Development Certificates and Courses
Online leadership development certificates are a great option if you’re looking to gain foundational leadership skills. These programs focus on equipping leaders, supervisors, managers and more with the skills to lead teams, navigate change and become more effective in current and future roles. An online leadership course may focus on leadership skills, leadership principles or leading change.
Online Decision-Making Certificates and Courses
Strategic decision-making certificates and courses can help you navigate difficult decisions. This type of education focuses on making good decisions under pressure. Coursework may focus on topics like human biases, modeling and analytics, negotiation and risk analysis. If you’d like to develop your decision-making process, this type of online management certificate could help.
Executive Leadership Certificates and Courses
If you seek an upper-level management or executive position, an executive leadership certificate or course might be the right choice for you. These education opportunities focus specifically on the skills executives need. Expect to learn about growth strategies, managing a business culture, supply chain management, marketing analytics and strategies for managing change.
Is a Leadership Course or Certificate Worth It?
Online leadership courses and certificates offer many benefits, but whether they’re worth the time and financial investment will depend on your career situation and goals.
Earning a certificate may help prepare you for upper-level business management opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that top executives had a median salary of $104,690 per year (or $50.33 per hour) in 2019. A bachelor’s degree and five or more years of experience in a related occupation are typical base requirements for these positions, the BLS reports. Still, if you’re an experienced professional looking to move to this higher level, leadership knowledge and education could give you an advantage in earning one of these positions and increasing your salary.
Even if leadership education doesn’t help you acquire an upper-level management position, there are other reasons you may consider pursuing an online leadership course or certificate. This additional education could help you improve your skills at your current job. Or, it might help you down the road when you’re ready to look for new opportunities. Having an online leadership course or certificate on your resume could demonstrate initiative, helping you stand out from applicants.
Leadership Certificate vs. Master's in Management
A master’s in management degree (MIM) can typically be completed in one year. It’s similar to an online management certificate or online leadership courses in that it requires little to no work experience. However, certificate programs can be completed more quickly—usually in a matter of months. A certificate program is generally a cheaper alternative to a master’s degree. While leadership certificate and MIM programs cover leadership topics, a MIM provides a broader business education.
Leadership Certificate vs. MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) program offers a comprehensive education to prepare you for an executive or managerial position. Some MBA programs require previous work experience. They typically cover a broad range of business topics such as accounting, finance, marketing and statistics. Most MBA programs can be completed in about two years for full-time students.
While an MBA can be a valuable way to prepare for a management career, an online leadership certificate may be a more affordable and practical solution, depending on your situation. If you already have comprehensive business skills and experience, a certificate can allow you to focus solely on your leadership skills, rather than the broad and varied topics you’d study in an MBA program. Leadership certificates also tend to take less time and cost less money to complete.
3 Benefits of an Online Leadership Certificate or Short Course Program
Online leadership courses offer many benefits, including flexible scheduling and the ability to access your coursework from anywhere. Many programs are also self-paced, so you can work on your courses when you have time. This can be especially helpful if you work full-time while pursuing your leadership education.
Below are three potential benefits of online leadership certificates and short course programs.
1. Learn about your leadership style.
Through exercises, analytical tools and even discussions, online management certificates and courses can help you learn about your leadership skills and style. You’ll explore what you’re doing well and areas where you can improve. You’re also likely to develop ideas how to make those improvements.
2. Improve your performance and your team’s productivity.
As you learn to be a more effective leader, you may start to see results within yourself and your team. A team that has good leadership may be more productive and engaged, boosting business performance. As you learn to communicate and lead better through an online leadership short course or certificate, you may develop ideas to improve your relationship with your team members.
3. Expand your career prospects.
With improved leadership skills, you may qualify for additional career opportunities. Showing that you’ve taken the initiative to further your education and talents could help you stand out from other applicants if a supervisory position becomes available.
