Program Overview

Certificate in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The Certificate in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion consists of four fully online courses designed to explore the struggles organizations face in achieving equity, inclusion, and harmonious environments. Through participation in the certificate, learners will explore ways to create safe spaces to engage in real dialogue, policies around fairness, respect and civility, and strategies for navigating sensitive issues related to diversity and inclusion.

Program Overview

• The certificate requires 80 hours to complete.
• The program is delivered fully online.
• The number of courses required is 4.
• The total course hours are 80.
• The time to completion is up to 3 years.

Courses

• Each course in the certificate is three weeks in length and consists of 20 learning hours, including 4.5 hours of live sessions.
• Learners can expect to spend approximately 6.5 hours per week on their studies.
• The courses are:
  • OLCD-IDEA0001 Understanding EDI: An Organization Imperative
  • OLCD-IDEA0002 Inclusive Communications in the Workplace
  • OLCD-IDEA0003 Optimizing Diverse Team Performance
  • OLCD-IDEA0004 Strategies for Implementing EDI Initiatives

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this certificate, learners will:

• Gain ideas, tools, and strategies for communicating inclusively
• Develop strategies for engaging in courageous conversations
• Develop skills to foster diverse teams
• Learn how to start an organizational D&I initiative

Prerequisites

• University-level English language proficiency is required in writing, speaking, and reading comprehension.
• An IELTS Academic score of 6.5 overall or a TOEFL-IBT score of 90 overall is recommended for this program.

Program Delivery

• The program is delivered through Dalhousie's enriched and engaging online learning platform (OpenDal).
• Courses include weekly group activities, live streaming lectures, and project work.
• Course delivery is designed to provide maximum benefit and flexibility through online study.
• All course materials are made available through the OpenDal learning platform and are included in the course fees.

Who Should Take This Certificate?

Anyone interested in learning how to advance the agenda on diversity and inclusion within their respective organization.

Career Opportunities

The Certificate in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion can help learners:

• Discover new ways of identifying diversity, leveraging diversity, and maximizing workplace diversity to achieve inclusion organizational goals and objectives.
• Increase confidence and credibility that will set a path for achieving diversity and inclusion goals and objectives.

Recognition of Prior Learning

It may be possible to receive advanced standing in this certificate based on prior learning from work or life experience. There are two types of recognition of prior learning:

• Prior Certified Learning: Assessment of prior coursework or training through a provider, that is neither a university nor a college, for the purpose of advanced standing.
• Prior Experiential Learning: Assessment of previous work and life learning that may be equivalent to learning outcomes of university courses/programs, for the purpose of advanced standing.