Classes & certificates

A key challenge for today's leaders is helping employees to understand the need for change. They must help employees discover new ways of working and embracing these new ideas. We explore strategies for communicating the need for change and building employee commitment to that change.

Artificial Intelligence is not a trend. It is a revolutionary development in technology for which all workplaces should be informed and prepared. This course is designed for non-technical managers and professionals seeking to understand and leverage generative AI in their operations.

This class uses the DiSC® assessment to boost self-awareness and explore how personality and behavior impact our interactions. Learn to see things from different perspectives and leverage these insights to create powerful synergies in your team. 

Explore the science of emotions and their impact on workplace behaviors. Use evidence-based tools to discover and develop your own Emotional Intelligence (EQ) skills and the agency to navigate pressure. Use the insight you gain to influence and support the EQ of your team.

Strategic planning provides both a process and a set of outcomes that help you find answers to core questions about organizational identity and direction. Discover how to construct your organization's strategic plan, involve other stakeholders in its development and ensure successful implementation.

Master the skills necessary to communicate effectively with internal and external audiences in today's professional environment. Learn techniques of document structure, grammar and style proven to enhance credibility and influence. Learn credibility-damaging errors and tips for avoiding them.

Refine your skills in relationship-building and learn how leading with curiosity and humility fosters trust and belonging within your team. Use activities and discussions to explore course concepts. Apply your learning to real-world scenarios so you can create an inclusive environment.

There are many myths about what managers can and should do to support employee work performance, satisfaction and engagement. Learn what decades of real-world management experience reveal about best practices and tools, plus gain insights into today's diverse and fast-moving environments.

We're seeing more organizations with employees who work from home, live in other states and often live in other countries. "Lead from a distance" by understanding the challenges and best practices. Build trust, navigate conflict, make decisions and conduct engaging meetings with virtual staff.

Neurodiversity reflects the natural variation in human minds and how people interact with the world differently as a result. In the workplace, building awareness for how neurodivergence appears within it is the first step towards realizing the innovation and creativity a supported team can generate.

Managing conflict can improve decision-making and strengthen professional relationships. In this interactive course, you'll develop your self-awareness while exploring conflict styles and approaches you can use to foster productive resolutions.

Join us for this free webinar, which previews our online course Applied AI for Non-Technical Leaders coming up on September 25 and October 9, 2024. If this webinar piques your interest, we hope you'll register for the full course. What you'll learn Artificial Intelligence stimulates so many opportunities — and a whole lot of questions. UW-Madison Continuing Studies is here to support leaders in the non-technical space who are no doubt grappling with the opportunities and inquiries Artificial Intelligence inspires. This FREE preview webinar offers a sneak peek into our new course "Applied AI for Non-Technical Leaders." In this preview webinar, participants will touch on ethical decision-making and view live demonstrations using AI. Join us and get a glimpse of the content we'll cover in the full course, facilitated by our full-course instructor. August 14th noon–12:45 p.m. CST Stacy Wilkes, Goddess.ai Who can attend? The webinar is free and open to leaders, managers and other professionals interested in learning more about this topic and registering for the Applied AI for Non-Technical Leaders course.

Communication across cultures often breaks down due to basic cultural differences that are misunderstood and frequently invisible. We introduce you to tools that enable you to identify and understand cultural differences and lay a foundation for strong cultural competency, domestically and globally.

The messages we process internally often impact how we communicate with the world around us. This course helps individuals understand their inner voice, the types and forms of intrapersonal communication and the tools for successfully using this skill in personal and professional environments.

The purpose of this final step in the Project Management (PM) Certificate is to give learners an opportunity to individually discuss their personal goals for applying best practices and skills of project management, to review important aspects of managing projects, to ask questions to further their learning and to demonstrate that they have achieved at least a basic level of understanding of project management.

Project Management for Everyone is designed to offer a gradual and effective introduction to core project management principles. Establish an understanding of foundational knowledge, concepts and tools related to project management. This course is ideal for individuals with little to no prior experience in project management or those seeking additional reinforcement before progressing to "Fundamentals of Project Management."

Develop a deep understanding of what it means to “serve first” as a leader and explore your relationship to this ideal. Go beyond the philosophy and learn the practices and behaviors that embody this leadership style – and how you can integrate it to your own.

Advance your project management skills by diving deep into some of the critical components of managing a project. Going beyond the basics of project management creates a culture of learning, accountability, transparency, high performance and successful delivery.