The values underlying diversity, equity and inclusion motivate you as an organizational change leader. You aspire to a future vision where leaders embrace an ethical imperative to strive for equity in all of their organization’s practices. But you also must come prepared to meet your organization’s leaders and teams where they are.

The four-course, one-year Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations certificate (LEOIC) program combines research-backed change leadership principles with identity development theories to solve these challenges.

Equity and Inclusion Certificate Program

Which Inclusive Leadership program is best for you? Click here to take our quiz and find out.

We offer two paths to our Inclusive Leadership certificate. One path is through our Executive Learning and Organizational Change (ELOC) courses. The second path is through our Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations Certificate is a cohort-based certificate program. A new cohort begins every Summer quarter. Candidates for the certificate must complete four required courses plus additional co-curricular learning activities during the program's one-year period.

All classes are delivered in our hybrid class format which allows you to pursue the certificate no matter where you live in the U.S.

Degree plus certificate option. You may choose to earn your certificate as an additional credential to the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change by integrating it within the 15 credits required for the degree.

Certificate-only option. You may choose to earn your certificate as a stand-alone graduate program credential by completing the four required courses plus co-curricular activities over one year.

Change leadership for equity as an organizational imperative

Through the LEIO certificate program, you will join other professionals who are committed to building consciousness around culture, race, ethnicity, sex assigned at birth, gender identity/expression, sexual identity, social class, ability, age, religion, nationality, and other identities. You will develop a solid understanding of how individual identities and institutional/structural inequities impact experiences in organizations. 

You also will explore and discuss your own individual-level identities as well as your own lived or witnessed experiences with inclusion, exclusion, belonging, bias, harassment, ally support, bystander actions/inactions, etc.  With this foundation in mind, you will practice applying developmental theories to yourself and teams in order to facilitate diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the workplace. 

By the end of the certificate program, you will have a holistic view of the change leadership process from start to end and will be able to: diagnose the current state of an organization, develop and adapt plans, assess and measure progress, and follow through on sustainable and scalable initiatives at complex, global organizations. 

Co-Curricular Learning Activities

In addition to the coursework, LEIOC participants must complete co-curricular learning activities during the year-long program to:

• Develop an actionable and individual learning plan with goals specifically focused on building diversity, equity, inclusion and justice competencies.
• Support diversity, equity, inclusion and justice leadership development through one-on-one mentoring.
• Reflect on their learning from the required classes and how to apply it to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice challenges in organizations.
• Create a “playbook,” using design-thinking methodologies and leadership interviews, to facilitate and lead change at your current organization and beyond.

LEOIC candidates are also assigned a mentor to support their individual learning goals. Mentors are professionals experienced in organizational change and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Northwestern Equity and Inclusion Programs Quiz

Take this short quiz to see which Northwestern MSLOC and/or ELOC equity and inclusion learning programs might be right for your objectives and preferences.