Workforce and Career Development Certificate Program

Being an effective manager requires learning new skills and technologies as well as juggling priorities, projects, products, and processes. Managing people is different than managing things; people have different perspectives, attitudes beliefs, and needs.

Effectively engaging, motivating, aligning, supporting, and directing people requires a combination of skills, perspective, and interpersonal awareness.

The program’s four courses provide important tools, knowledge, and awareness to improve effectiveness, efficiency, capabilities, and capacities of the modern workforce.

Program Scope and Sequence
The program consists of four required 21-hour courses offered in succession. Upon completion, a certificate will be awarded.

Who Should Attend

  • New or prospective managers: This program provides a real-world grounding in common challenges and opportunities for those who have just started or plan to manage, engage, and motivate people.
  • Experienced managers: Recent changes in the workforce and working conditions mean that experienced managers can benefit from learning about leading practices and technologies.
  • Managers who manage managers: Senior managers commonly have one or more levels of management as direct reports; these managers can benefit from new technologies and new ways of promoting management talent.

Program objectives
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

  • Identify and act on potential areas of support (or resistance) to change
  • Understand, define, and apply the concepts of performance and talent management
  • Apply strategies, best practices, and ethical guidelines to employee performance
  • Understand, identify, and reduce unconscious bias
  • Increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace
  • Develop key performance indicators from strategic goals and objectives
  • Achieve strategic and tactical goals


Continuing Education Units
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are awarded based on a standard of one unit per 10 hours of classroom contact.
Note: The University reserves the right to cancel courses due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances

Course Descriptions

BUSAD 5967: Performance Management: This course provides students with an introduction to the concepts and processes required for effective performance management, which establishes a sharper interpretation of organizational expectations that promote a less stressful workplace. Students can apply these tools to adjust workflow, recommend new courses of action, and make other decisions to help employees achieve their objectives. Focusing on continuous accountability creates a healthier, more transparent work environment.

Class Schedule

  • Fall 2024 dates TBA
  • Class taught via Zoom 
  • TBA

BUSAD 5968: Organizational Development & Change: This course outlines the guiding of an organization or team through growth, crises, and sustainment from managerial and support roles. The focus is on objective-oriented processes and diagnostics to evaluate the state of change in groups and the organization as a whole, make changes, and stay on track through to completion.

Class Schedule

  • 6 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 10 - Feb. 21, 2024
  • Class taught via Zoom 
  • $640

BUSAD 5970: Building a Diverse Workforce & Inclusive Culture: This course provides participants with a deeper understanding of the concepts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace. Starting with clarity around core concepts, participants will move on to examine all phases of the employee lifecycle to discover opportunities for reducing bias and creating inclusive cultures. As role models and leaders, participants will learn, discover, and practice behaviors to promote a greater sense of belonging and engagement for all employees.

Class Schedule

  • 6 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, March 13 - April 24, 2024
  • Class taught via Zoom 
  • $640

BUSAD 5969: Strategic Integration & Succession Planning: This course outlines the tactics and approaches to implementing strategic plans in real-world situations. Every strategic implementation includes change and people development; therefore, all successful implementations also include succession planning throughout the organization. This course includes approaches, assessments, and execution of succession planning as a key component of strategic implementation.

Class Schedule

  • 6 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, May 8 to June 19, 2024
  • Class taught via Zoom 
  • $640

For more information, contact Continuing Education at 717-749-4118 or [email protected].