Overview

Program Objectives
Why Take This Program?
Online Learning
Technical Requirements
Learning Resources
FAQ






The Diploma in Leadership will provide mid-career professionals with the education, skills development, and certification they require to become more effective leaders and to advance within their organizations. The program will focus on the challenges facing leaders in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, with an emphasis on the interaction between and interdependency of these spheres in the contemporary world.

Applicants are likely to be fully engaged in a busy workplace. In order to enable participation without requiring disruption of career or work schedule, the program will feature online learning components, supplemented by a short residential stay on the University of Guelph campus.

Successful completion of the Diploma in Leadership will signify that the recipient has completed a comprehensive program of theoretical study backed by significant practical experience and analysis. By participating in a formal assessment process, students will gain insight into their own strengths and weaknesses and their ultimate leadership potential. The program will necessarily bring together a collection of professionals with diverse experiences and outlooks. By fostering this interaction and exchange of perspectives and knowledge, the program will provide a unique opportunity for participants to enhance their understanding of the issues faced by a range of organizations and their leaders.

While the program is unmistakably geared toward improving the practical effectiveness and competence of participants in their chosen fields, it seeks to do so by enhancing their understanding of the theoretical framework and models that underlie the exercise of leadership, as opposed to simply providing a ‘cookbook' of the best practices for participants to follow. Inquiry into the role, function, and characteristics of leaders and good leadership is encouraged throughout the program, and the concluding assessment and skills-inventory process helps apply the insights gained toward the process of self-improvement and new insights into effective leadership.

The program will emphasize opportunities for interaction and collaboration among participants with diverse backgrounds and orientations: students in this program will be urged to learn from each other as well as from the instructors and course materials.

The program will draw on the strengths of the University of Guelph's existing MA programs in the departments of Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. This is what is unique about this particular program - it is rooted in the Social Sciences. A broad, multidisciplinary approach to the study of leadership is inclusive and all-encompassing, and not limited to one particular field, discipline, approach or endeavour. We believe that this is what makes this program richer and more rewarding for participants than many existing discipline-specific leadership programs.

The theory of leadership has evolved significantly in recent years. This program will envision leadership as both a personal skill – the ability to secure coordinated action in a group context – and more expansively as a complex process – an interaction between group members that is dynamic and directed. Both these aspects must be addressed in any effort to improve the quality of leadership.

The program will also confront leadership in a variety of contexts. Leadership is not solely a political or entrepreneurial phenomenon: other spheres such as the community, the public service and the non-profit sector present their own unique leadership challenges. The commonalities and variations among such different realms of leadership need to be recognized and understood.
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A comprehensive program of theoretical study backed by significant practical experience and analysis to help you develop your leadership knowledge, skills and competencies

gain insight into your own strengths and weaknesses and your ultimate leadership potential, allowing you to more effectively draw on your leadership abilities

enhance your understanding of the issues faced by a range of organizations and their leaders, enabling you to strategically confront and solve challenges by creating new opportunities

study leadership through a broad, multidisciplinary approach that is inclusive and all-encompassing, and not limited to one particular field or discipline, providing a more holistic approach to leadership

approach leadership as both a personal skill – the ability to secure coordinated action in a group context – and more expansively as a complex process – an interaction between group members that is dynamic and directed, to mobilize the necessary forces to achieve organizational objectives

confront leadership in a variety of contexts - leadership is not solely a political or entrepreneurial phenomenon: other spheres such as the community, the public service and the non-profit sector present their own unique leadership challenges

Web-based distance education format offering accessibility, flexibility and interactivity

includes one week-long residential course that provides an intensive orientation to the program and an opportunity to begin building a learning community

integrated leadership self-assessment will help you to better understand and practice your unique leadership skills

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Much of this Diploma program is conducted online via the World Wide Web. Online courses give you the same opportunity to learn as on-campus courses, except that they are much more flexible. You don't have to be in a certain place at a certain time in order to participate. Your course home page is just like your classroom. From this starting point, you'll be guided through each step of your course - learning activities, resources, discussions with your learning coach and coursemates - just to name a few. You'll be taking your course with a group of other students (and we'll suggest a weekly schedule for you to follow with your class), but you can choose the time––day or night––to get online. And although our online courses are "web-based," other materials are used as well, including textbooks, course manuals, video tapes, CD's, or readers.

The Office of Open Learning will be assisting faculty in designing, developing and mounting the online courses that are integral to this program. The following outlines the University's philosophy and approach to online learning.

We believe that online learners need to feel connected––both to their instructors and to the other people in their online class. You won't feel isolated and alone in an online course from the University of Guelph. Our courses build in opportunities for you to get to know, talk to and work with the other people in your course using our "asynchronous" computer conferencing system. We believe that people learn best when they have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers from a variety of viewpoints.

We believe that timely and consistent feedback is important to your success in an online course. If you've taken a correspondence course before, you might have experienced the "black hole syndrome"––where you keep sending in your assignments, but nothing ever seems to come back to you before the next one's due, and you're never quite sure where you stand, or even if you're "getting it." In our online courses at Guelph, we're trying to avoid that: by having you submit assignments online or by fax (so they're not held up by the postal system); by providing links to your course instructors through easy-to-use email and computer conferences; by giving you online access to your marks as soon as they're posted by your instructors.

