Organizational Leadership Graduate Certificate

Certificate Overview

The most effective leaders invest time developing the knowledge, strategies, and empathy required to bring out the best in others. Start building your organizational leadership skills to achieve lasting success by enrolling in this specialized graduate certificate from CSU’s College of Business.

Your path to becoming a more capable leader

As a student in this nine-credit program, you will explore and analyze common challenges that business leaders face in almost every industry. You will also learn how to design, implement, and scale lasting solutions to meet those challenges.

Capable leaders must have the ability to assess organizational challenges and develop comprehensive strategies informed by both people and systems. Through applied experiences and projects, this certificate will teach you how to lead in a changing environment. Topics of study include:

How to build and lead exceptional teams
How to strategically manage human capital
Proven negotiation and communication tactics
International business fundamentals

Option to pursue your master’s degree

All credits earned apply toward the College of Business Master of Business Administration (MBA) program after formal admission per University transfer policies. Successful completion of the courses or certificate does not guarantee admission to the degree program.

Tuition Benefits

The Colorado State University College of Business offers special tuition benefits for the following:

Colorado residents are eligible for a 5% tuition benefit.
Active military, honorably discharged veterans, military spouses, and military dependents are eligible for a 15% tuition benefit.
Corporate partners may qualify for 10% off the cost of tuition. Reach out to CSU’s admissions team to learn if your company offers a corporate partner tuition benefit.
Alumni of CSU Fort Collins are eligible for a 15% tuition benefit.

Curriculum

Choose 9 credits from the following:

BUS 515– Career Management (1 cr.)
BUS 618– Crisis Leadership (1 cr.)
BUS 619– Ethical Leadership Symposium (1 cr.)
BUS 620– Leadership & Teams (2 cr.)
BUS 622– Self—Leadership in Organizations (2 cr.)
BUS 623– Building and Leading Exceptional Teams (2 cr.)
BUS 626– Managing Human Capital (2 cr.)
BUS 627– Essentials of Negotiations (2 cr.)
BUS 662– International Business (2 cr.)
LEAP 500– Leadership in the Arts (3 cr.)
SPMT 572– Sport Organizational Communication (2 cr.)

Total program credits: 9

Admission to a business graduate program and/or additional coursework may be required to meet prerequisites. Contact the department for more details.

You must be admitted to this program for the certificate to appear on your official University transcript.

How to Apply

Application Deadlines

Fall:	July 31
Spring:	January 1

Start your application online and upload materials directly into the online system. You can save your progress and return any time.

Apply Now

1Review Admission Requirements

Graduate certificate applicants generally must meet or exceed the following criteria:

An undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution in any field
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher from your most recent degree completed^†
International applicants: minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores^‡

Note: Although the Graduate School prefers that applicants meet the minimum admission criteria, failure to meet one may be offset by strengths in other areas, as determined by the Graduate Program Committee.

†Please submit an academic performance explanation if your GPA was lower than 3.0.

‡A minimum Internet-based TOEFL score of 86 or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 or a minimum of PTE score of 58 is required for all certificates except Accounting Ethics and Auditing, which requires a minimum Internet-based TOEFL score of 95 or minimum IELTS score of 7.0.

2 Complete Online Application

Complete the online graduate application and pay the nonrefundable application processing fee (payable online). As soon as you have completed the required information, please submit your application. Your application will not be reviewed until it is complete and all required materials have been received.

Choose "Organizational Leadership (Certificate) – Distance" when choosing the Program of Study. (Note: You must first select "Certificate" at the top.)

3 Request Transcripts

Request one official transcript of all collegiate work completed from all institutions attended. Transcripts from Colorado State University are not required. Transcripts must be received directly from the originating institution to be considered official.

Electronic (preferred):
Digital Transcripts must be submitted by the originating institution using a secure service such as parchment, eScrip-Safe, the National Student Clearinghouse, or e-Quals. Transcripts received via emails are considered unofficial.

Use institution code 4075 for Colorado State University or gradadmissions@colostate.edu if the secure service requires an email address.

Mail (if necessary)
Graduate Admissions
Colorado State University – Office of Admissions
1062 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062

Check Your Application Status

View your application status at any time to ensure your application checklist is complete or to check on updates.

Once your complete application, including supporting materials, is received, the department admission committee will review your application and notify you of their decision.

Information for International Students

Official transcript translation

Ensure official copies include a certified translation into English (only one set of transcripts is required).

Official test scores

Colorado State University requires that proficiency in English language be demonstrated either by the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE academic tests prior to admission. Please submit one of the official scores from the list below. Tests must be taken within two years prior to admission and submitted directly from the Educational Testing Service (select institution code: 4075).

The minimum TOEFL score for admission without condition is 550 (paper-based), or 80 (internet-based).
The minimum IELTS score for admission without condition is 6.5.
The minimum PTE Academic score for admission without condition is 58.

All applicants who are citizens of countries in which English is not the official language, and who do not have an undergraduate degree from the U.S. must submit TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores.