Leadership Essentials

****Thank you for your interest in our Leadership Essentials Certificate. As part of ongoing updates to our leadership program, this certificate is being replaced by our new Leadership Level 1: Leading Through Change (Leadership Level I | School of Continuing Studies - University of Toronto (utoronto.ca) certificate, which launched in Fall 2024. Our Leadership Essentials courses will be offered one last time in our 2024-2025 academic year, ending by August 2025.

If you are a current student and intend to finish the certificate, we have scheduled one final offering each term and ask that you sign up for it in the 2024-2025 academic year. Alternatively you may also choose to mix & match select courses. Please refer to the chart below.

If you are a new student, you are welcome to take a few courses within the Leadership Essentials certificate and we will honour them in the new Level 1 certificate (please refer to the chart below)

ABOUT THE CERTIFICATE

If you want to develop your leadership skills in key areas with focused courses, there are plenty to choose from when achieving the Leadership Essentials certificate. This program offers six leadership competencies, from which you choose the three most suitable for your career aspirations and trajectory. You'll come away with the kind of leadership and management skills that make organizations successful.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Chart the right course as a leader, with stronger critical thinking and strategic skills.
• Manage conflict to achieve the best outcome.
• Build and manage teams for top performance.
• Achieve your objectives in negotiations that build relationships.

BENEFITS

• Gain insights and knowledge in the areas most relevant to your career.
• Accelerate your career as a leader or manager by learning and applying best practices.
• Develop core leadership competencies.

REQUIRED COURSES

Conflict Management

• 2355 Understanding & Managing Conflict
• 2705 Conflict Management Skills

Critical Thinking

• 2149 Critical Thinking: Essentials
• 2329 Critical Thinking: Advanced

Top Performers and Leading Effective Teams

• 2753 The DNA of Top Performers OR
• 4100 Networking: An Intelligent Approach to Levelling Up Your Leadership Skills AND
• 2754 The DNA of Highly Effective Teams

Managing People Effectively

• 2089 Managing People: Essentials
• 2242 Managing People: Advanced

Negotiation Skills

• 2072 Be an Effective Negotiator
• 2080 Powerful Negotiation Skills

Strategy

• 2523 Win with Strategy
• 2524 Strategy in Turbulent Times

Certificate Requirements

You will need to complete both courses in any three leadership competency areas of your choosing, for a total of six courses. Please note that you cannot combine two classes from different leadership competency areas to fulfill this requirement. You have three years from the start date of your first course to complete the certificate. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) may be granted for one course.