Graduate Certificate
Lean Leadership
Gain a competitive edge at the nation’s best Lean Leadership program.
Whether you’re new to Lean Leadership or an experienced practitioner, our Lean Leadership certificate enables you to bolster your credentials and improve your organization’s results. Offered in a hybrid online/in-person format to accommodate working professionals, our Lean graduate program provides a flexible, hands-on approach that you can tailor to fit your personal objectives. You’ll focus on Lean Leadership concepts that are specific to your industry, while acquiring practical tools you can implement right away. Offered in partnership with the prestigious Pawley Lean Institute, Oakland University’s Lean Leadership graduate program prepares you to excel as an organizational leader.
Whether you’re new to Lean Leadership or an experienced practitioner, our Lean Leadership certificate enables you to bolster your credentials and improve your organization’s results. Offered in a hybrid online/in-person format to accommodate working professionals, our Lean graduate program provides a flexible, hands-on approach that you can tailor to fit your personal objectives. You’ll focus on Lean Leadership concepts that are specific to your industry, while acquiring practical tools you can implement right away. Offered in partnership with the prestigious Pawley Lean Institute, Oakland University’s Lean Leadership graduate program prepares you to excel as an organizational leader.
Lean Leadership Certificate: The Oakland University Advantage
In 2019 Oakland University launched a unique collaboration with the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), established by Lean movement founder James Womack.
In addition to partnering with Dr. Womack’s organization, our Lean Leadership graduate program stands out for its:
- Exceptional faculty. You’ll learn from nationally recognized Lean Leadership experts from a wide range of industries. Our graduate faculty have pioneered new Lean applications, conducted innovative research, published widely and practiced Lean Leadership at noted organizations in all sectors.
- Tradition of excellence. Oakland University has occupied a pre-eminent position in Lean education since 2002, when former Chrysler executive Dennis Pawley established the Pawley Lean Institute. This high-profile center has spent nearly two decades at the forefront of Lean Leadership training and research.
- Interdisciplinary approach. Our Lean Leadership graduate program integrates concepts from business, management, IT, psychology, education, human resources, public administration and many other fields. You’ll acquire broad, deep expertise that prepares you to lead an organization in any industry or sector.
- Real-world curriculum. Oakland’s graduate certificate in Lean Leadership emphasizes immersive, hands-on coursework. You’ll design and lead change management initiatives at your current organization, getting real-time feedback from faculty and community partners.
- Personalized program of study. Lean Leadership offers tremendous breadth and flexibility to meet the needs of varying types of organizations. Likewise, our Lean Leadership graduate program is highly adaptable, so you can focus your studies on concepts and skills that hold particular relevance for you professionally.
What Can You Do With a Lean Leadership Graduate Certificate?
If you are an aspiring or practicing leader, our Lean Leadership graduate certificate offers essential professional development to help you advance in your career. If you’re working toward or already occupy a supervisory or managerial role, the Lean Leadership graduate program will increase your effectiveness and improve your results.
Because our Lean Leadership graduate program is so broad and interdisciplinary, you can apply your learning in any part of your organization. Some examples include:
- Change management
- Strategic planning
- Special projects
- Training and development
- Organizational behavior
- Quality control
- Sales leadership
- Operations management
- Independent consulting
Lean Leadership Graduate Certificate: What You’ll Learn
The Lean Leadership graduate certificate consists of five courses for a total of 16 credit hours, spread across three semesters. The courses are:
- Theories of Lean Leadership I and Lean Leadership Internship I
- Theories of Lean Leadership II and Lean Leadership Internship II
- Methods of Lean Leadership I
If you are planning to advance to an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership or are considering the possibility of advancing, and you have a master’s degree, you may complete the Ed.D. Cognate with one more course, bringing the total to 20 credit hours.
Lean Leadership Graduate Certificate Resources
- Graduate Certificate Requirements
- Department of Organizational Leadership
- School of Education and Human Services
Programs Related to the Lean Leadership Graduate Certificate
Not sure if the Graduate Certificate in Lean Leadership is right for you? Check out these other graduate degree programs at Oakland, and contact our admissions team to discuss your options.