Focused Programs for Strong Leadership
Develop or refine your leadership practice with a short, focused and affordable leadership certificate from American College of Education (ACE). Whether you aspire to lead teams, teachers or schools, our leadership certificate programs can help you gain the skills and confidence needed to rally people around your vision and successfully achieve your goals.
Skills and Knowledge Gained
From team lead to principal, the best leaders have a strong understanding of leadership’s foundational principles and how their natural leadership styles influence team dynamics. Leadership certificate programs online are a great place to gain that knowledge and practice the tenets associated with effective and successful leadership. Here are just some of the skills and knowledge you can learn from our career-relevant curriculum:
- School mission and vision design and implementation
- Effective communication, advocacy and collaboration strategies
- Building trust in the workplace
- Ethical advocacy
- Establishing professional norms
- Development of workplace culture
- Data-informed decision making
Leadership Career Alignment
ACE’s leadership certificate programs are designed to help you reach specific professional goals – such as earning an administrative or principal certification or possibly reaching a new salary tier with additional graduate credits – so that you know you’re spending your time and money on exactly what you need to advance into higher-level positions.
Certificates in Leadership Admission
Along with ACE’s general admission requirements, prospective leadership certificate students must meet certain GPA and previous education requirements, which vary by program.
For certificates designed to lead to principal or administrative certification, documentation of a valid teaching license is required. Additional documentation may be required to fulfill state requirements. Find detailed admission requirements for your program of interest on the program’s page.
Success Stories
See how ACE’s affordable online degrees have helped our students elevate their careers and find success.
¹Source: Student Right to Know
Leadership Certificate Programs FAQs
What is a leadership certificate?
A leadership-focused certificate is typically a short, non-degree program that’s designed to help you develop or hone leadership-related skills. Some may discuss leadership holistically, while others cover leadership best practices within a specific context, such as within education or as it pertains to school leadership.
What can you do with a leadership certificate?
A leadership certificate can strengthen a resume, especially for those looking for leadership or management roles. It shows employers you’ve taken intentional steps to study and develop skills in that area, increasing the likelihood that you can help their organization achieve its goals. Some leadership certificates are designed to help fulfill requirements for obtaining professional certifications or licensure.
How long does it take to earn a leadership certificate online?
The time it takes to complete leadership certificate programs online can vary quite a bit depending on the nature and requirements of the program. At ACE, certificate completion time depends on the certificate’s number of credits and ranges anywhere from 9 to 18 months.* You can find more detailed time to completion information for your program of interest on the program’s page.
What careers benefit from a leadership certificate?
A leadership certificate has the potential to benefit almost any career across a wide range of industries, from education to business, healthcare to the nonprofit sector. In education especially, leadership certificates can play an important role in helping educators advance to principal, administrative and other school leadership roles.
How is a leadership certificate different from a degree in leadership?
While both programs can help you grow your leadership capacity and skills, they differ in many ways. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Time commitment: Certificates are typically shorter programs, sometimes as short as a few months. Degrees typically take a few years to complete.
What you learn: Certificates focus on specific skills. Degrees provide broader and deeper knowledge.
Career impact: Certificates often help you advance within your role or field. Degrees can qualify you for new roles or careers.
Employer perspective: Certificates are seen as professional development. Degrees are often regarded as formal qualifications.
Is a leadership certificate worth it?
In general, leadership certificates are the most helpful if you are trying to advance your current career, get promoted, move into management, transition into a people-focused role or formalize leadership experience. If your goals align with any of those areas, a leadership certificate is worth it.
*This is an estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, satisfactory pace, multiple course requests, successful course completion, and meeting program milestones as required.