Online Leadership Courses to Consider
School Name | Type of Program | Topic |
---|---|---|
Champlain College Online | Online Leadership Certificate | Graduate Leadership Champlain College offers a 12-credit-hour graduate certificate program in leadership. This program is entirely online, and you’ll spend 15 to 20 hours per week on coursework. The program costs $795 per credit, though active duty military enjoy a discounted price of $398 per credit. Courses cover a variety of topics like the leadership ecosystem, leading through relationships and shared leadership. |
eCornell | Online Leadership Certificates | Various Through eCornell, Cornell University offers more than 20 leadership certificate programs. You can choose from programs like digital leadership, technology leadership, public sector leadership and strategic human resources leadership. Programs have four to seven courses and take two-and-a-half to five months to complete. |
Sponsored University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership |
Online Leadership Course | High Impact Leadership This eight-week course provides leaders with the skills to manage teams in a fast-paced world. It requires eight to 10 hours per week and focuses on topics like communicating for influence, high-impact leadership capabilities and developing an innovative mindset. This course costs £2,200. |
Harvard University | Online Leadership Courses | Various Harvard offers a variety of online leadership courses. A few are free; others start at $1,250. Courses focus on many topics, including emotional intelligence in leadership, management essentials and leading in a remote environment. |
Sponsored MIT Management Executive Education |
Online Leadership Courses | Inquiry-Driven Leadership and Leadership in an Exponentially Changing World MIT offers two self-paced online leadership courses. Inquiry-Driven Leadership explores a question-based approach to leadership and how you can use it to become a better problem-solver. Leadership in an Exponentially Changing World discusses the skills leaders need to evolve. Both courses cost $2,800. |
Syracuse University | Online Leadership Certificate | Creative Leadership This 15-credit certificate can be completed entirely online, or you can complete the coursework on campus. Courses focus on valuable skills like workforce team management, conflict resolution and networking. Applicants must have an associate degree or 60 college credits. |
Sponsored UC Davis |
Online Leadership Program | Leadership and the Situational Leadership Model UC Davis offers an eight-week online leadership program. You’ll spend seven to 10 hours per week on coursework in a flexible learning structure. Modules include topics like leading change, leadership and personality, and leading in times of crisis. |
Villanova University | Online Leadership Certificate | Organizational Leadership This three-course program focuses on strategic organizational leadership and maximizing team effectiveness. You can choose one elective to customize the certificate to your interest. Each eight-week course costs $2,095 to $2,495. |
Sponsored Yale School of Management |
Online Leadership Program | Women in Leadership Yale’s six-week women’s leadership program requires a six- to eight-hour commitment per week. You’ll study self-knowledge, values-driven leadership and emotionally intelligent leadership. This program costs $2,800. |
Last Updated August 2020
{"admissionsEmail": "CSDadmissions@onlinegrad.baylor.edu", "degreeOffering": "bay-csd", "fields": [{"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "What is your highest level of education completed?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "level_of_education", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "High School", "value": "High School"}, {"label": "Associate\u0027s", "value": "Associates"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s in Progress", "value": "Bachelors In Progress"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s", "value": "Bachelors"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s in Progress", "value": "Masters In Progress"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s", "value": "Masters"}, {"label": "Doctorate", "value": "Doctorate"}]}}, {"hidden": true, "label": "", "name": "no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent", "required": true, "type": 9, "value": {"gdprOnly": "false"}}, {"hidden": false, "mountPoint": 1, "name": "", "type": 7, "value": {"text": "This personal data is collected and processed by [--link:https://2u.com]2U, Inc.[link--], Speech@Baylor\u0027s technology partner. "}}, {"hidden": false, "mountPoint": 2, "name": "", "type": 7, "value": {"text": "Your personal data will be used as described in our [--link:https://onlinegrad.baylor.edu/legal/privacy-policy/]privacy policy[link--]. You may opt out of receiving communications at any time."}}], "grouping": "bay-umt", "id": 505, "inferredFields": {"country": "country_name"}, "programsOfStudy": "5deaba1d-fbec-424e-86fe-d9667d8d1747, 5deaba1f-75d7-4a44-81ac-8f826be9bdbe, 5deaba1d-e046-49df-9aca-011511274519, 5deaba1f-76ea-4028-828d-b87e3af49a2f", "published": "2020-10-02T19:13:51.273Z", "screens": [{"allFields": [0, 1], "conditional": {}, "out": {"0": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}], "version": "1.0.1"}
