Program Overview

Introduction to the Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML)

The Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML) is a multi-course certificate program for PreK-12 school leaders, offered through a collaboration between the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and Harvard Business School (HBS). This innovative program is designed to provide school leaders with the frameworks, skills, and knowledge needed to drive meaningful improvement in schools.

Program Overview

The CSML program integrates world-class faculty and research in managing teams and organizations with best practices in educational leadership. The program consists of four online courses, which may be taken independently or in any order. Completing all four courses earns a comprehensive certificate.

Program Details

• The program is powered by HBS Online.
• The program is subject to applicable international taxes.
• The program affirms the right of all individuals to equal treatment in education without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Courses

The CSML program consists of four courses:

1. Leading Change: A CSML Course: Gain the skills and tools to successfully drive school change, build alignment across diverse stakeholders, and strengthen practices that support equity and improvement.
2. Leading School Strategy and Innovation: A CSML Course: Develop the skills to take a strategic approach to identifying challenges, analyzing the cause, incorporating innovation, and driving whole school improvement.
3. Leading People: A CSML Course: Learn how to recruit, develop, retain, and inspire outstanding individuals and teams to deliver on the vision of your school.
4. Leading Learning: A CSML Course: Learn how to create teaching and learning communities that support standards-based excellent teaching in every classroom.

Participant Experience

The CSML learning model is entirely virtual, highly interactive, and flexible, designed to fit into the busy schedules of school leaders while fostering rich peer-to-peer learning. Participants will:

• Engage in case studies featuring leaders from schools and businesses across the country.
• Learn directly from HGSE and HBS faculty on topics that span education, business, and policy.
• Take part in online interactive activities that create powerful peer-to-peer learning experiences.
• Reflect on their own practice, knowledge, and leadership challenges while identifying opportunities to apply new learnings to their unique context.
• Gain first-hand experience with the case-based and inductive learning model.

Faculty

The CSML program features a range of faculty from HGSE and HBS, including:

• Mary Grassa O'Neill, Senior Lecturer on Education, HGSE
• Monique Burns Thompson, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration, HBS
• Drew Michael Echelson, Adjunct Lecturer on Education, HGSE
• Amy Edmonson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, HBS
• Willis Emmons, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration, HBS
• David Fubini, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration, HBS
• Ronald Heifetz, King Hussein Bin Talal Senior Lecturer in Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School
• Monica C. Higgins, Kathleen McCartney Professor of Education Leadership, HGSE
• Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Gregory R. Anrig Professor of Practice, Emerita, HGSE
• Susan Moore Johnson, Jerome T. Murphy Research Professor in Education, HGSE
• John Jong-Hyun Kim, Senior Lecturer on Education, HGSE
• Pamela A. Mason, Senior Lecturer, HGSE
• Katherine K. Merseth, Distinguished Professor of Practice for Global Accounting, Risk and Agility, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University
• Euvin Naidoo, Senior Lecturer on Education, HGSE
• Irvin Leon Scott, Senior Fellow and Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus, HBS
• Michael L. Tushman, Senior Lecturer on Education, HGSE
• Richard Weissbourd, Senior Lecturer on Education, HGSE

Eligibility Policy

• Participants must successfully complete each of the four CSML courses to be eligible for the comprehensive CSML certificate.
• Participants may take the four courses in any order.
• Participants who do not successfully earn a Certificate of Completion in a course are not eligible to retake that course.

How to Apply

Applications are processed through the HBS Online platform. To apply:

1. Create an HBS Online account and verify it via the activation email within 24 hours.
2. Log in and navigate to the Certificate in School Management and Leadership, then select Apply.
3. Complete the Personal, Employment, and Open Response sections.
4. Proceed to Review & Submit to submit your application.

Payment and Discounts

• Courses are $499 each.
• Payments are only accepted by credit card or wire transfer within the HBS Online portal.
• A 10% discount is available for participants who have enrolled in at least one CSML course on their own and not through a group enrollment.
• Group discounts are also available; inquire for more details.

Deferral, Withdrawal, and Refunds

• Deferrals may be requested any time before a program starts and up to one week after the start date.
• Refunds follow HBS Online’s standard withdrawal and refund policies.