Organizational Leadership and Transformation Certificate

Return to: College of Social Sciences

Certificate Program Lead: Charles Piazza, PhD

Sponsored by: Organizational Systems Degree Program

Description  

LEADING ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION: BECOMING A CHANGE AGENT

Organizations are made up of people, but they rarely change and adapt as well as people do. Leading organizational transformation requires an understanding of the nature of transformation, personal experience of transformation, the ability for authentic leadership, and knowledge of organizational culture, systems, and processes that support change. The Leading Organizational Transformation certificate provides the learner with the opportunity to develop organizational systems knowledge and practical skills needed to be an effective leader and change agent in whatever professional setting he or she chooses. Students develop the practical skills to understand organizational cultures and teach organizations large and small how to adapt in positive ways.

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this certificate, students will:

• Understand the breadth and depth of transformational change,
• Be able to evaluate critically existing theories and models of organizational transformation,
• Be able to work with some of the tools, techniques, and practices now available,
• Have an enhanced capacity to guide successful transformation efforts,
• Appreciate the cultural, ethical, and psychological aspects of transformation and be able to apply one’s work with compassion and respect.

Curriculum

The certificate in Leading Organizational Transformation consists of four three credit courses, a three-credit practicum, and a one-credit integrative paper.

Required Courses:  

1. ORG 7032  Dealing with Complexity: The Foundations of Systems Thinking
2. ORG 7070  Leading Organizational Transformation
3. ORG 7076  Self and Organization: Cultivating the “Spirit” in Organizations
4. ORG 7096  Organizational Culture and Cross-Cultural Management

Learning/Teaching Approach

Once you have enrolled in the certificate program in Leading Organizational Transformation, please contact the certificate director to develop a plan based on your area of interest. Students will then work through the courses, using the learning guides available on the Saybrook online learning platform, and selecting instructors that best complement their learning goals.