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Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations Certificate

About the Program

The Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations Certificate (LEIOC) program is a four-quarter learning experience that prepares professionals to lead and design diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) change efforts. You will learn foundations and frameworks of organizational change, explore how to apply these frameworks to DEI, and strengthen consulting skills to support your development as a DEI change agent. Students apply their learning in a culminating client design project. Previous projects have been with organizations including The Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Unruly Studios.

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Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations Certifcate Curriculum Overview

%
LEIOC students enroll part-time and work full-time throughout the program
Is the average age of LEIOC students when entering the program and with a range of 3 to 30+ years of work experience
%
LEIOC students employed in internal or consulting DEI roles within six months of graduation

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Transformational Learning

LEIOC facilitates your growth to effectively lead DEI change by taking a transformational approach to learning that goes beyond theoretical models and frameworks. LEIOC is designed to develop your ability to engage across differences in intergroup dialogue sessions, identify personal areas of growth through the IDI assessment, and work toward your personal and professional learning goals with an individual coach.

DEI Design Partnerships

Your LEIOC journey culminates with the application of key tools and frameworks to support a client organization’s DEI objectives. You and your classmates will use a design process to identify the client’s needs and co-create solutions. Read this story to learn more about our partnership with The Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Julia Bodette

“This program has solidified my belief that any organizational problem comes down to people and that having an equity lens strengthens the solution design and realization. I am excited to bring my toolkit, knowledge, and perspective to solving organizational challenges. ”

— Julia Bodette, LEIOC 2021, MSLOC 2022

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“It was so phenomenal to have a program with the depth and breadth of work, of thinkers who are at the forefront of DEI work, who were able to bring me along as a person coming from a corporate environment into an academic setting. ”

— Dwayne Maddox, LEIOC 2022

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Program Advantages

Leadership Development

  • Identify and work toward your learning goals with experienced DEI change practitioners and through individual coaching with the IDI assessment
  • Develop your leadership and critical thinking skills through exposure to DEI work in multiple contexts in team-based client projects

Strategic Focus

  • Understand how societal, organizational, and interpersonal forces create challenges and opportunities for DEI work
  • Develop a practitioner toolkit to engage and navigate the complexities of DEI work in formal organizations

Analytic Tools

  • Master the application of foundational change management frameworks and models to DEI work in various organization types
  • Develop your ability to collect and analyze multiple data types to design effective DEI programs and interventions with sustained impact

Consulting Skills

  • Develop your ability to engage in effective interpersonal communication and problem solving with various organizational stakeholder groups to support DEI change efforts
  • Sharpen your consulting and design skills through teamwork on a DEI consulting project

Learning and Organizational Change at Northwestern

Pursue a standalone certificate, earn a certificate alongside your MSLOC degree, or explore executive education options. Learn more!

Contact MSLOC

Schedule a personal chat with an advisor, current student or alum. In-Person Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:30am-4:30pm. Remote Office Hours: Friday 9:30am-4:30pm.

847-491-7376
msloc@northwestern.edu
1800 Sherman Avenue, Suite 3500
Evanston, IL 60208