{"admissionsEmail": "CSDadmissions@onlinegrad.baylor.edu", "degreeOffering": "bay-csd", "fields": [{"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "First Name", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "first_name", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "Email", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "email", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "Last Name", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "last_name", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "What is your highest level of education completed?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "level_of_education", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "High School", "value": "High School"}, {"label": "Associate\u0027s", "value": "Associates"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s in Progress", "value": "Bachelors In Progress"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s", "value": "Bachelors"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s in Progress", "value": "Masters In Progress"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s", "value": "Masters"}, {"label": "Doctorate", "value": "Doctorate"}]}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "Have you taken the GRE?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "test_taken", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "Yes", "value": "Yes"}, {"label": "No", "value": "No"}, {"label": "Registered but not taken", "value": "Registered But Not Taken"}]}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "Which best describes your experience in the speech pathology field?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "which_best_describes_you", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "I\u0027m starting my education", "value": "I\u00e2\u0080\u0099m starting my education"}, {"label": "I\u0027ve taken some courses", "value": "I\u00e2\u0080\u0099ve taken some courses"}, {"label": "I have a BA or BS in the field", "value": "I have a BA or BS in the field"}]}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "What was your undergraduate GPA?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "stated_gpa_range", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "4.00 and above", "value": "4.00 And Above"}, {"label": "3.99 - 3.50", "value": "3.99 - 3.50"}, {"label": "3.49 - 3.00", "value": "3.49 - 3.00"}, {"label": "2.99 - 2.50", "value": "2.99 - 2.50"}, {"label": "2.49 and below", "value": "2.49 And Below"}]}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "State", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "state", "required": true, "type": 5, "value": {}}, {"conditionallyRendered": true, "helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "GDPR Marketing Consent", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "lead_share_opt_in", "required": true, "type": 8, "value": {"disclaimer": "", "leadShareOptIn": {"email": "Please email me about these educational programs.", "leadShareValue": "BAY-CSD Marketing", "phone": "", "sms": "", "text": "Baylor University\u00e2\u0080\u0099s technology partner, [--link:https://2u.com]2U, Inc., and its family of companies[link--], work with multiple universities to offer educational programs in speech-language pathology and other fields. "}, "retailOptIn": {"email": "Email", "phone": "Phone", "sms": "", "text": "Yes, I want to receive additional information about Speech@Baylor. Please contact me via:"}}}, {"conditionallyRendered": true, "helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "Phone", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "phone", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": true, "label": "Degree Interest", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "degree", "required": false, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "CSD", "options": [{"label": "CSD", "value": "CSD"}]}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "Zip", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "zip_code", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": true, "label": "Country of Residence", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "country", "required": false, "type": 6, "value": {}}, {"conditionallyRendered": true, "helpText": "", "hidden": false, "label": "US Consent", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "lead_share_opt_in", "required": true, "type": 11, "value": {"checkboxText": "Please contact me about these educational programs.", "defaultChecked": true, "defaultRadio": "none", "disclaimer": "Baylor University\u00e2\u0080\u0099s technology partner, 2U, Inc., and its family of companies, work with multiple universities to offer educational programs in speech-language pathology and other fields. ", "format": "checkbox", "optInValue": "BAY-CSD Marketing", "smsHiddenConsent": false}}, {"helpText": "", "hidden": true, "label": "leadsource", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "lead_source", "required": false, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "TeachDotCom", "options": [{"label": "TeachDotCom", "value": "TeachDotCom"}]}}, {"hidden": true, "label": "", "name": "no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent", "required": true, "type": 9, "value": {"gdprOnly": "false"}}, {"hidden": false, "mountPoint": 1, "name": "", "type": 7, "value": {"text": "This personal data is collected and processed by [--link:https://2u.com]2U, Inc.[link--], Speech@Baylor\u0027s technology partner. "}}, {"hidden": false, "mountPoint": 2, "name": "", "type": 7, "value": {"text": "Your personal data will be used as described in our [--link:https://onlinegrad.baylor.edu/legal/privacy-policy/]privacy policy[link--]. You may opt out of receiving communications at any time."}}], "grouping": "bay-umt", "id": 505, "inferredFields": {"country": "country_name"}, "programsOfStudy": "5deaba1d-fbec-424e-86fe-d9667d8d1747, 5deaba1f-75d7-4a44-81ac-8f826be9bdbe, 5deaba1d-e046-49df-9aca-011511274519, 5deaba1f-76ea-4028-828d-b87e3af49a2f", "published": "2020-10-02T19:13:51.273Z", "screens": [{"allFields": [3, 15], "conditional": {}, "out": {"2": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}, {"allFields": [0, 2, 1], "conditional": {}, "out": {"3": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}, {"allFields": [6, 4, 5], "conditional": {}, "out": {"1": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}, {"allFields": [7, 11, 12, 9, 14, 10, 13, 8, 16, 17], "conditional": {"13": [1, "", [{"data": "state.no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent"}, {"data": "true"}, {"op": 1}, {"data": "state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"}, {"data": "eu"}, {"op": 1}, {"op": 7}]], "8": [1, "", [{"data": "state.no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent"}, {"data": "true"}, {"op": 0}, {"data": "state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"}, {"data": "eu"}, {"op": 0}, {"op": 8}]], "9": [3, "", [{"data": "state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"}, {"data": "eu"}, {"op": 0}]]}, "out": {"-1": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}], "version": "1.0.1"}