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Professional Development
This is a joint program of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and Harvard Business School (HBS), powered by HBS Online.
The program is subject to applicable international taxes.
The job of a school leader has never been more complex. Today’s education leaders are charged with a wide array of responsibilities – from generating better student outcomes, to recruiting, managing, and retaining high-quality faculty and staff, to cultivating collaboration and collective learning.
Leading People provides school leaders with the skills needed to manage and motivate staff, foster continuous improvement, and build leadership capabilities among individuals, groups, and teams throughout the school. It’s offered as a component of the Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML), an innovative collaboration between the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and Harvard Business School (HBS).
Leading People takes place over four weeks and will require approximately three to four hours of work each week. Course activities are both rigorous and flexible. The course learning format allows participants to choose when within a given week they complete an assignment, while engaging with specific content during designated time periods. This approach enables cohort members to work through the course elements together and fosters peer-to-peer learning. View and download the course syllabus here.
Upon successful completion of Leading People, participants will receive a certificate of course completion issued jointly by HGSE and HBS.
Hosted on the innovative HBS Online platform, Leading People is an entirely virtual, highly interactive, and case-based course. Leading People participants:
The course also features engaging case studies of the following practitioners:
CSML is designed for school leaders who are looking to deepen their knowledge of educational leadership and management in schools. Specifically:
Mary Grassa O'Neill is a specialist in school and district management and leadership, professional development for principals, and leading for equity and diversity.
Applications are processed through HBS Online. By submitting an application for the CSML program, you are applying to all four courses within CSML. If accepted to the program, participants should enroll in the course of their choice.
The HBS Online platform, including the application and courses, is designed to work on an internet-connected desktop or notebook computer running either the Chrome or Firefox browser. Tablet computers and smartphones are not supported by the HBS Online platform at this time. Click here for more information.
Effective May 15, 2023, participants who have enrolled in at least one CSML course on their own and not through a group enrollment are eligible to receive a 10% discount on each subsequent CSML course. The discount is NOT valid for the first enrolled CSML course. Participants are only eligible to receive the discount after the withdrawal deadline (24 hours after the start of a program*) passes for their first individually purchased CSML course. This discount is only applied to future enrollments and cannot be retroactively applied to a previous enrollment.
Participants who have only enrolled as part of a group enrollment agreement through access codes are NOT eligible to receive this discount.
Discounts are automatically applied to the Program Fee upon time of payment. Discounts are not available after you've submitted payment, so if you think you are eligible for an enrollment discount, please review this discount policy in detail before submitting any payment.
This 10% discount is valid on CSML enrollments submitted on or after May 15, 2023, Eastern Standard Time on the HBS Online website. This discount may not be combined with other scholarships, financial aid, or other offers. Only one discount may be used per order. This discount cannot be redeemed for cash, transferred, or sold. It is void where prohibited by law. These terms and conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. *Please note, this is 24 hours after the program materials become available, not after you log in.
This program is excluded from the use of HGSE Professional Education discounts for HGSE alumni, and is subject to applicable international taxes.