Non-Credit Diploma in Professional and Leadership Studies

About the Program 

The Non-Credit Diploma in Professional and Leadership Studies is a 16-month, non-credit program designed to give you high-demand leadership skills and hands-on experience. You will complete foundational courses in leadership and human resources management, and then choose to specialize in Project Management, Human Resource Management, Business Analysis, or Adult Education. In partnership with the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), our Diploma offers a supportive experience that includes Canadian workplace training, one-on-one career counselling, and job search support led by the ISANS team, culminating in a 4-month work term in your field of study. For more information, visit the program page.

What You Will Learn 

The Non-Credit Diploma in Professional and Leadership Studies provides a comprehensive grounding in key skills that will allow you to make effective and successful short, medium, and long-term decisions as a leader in your organization. The focus of the Diploma is to help you develop as a leader, pursue specialized knowledge, and gain hands-on experience in your field. Graduates of the program will develop a personal leadership style and learn to: 

• Flexibly adapt your leadership choices to different complex dynamic contexts and situations; 
• Combine your understanding of leadership, ethics and strategy to lead with excellence; 
• Approach challenges and problems analytically and systematically; 
• Use data effectively in your problem-solving and decision-making; 
• Critically evaluate communications, ideas, perspectives, information and data; 
• Select solutions to current problems through an objective solution evaluation process appropriate to the context; 
• Manage ambiguity and uncertainty in your decision-making and problem-solving; 
• Leverage specialized skills in Project Management, Human Resource Management, Business Analysis, or Adult Education.

Why Choose This Diploma? 

You should take this Diploma if: 

• You have full-time work experience, aspire to a leadership role and want to build a solid foundation of knowledge and practice around leadership; 
• You have some leadership experience and would like to tailor your knowledge to the Canadian work context; 
• You want to gain high-demand skills and hands-on experience to launch your career in Canada; 
• You would benefit from Canadian work culture training, 1-on-1 career counselling, and job search support; 
• You want to live and study in Halifax, one of Canada’s safest and friendliest cities. 

How Will You Benefit? 

Graduates of the program will: 

• Be employment-ready for professional, leadership and management positions in the Canadian labour market; 
• Be able to communicate and interact effectively in the Canadian workplace; 
• Possess tangible skills in chosen specialties (Project Management, Business Analysis, Human Resource Management, or Adult Education and Training); 
• Understand their strengths and challenges as professionals, leaders, or managers, and how to address the challenges. 

Diploma Requirements 

The following courses are mandatory for completion of the Diploma: 

Certificate in Leadership Excellence: 

• Leadership Dynamics 
• Ethics in Action  
• Mastering Strategy 
• Risk Assessment & Management  

Certificate in Human Resource Leadership:

• Coaching Skills for Leaders 
• Strategic Communications
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution 
• Change Management 

You will also choose one of five specializations and complete all relevant coursework in that specialization: 

Project Management 

• Project Management Essentials 
• Engaging Stakeholders: Communication Strategies for Managing Expectations 
• Tracking and Forecasting Progress: Budgets, Baselines and Timelines 
• Strategies for Effectively Leading Through Change 
• Managing Uncertainty & Opportunities: Project Risk Management 
• Project Delivery Principles 
• Agile Bootcamp 
• Getting to Done: Project Closeout Best Practices 
• Project Procurement & Contract Management 
• Understanding Project Objectives: Business Requirements and Scope 

Business Analysis 

• Business Analysis Essentials 
• Business Analysis in Practice 
• Enterprise and Strategic Analysis 
• Introduction to Business Data Analytics 
• The Agile Business Analyst 

Human Resource Management 

• Human Resources Management  
• Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication 
• Organizational Behaviour 

Adult Education & Training 

• Theories of Adult Learning 
• Understanding Diversity and Inclusion 
• Program Design 
• Instructional Methods 
• Effective Facilitation 
• Indigenous Teaching and Learning Perspectives
• Designing and Teaching Online
• Evaluating Learning

At the end of the program, you will complete a 4-month work term during which you will apply your learning to real-life situations, make industry connections, and experience Canadian work culture. You must successfully complete your work term to satisfy program requirements and graduate. 

Admissions Requirements 

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in any discipline 
• A minimum overall average of 70% (around a B- or 2.7 GPA) as calculated in your undergraduate degree OR most recent degree. 
• Meet the English language requirement of IELTS 6.5, with no band below 6.0 
• Receive two (2) positive academic or professional references  
• Demonstrate three years of full-time work experience (strongly recommended) 

Do you meet all the admission requirements but need to upgrade your English? We offer in-person or fully remote courses to help you achieve your goals. See Dalhousie’s department of English Language Studies to explore your options. Before applying, please read though our Frequently Asked Questions to make sure you understand all application requirements. 

Schedule and Fees 

There are three start dates per year: in September, January, and April. Apply at any time; applications are competitive and evaluated on a rolling basis, so applying early is encouraged. This is a full-time program, and you should expect to spend a minimum of 30 hours per week engaged in courses, study, and experiential learning. 

For more information, please visit the program page or contact openlearning@dal.ca.

*Fees outlined in this section are an estimate for the full 16-month program. Total program fees may vary depending on specialization, delivery format, student service fees, textbooks and taxes. Tuition and fees are subject to review. Note: The program cost does not include the processing of the relevant visa or living expenses.