Learn to lead a global workforce with strategy and empathy. Develop leadership practices, strengthen your emotional intelligence and expand your human resources expertise.
In the Graduate Certificate in Personal and Professional Leadership Development, you'll learn strategies to lead high-performing teams and increase your organization's performance.
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Program description
Changing the world needs people with strong personal and strategic leadership skills. People who understand how to lead a global workforce.
You'll gain understanding about the challenges and opportunities of thinking cross-culturally to lead a global workforce.
And, through personal coaching sessions, you'll gain insights to develop your own emotional intelligence and personal leadership style.
As a graduate of this program, you'll be empowered to create and maintain positive, productive relationships in a complicated, global workplace.
Who it’s for
This graduate certificate is a good fit for:
- experienced managers looking for insight into their leadership abilities
- people who want to develop their skills and help others become strong leaders
- human resources professionals who want to understand the global workforce by learning more about emotional intelligence
You can build from here
You can transfer nine credits from this graduate certificate into the Royal Roads MBA program.
You can also complete this graduate certificate as a completion option in the MBA program.
Program delivery
This program is delivered through a blend of online learning and an on-campus residency.
Online learning
Online courses consist of assigned readings, synchronous or asynchronous lectures, interactive discussions, and individual and team assignments.
You’re expected to meet deadlines and contribute meaningfully to your class. Your contributions are a big part of everyone’s learning.
You'll start your program with a non-credit, but required, course about academic integrity.
Residency
This blended program has one two-week residency where you will join an MBA cohort. The residency will take place at the beginning of their program for the MBA students and will be their first time together as a cohort.
*Attendance expectations for course work, sessions and some events will differ for PPLDD-Cert students.
Residencies are intensive and immersive. Many students say this time together is the highlight of their program.
During your residency, you can expect to:
- participate in approximately 20 hours of class time, engage in team work sessions and workshops
- complete homework and individual and team assignments outside of class hours
- take part in extracurricular activities and events
*There will be one course (approximately 18 contact hours) on the residency schedule designed for MBA students only. This will result in several blocks of free time for our PPLDD participants.
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Standard Admission
- Completion of a four-year (or comparable) undergraduate degree from a recognized post-secondary institution.
- Normally, at least five years of full-time relevant work experience, with three years at a management* level and increasing levels of responsibility.
Flexible Admission
- Under flexible admission, the combination of work experience, education, and professional development is assessed. Applicants must show evidence of having sufficient knowledge, skills and abilities to complete a demanding academic course of study at a master's level and have significant business-related experience.
- Applicants under flexible admission would normally require at least 10 years of full-time relevant work experience, with five years at a management* level and increasing levels of responsibility.
* Management experience could include one or more of the following:
- Formal organizational management or leadership roles in which you directly supervise staff, budgets, or complete performance-oriented work with individuals, groups, or teams.
- Roles involving consultation, negotiation with, or management of diverse interest groups, 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.
- Please ensure that you demonstrate your management experience in your detailed resume, and clearly indicate how your years of experience meet the requirements
- For all applicants, any acquisition of a professional designation, such as a CA, PMP, or other nationally recognized distinctions, should be noted on your resume in your application package.
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. An 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
In accordance with RRU's admissions policy and practices:
- All applicants must declare all post-secondary studies (courses, programs, transfer credit, etc.) in their application.
- At a minimum, applicants are expected to provide unofficial transcripts from all institutions currently or previously attended. Admissions will determine which official transcripts will be required, and these requirements will be noted as a condition of admission.
Applicants are responsible for arranging for the submission of official transcripts if/when required as a condition of admission. 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.
Transcripts are not required for non-credit programs or courses, though some programs may require proof of professional certifications or designations.
All international transcripts or credentials are subject to an international transcript and/or credential evaluation.
Statement of Intent
The statement of intent should consist of (but is not limited to) a two to three-page essay and must address the following questions:
- What influenced your decision to apply to RRU’s Graduate Certificate in Personal and Professional Leadership Development program?
- What do you hope to contribute to this program and the university?
- In 5‐10 years, how do you anticipate this program will add value?
- How is this program relevant to your personal and career goals?
- What training and/or academic courses have you done that relate to management?
- What experience have you had with distance education and self‐directed study?
- What experience do you have working collaboratively in a team?
If there is any other information that you feel might be of interest or relevance to your application, please include it in the statement of intent.
Detailed résumé
A detailed or structured résumé is one that provides a comprehensive professional profile of the applicant. We are interested in knowing where an applicant has worked, for how long, and what he or she was responsible for in the positions held. Provide as much information as possible, with special attention to the past ten years of your career. 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 responsibilities.
- Training and professional development: List career-related training and professional development programs completed with the past five years. Include the source of training, and the duration and year completed. List other training and personal development programs not already identified.
- Voluntary/unpaid work experience: List and describe any voluntary/unpaid post-secondary employment and/or community service experience. Please include name of organization, length of service and a brief description of duties.
- 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.
Letters of reference
One reference letter should be based on work experience and the other based on either academic performance or community service. However, two work-related references are acceptable in certain cases.
The reference letters should confirm that an applicant is a suitable candidate for the Graduate Certificate in Personal and Professional Leadership Development program. The writer(s) should articulate why they feel the applicant will succeed in such a program, whether they feel it will benefit the applicant (and why), and any other information about the applicant which could identify them as a good fit for the program. The context in which the referee has come to know the applicant should also be mentioned. Length and level of detail in the letters may vary; there is no set standard.
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.
