Learn how to lead from your personal strengths, work better with groups and make decisions guided by your values. Understand systems and organizations, so you can lead effectively wherever you are.
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December 08, 2025
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June 01, 2026
Application deadline
Delivery model
Domestic tuition
International tuition
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Program description
The Graduate Certificate in Leadership is a three-month, 9-credit program that offers you a foundation in leadership theory that you can apply directly to your current or future work.
Learn how to lead from your personal strengths, work better with groups and make decisions guided by your values. And understand the interconnections between organizations and communities, so you can lead effectively wherever you are.
You'll practice facilitating teams, leading teams and applying your communications skills, as you study with a group of working professionals.
Balance your work and life while you study with online courses and a short, immersive on-campus or virtual residency.
You can build from here
The certificate includes the first three courses of the Master of Arts in Leadership program.
You can take this as a standalone program or apply credits toward one of following degree programs:
- Master of Arts in Leadership
- Master of Arts in Leadership – Health Specialization
- Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
Program outcomes
Students in this program are leaders from a broad range of organizations and sectors.
Once you have completed this program, you'll be able to do the following:
- adopt a systems mindset to navigate complex leadership challenges
- lead with greater self and cultural awareness, courage, confidence, humility and caring, and
- apply a systems-thinking lens to leadership challenges and opportunities
Program delivery
The Graduate Certificate in Leadership is a three-month, 9-credit program that is delivered in two ways:
- through a blend of online learning and a two-week residency on campus (summer intake)
- entirely online (winter intake)
This includes the first three courses of the Master of Arts in Leadership, which include the following:
- Fundamentals of Personal Leadership and Learning
- Communications and Leadership in Groups and Teams
- Leadership in Systems
The Graduate Certificate in Leadership is the first term of the Master of Arts in Leadership. This means that you'll be taking your classes with students in the master's program.
Blended program
The program includes these three parts:
- Online learning for the first five weeks
- Two-week residency on campus
- Online learning for the final five weeks
There are two online components, which consist of assigned readings, synchronous and asynchronous meetings, activities, interactive dialogues, and individual and team assignments. You'll have opportunities to engage with fellow students and your instructors.
You’re expected to meet deadlines and contribute meaningfully to your class. Your contributions are a big part of everyone’s learning.
The online components require approximately 15 to 20 hours of work per week.
On-campus residency
Your two-week residency on campus will be intensive and highly relational. You'll get to know your learning team members well. Many students say this time together is the highlight of their program.
During your residency, you can expect to:
- attend classes full-time.
- complete homework and individual and team assignments both during and outside of class hours, and during the weekend in the middle of the two-week residency.
- take part in extracurricular activities
Online program
The Graduate Certificate in Leadership December program offering will be delivered entirely online in late 2023. Learn from anywhere while still building cohort connections through innovative and engaging online delivery, including a virtual residency.
Online courses, outside of the virtual residency intensive, require approximately 15 to 20 hours of work per week, and consist of assigned readings, asynchronous and synchronous dialogues, interactive discussions, reflective journaling, guest speakers, and individual and team assignments.
The online intensive is designed to allow for synchronous engagement with cohort colleagues on the topics related to the readings and the competencies in the residency term. Like in-person intensives, students will be required to attend classes full-time for the scheduled dates. Students will participate via Zoom for approximately 5-7 hours per day for each day of the intensive, plus some additional time for teamwork assignments outside of the schedule. Students should plan for time away from work for the online intensive and discuss the requirements with their families to ensure their full participation. We have created an online residency toolkit with practical considerations for setting students up for success and will provide a detailed schedule ahead of the online intensive. We use leading platforms and apps to give students an engaging way to learn remotely wherever you are in the world.
You’re expected to meet deadlines and contribute meaningfully to your class based on your leadership experience and understanding of the readings. Your contributions are a significant part of every cohort member’s learning.
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Refine results
At Royal Roads University, the real-life leadership* or people management experiences that students bring to the classroom serve to enhance everyone’s learning. We therefore strive to create an interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral, intercultural, and intergenerational learning environment. We invite applications from emerging and established leaders who bring a range of professional experiences to the cohort setting. We review all applications on a case-by-case basis.
Standard admission
- Four-year (or comparable) undergraduate degree from a recognized post-secondary institution, with a minimum GPA of B+ (3.33/4.33).
- Normally a minimum of five years of leadership* experience.
- Applicants who meet the degree requirement, but not the GPA, or have been away from academic writing for more than 10 years, will normally be required to take the “Academic Writing and Critical Thinking” course offered through Continuing Studies at Royal Roads University, and obtain a minimum B+ (77%) prior to commencing the program.
Emerging leaders who have fewer than five years of *leadership experience, yet have been in recent leadership or people management role(s) for two years or more, demonstrate exceptional leadership potential through their professional and life experiences, are preparing for further leadership roles, and otherwise meet the standard admissions criteria, are encouraged to apply.
Flexible admission
Applicants who do not meet the standard admission requirements will be considered for flexible admission and assessed as follows:
- At least 10 years of professional experience, with five years of leadership* experience.
- Flexible admission applicants will normally be required to take “Academic Writing and Critical Thinking” and obtain a minimum B+ (77%) prior to commencing the program.
*Leadership experience could include one or more of the following:
- Formal organizational leadership roles in which you directly supervise staff or complete performance-oriented work with individuals, groups, or teams.
- Leadership roles in volunteer organizations.
- Roles in which you consult, negotiate with, or manage diverse interest groups through relationship, in a complex environment.
- Roles in which you lead others toward shared goals and outcomes.