We believe that you need a clear framework to help you work through the course, with weekly schedules and clearly defined due dates. We'll give you a small assignment early in your course, with others paced throughout the semester, so you can get going early and keep on track. And while online learning allows you lots of flexibility in your day-to-day scheduling, we've learned that suggesting a weekly schedule can be just the help learners need to keep progressing and completing what they've started.

We believe that online courses should be interactive, that is, you should get to do something as you learn. In our online courses, you'll find learning activities designed to help you practice the concepts you are learning. We want you to be actively involved in your own learning, so we've tried to avoid putting lecture materials up on the web. Instead, we use the web for what it does best––connecting you to your instructor, to a diverse group of other people and to resources that you can access as you complete the learning activities and assignments for the course.

We believe that no two students learn in exactly the same way, so we provide you with a variety of learning materials. Many of our "web-based" courses come with course manuals, video tapes, CD's, or readers. We try to offer you a choice of assignments and projects in each course so you can pursue what interests you most.

We also believe that you should have access to all the resources that you need to successfully complete your course––without having to come to the University campus. While you are welcome to come on campus, use the library, and meet any of us in person, we believe that you shouldn't have to if it's not convenient for you to do so. Our library is committed to helping you access its resources at a distance.

We believe in designing our online courses so that they place you––the learner––at the centre of the process, and surround you with the resources and help you need to make taking an online course a successful and rewarding learning experience.
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Learning online is a new experience for all of us. Some of these learning resources are designed to help you work in this new online learning environment––like how to do research on the Internet, or how to work together in online groups. Other resources are designed to help you acquire skills for making you a successful student––like how to write a better essay, or study for an exam. We've linked you to both resources and people to help you succeed as a student on the Web.

Internet Research & Online Groupwork
Internet basics, how to use the Internet for research, how to search for, evaluate and cite Internet resources, how to work together in online groups

Library Resources
University of Guelph library services for distance learners; links to databases, almanacs, electronic books and journals, government sources Learning & Writing Resources Write an essay, solve a time-management crisis, arrange for an online consultation––links to information and advice on these topics and more.
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Am I qualified to join the Diploma in Leadership?

Please check the Admission section of this website to see if you qualify.

Is the program delivered entirely online?

The program begins with a one-week residential component. During the distance courses, you will receive all the resources needed to successfully complete the course: a website for communication and research, all print-based texts and readings as well as any CD-ROMS, videos and other learning materials. All resources will be provided at no extra charge. To be able to access the needed electronic resources check out System Requirements.

Can I start and finish my online courses at any time?

Our online courses are offered one at a time, each lasting eight weeks. In between each course, you will have a break. You'll start and end your course with the same group of coursemates so you'll get to know and work with other participants. We provide you with a clear framework designed to help you to work through the course with weekly schedules and clearly defined due dates. While online learning allows you lots of flexibility in your day-to-day scheduling, we've learned that suggesting a weekly schedule can be just the help participants need to keep progressing and finish what they've started.

Do I need to be online at the same time as everyone else in my course?

You can choose the time of day or night to log onto your course's web site. Your course timeline, materials, and instructions are available online for you to read at your convenience. And our asynchronous computer conference system means that you can read messages from coursemates and post messages for everyone else to read without having to be online at the same time as anyone else. All the messages are there waiting for you when you click on a conference. You will want to log on at least once each day to keep up. All participants have access to a real-time chat program. So you may choose synchronous communication, but this is not planned as a required component of any of our courses.

How much time will I need to devote to my distance course each week?

Online learning courses are not easier than on-campus courses; they simply offer you more convenience and flexibility. Your online course will require a significant amount of reading, writing, completing assignments, and participation online. You should expect to spend 15-20 hours per week for each course taken. Experience shows that you will be most successful if you log in daily to the course website for updates and ongoing communication with peers and your Learning Coach.

What kind of computer will I need? Do I need to buy any software?

You'll need a computer (PC), a modem, and a connection to the Internet. (You can check out the computer hardware requirements here.)

How many assignments will I need to complete and how will I submit them?

The exact number of assignments depends upon the course you're taking, but most of our courses have this in common - they'll require you to complete some individual assignments and participate in some group work. We'll give you a small assignment early in your course, with others paced throughout the semester. Note that this program is based on applied knowledge. Most evaluations will be either real world case studies, simulations or experiences.

What happens if I can't get my assignment in on time?

You'll need to be aware of due dates so that you can complete and submit your assignments on time. Learning Coaches may use their discretion to deduct marks for late assignments. Contact your Learning Coach in advance of the due date, if possible, if you are unable to complete your assignment on time. Medical documentation may be requested if illness has prevented you from keeping up with your course.

How can I contact my Learning Coach?

You can post your general questions to one of the computer conferences in your course. If you'd like to talk to your Learning Coach about a private matter, you can use email (there's a direct link from your course web site) or you can phone. Technical assistance is available via computer conference, email and phone.

May I take just one or two courses?

You may take just one or two courses if that is your wish. Of course, to receive the Diploma, and to experience the complete richness of the program, it is recommended that you complete the entire program.
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