About the Certificate
The Leading AI-Powered Organizational Change Certificate (AIOC) helps you develop the skills to ethically lead and manage organizational change in a world shaped by generative AI and emerging technologies. It focuses on the need for leaders to carefully consider the impact of AI tools in businesses and non-profits. You will learn to think critically about AI, analyze its effects, and create strategies, interventions, and policies for using AI and other technologies responsibly in organizations.
Certificate Details
| Application Deadline (Fall 2025 Entry) |
Entry Quarter |
Modality |
Estimated Length |
Program Cost |
|
Priority Deadline: Jan. 24, 2025
Priority Deadline 2: April 1, 2025
Final Deadline: June 10, 2025
|
Fall 2025
|
Hybrid |
1 Year Full-Time |
$24,000 |
Flexible Certificate Options
This certificate will be offered in a hybrid format, allowing you to participate in weekly 90-minute class meetings via Zoom and attend a 2.5-day intensive session in person. The flexibility is ideal for non-residents and working professionals.
Degree + Certificate Option
You can earn a certificate while pursuing a Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) or a Master of Science in Technology, People, and Policy degree (MTePP). Sequence the certificate and degree according to your schedule and priorities.
Apply Here
Certificate-Only Option
To earn your certificate as a stand-alone graduate program credential, complete the four required courses plus cohort learning activities throughout one year.
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Curriculum
The four courses will immerse you in the latest research and applications of emerging technologies in a variety of organizational contexts. You'll learn with colleagues eager to understand both the basics of these technologies and important considerations for effective, ethical implementation for organizational change.
Four-Course Schedule
- Fall—Current Trends in Technology Innovation across Research and Industry
- Winter—Creating and Sharing Knowledge
- Spring—Technology in Context
- Summer —Designing Solutions for Organizational Effectiveness
Course Descriptions and Learning Objectives
Current Trends in Technology Innovation Across Research and Industry
In this seminar-style graduate course, you'll dive into the latest technological innovations and their impact on research, industry, and policy. Weekly presentations by experts from academia, industry, and government will cover cutting-edge fields like AI, nanotechnology, cryptocurrency, educational technology, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and blockchain. You'll explore the challenges, opportunities, and societal implications of these technologies, while engaging in discussions on their intersection with policy, ethics, and regulation. By critically assessing emerging technologies, you'll develop a comprehensive understanding of how they are reshaping industries and influencing global public policy.
Creating and Sharing Knowledge
Students explore digital workplace technology and its impact on organizational knowledge and organizational learning in the workplace. The course introduces concepts and frameworks to enable students to understand knowledge sharing and learning within communities and networks of practitioners, understand the unique attributes of digital workplace technology as it applies to organizations, and understand current and emerging uses of that technology to change the way people work or learn. Finally, students learn to apply course concepts by designing solutions to business case challenges.
Technology in Context
This course examines the development and impact of technology within historical, social, and cultural contexts, drawing on theories from Science and Technology Studies (STS). Students will explore how technology shapes and is shaped by society through frameworks like Actor-Network Theory, Technological Determinism, and the Social Construction of Technology. Using case studies and critical analysis, the course explores the relationship between technology, politics, culture, power, and identity, while also considering the ethical, societal, and political implications of technological advances. By the end, students will gain a deeper understanding of how technologies evolve within broader socio-cultural forces.
Designing Solutions for Organizational Effectiveness
Design solutions to make organizations more effective. You'll learn to employ design principles, including techniques for discovery, ideation, and experimentation. Through case studies and practical exercises, participants will develop actionable skills in identifying and reframing problems, generating innovative solutions related to artificial intelligence, and testing their effectiveness. By collaborating and embracing a mindset of continuous learning, students will be able to drive meaningful improvements within their organizations.
Contact MSLOC
Schedule a personal chat with an advisor, current student or alum. In-Person Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:30am-4:30pm. Remote Office Hours: Friday 9:30am-4:30pm.
Phone
847-491-7376
Email
msloc@northwestern.edu
Address
1800 Sherman Avenue
Suite 3500
Evanston, IL 60208
Northwestern University