- Roles in which you influence, organize, and coordinate groups of people.
- Overcoming a challenging life experience (for self or others), which involved navigating complex systems and resulted in positive community change beyond the individual.
Please ensure that you demonstrate your leadership experience in your detailed resume, and clearly indicate how your years of experience meet the standard or flexible admission requirements.
All applications to this program require submission of the following information and supporting documents before your file can be assessed for admission:
Application form
In order to apply online, you will be required to create a log-in account using your email address. You will be required to list all credit courses and/or programs you have completed or are currently enrolled in. A non-refundable application fee will be required. If your application fees are being paid by a third party, review sponsored student information. Once submitted, you may check the status of your application at any time.
Missed your application deadline? While we can’t make any guarantees, we may be able to accommodate late applications if there's still space and enough time to process. If you're interested in an intake that is now closed to applications, apply for the next available intake and email Admissions with your preferred start date. Make sure you’re prepared to submit your program's required documents right away. We can't make an admissions decision without them.
Official transcripts
Applicants are responsible for arranging for the submission of official transcripts from ALL post-secondary (higher education) institutions currently or previously attended, for all credit courses and/or programs. Transcripts are not required for non-credit programs or courses, though some programs may require proof of professional certifications or designations. Transcripts are considered official only if submitted directly by the Registrar or other recognized authority of the providing institution in the institution’s original, sealed envelope. If the envelope has been opened, the transcripts are no longer official and new (official) transcripts will be required to complete your application.
All international transcripts or credentials are subject to an international transcript and/or credential evaluation.
Personal statement
Your personal statement should be a maximum two-page letter that speaks to the following criteria:
- Your motivation for seeking entrance to the program (please respond to all of the following: why are you interested in this program? What do you hope to learn? What excites you about RRU’s teaching and learning model? Why do you feel called to this program at this moment in time?)
- The breadth and scope of your leadership experience (using one or more of the six criteria for leadership experience listed above, please describe your current and past leadership experience(s) and, how your training and/or life experiences demonstrate your leadership capacities and potential).
- Your experience working in teams and with others from different sectors, disciplines, cultures etc., and the specific skills and capacities that you believe are relevant and applicable to the program.
- The gifts or unique strengths you can bring to the program; and
- The areas you would like to improve upon as a student in the program and as a leader more broadly.
If applicable, please expand upon why you think your life and work experience and/or related formal education and courses merit adjudication as an Emerging Leader or under the flexible admission process.
Writing sample
There are three options for your writing sample:
- You may include a recent (within the last 2 years) writing sample from your academic work that includes citations and a list of references.
- If you do not have a recent writing sample on file, you may write an original, maximum 500-word academic essay addressing the question: “What is my leadership philosophy?” Your writing should be clearly organized, should take a position substantiated with evidence from academic books and/or peer-reviewed articles, and use examples from your relevant life experience. The paper should be formatted using APA 7 style, which is the preferred referencing style in the School of Leadership Studies. (Note that a sample APA essay is also available through Owl Purdue.)
- In lieu of a writing sample, applicants may register in the Academic Writing and Critical Thinking course offered through Continuing Studies at Royal Roads University. Your course may be in progress at the time of application. However, course completion with a minimum “B+” (77%) is required as a condition for entry to the Leadership program. Please select a course offering that ends a minimum of five weeks prior to your desired program start date.
Please note: Applicants must submit a writing sample OR proof of enrolment in RRU Continuing Studies’ Academic Writing and Critical Thinking course as a part of their application package. Applicants who have previously completed RRU Continuing Studies’ Academic Writing and Critical Thinking course with a “B+” (77%) or above should submit their final grade confirmation letter.
Detailed résumé
A detailed or structured résumé is one that provides a comprehensive professional profile of applicants, targeted towards their intended program of study. We are interested in knowing where applicants have worked, for how long, and what they were responsible for in the positions held. Provide as much information as possible, with special attention to demonstrating five years of leadership experience (and a minimum of 10 years of professional experience for flexible admissions) as described on the admission requirements page. Your detailed résumé should include the following:
- Education: List all post-secondary education, degrees, diplomas, and certificates you have achieved.
- Work experience: Please include name of organization, position, length of service (month and year), and a brief description of duties.
- Voluntary/unpaid work experience: List and describe any voluntary/unpaid post-secondary employment and/or community service experience. Please include the name of the organization, length of service, and a brief description of duties, and, in particular, any leadership responsibilities. List positions you have held in this service.
- Information technology training and experience: Briefly describe your level of training and experience in the use of information technology including computers, software and telecommunications networks as tools for business, education, teaching and personal use.
- Professional memberships/affiliations: List memberships and positions you hold/have held in professional associations, service clubs, community/volunteer sector.
- Other relevant information: Provide any other information which you believe is relevant to your application and will be of assistance to the review committee in assessing what you could contribute to the learning community.
Professional references
We require two professional references. Reference letters should be completed by someone from your current professional network (within the past five years) who can attest to your commitment, knowledge, skills, and ability to complete a demanding academic program. References from direct supervisors are preferred wherever possible.
References will not be accepted from members of your family.
If applicable:
- Applicants declaring permanent resident or Convention Refugee status in Canada must submit a copy of their Permanent Resident Card (PR card) along with their application.
- Transcript evaluation fee or credential evaluation report, if submitting international transcripts.
- An official English language proficiency score report or other evidence of proficiency if English is not your primary language.
- Other information or documents as may be requested to determine your eligibility.
For information on how and where to send your supporting documents, please refer to the document submission guidelines.
