Designing and Leading Change integrates systems thinking, organizational development, and transformative practice to equip change agents for complex environments.
Complete in 6–12 Months
Become a Catalyst for Organizational Transformation
About the Designing and Leading Change Certificate
The Designing and Leading Change Certificate is a program offered through Meridian University's Center for Transformative Learning. Designed for professionals seeking to develop expertise in facilitating organizational and systemic transformation, the certificate draws on Meridian's graduate curriculum in organizational development to provide a comprehensive foundation in change leadership.
As a certificate participant, you will take courses from the anchor and other parts of Meridian's graduate curriculum offered during the period of your enrollment. This means you will engage with the same rigorous, faculty-led coursework that graduate students experience, tailored to the certificate's focus on designing and leading change processes.
What is Designing and Leading Change?
Designing and Leading Change is an interdisciplinary approach that draws on systems thinking, organizational development, and transformative learning to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate meaningful change in complex environments. This approach recognizes that sustainable change requires both strategic design and adaptive leadership -- the capacity to see patterns, engage stakeholders, and navigate the emergent dynamics that arise when systems undergo transformation.
Meridian's organizational development curriculum provides the intellectual and practical grounding for this certificate. Coursework emphasizes cultural transformation, appreciative inquiry, action inquiry, multicultural collaboration, simulation-based practices, and the OD consultation cycle. Sample courses such as Systems Theory and Practice; Creative, Generative, and Appreciative Approaches to Inquiry; Sense-Making and Meaning-Making in Organizations; and Transforming Organizational Cultures equip certificate participants with methods drawn from the forefront of organizational development practice.
The Demand for Change Leaders
Organizations and communities worldwide face unprecedented complexity, from technological disruption to social and environmental challenges. The organizational development field emphasizes leadership and development across institutional domains including business, nonprofits, NGOs, government, education, law, and the arts. The ability to design and lead change processes that are responsive, inclusive, and generative has become a critical competency for leaders across all of these sectors. Change practitioners serve in diverse roles including organizational consultants, executive leaders, community organizers, and social innovators, bringing the skills needed to facilitate transformation at every level.
Details
Certificate Details
- 16 credits of graduate-level coursework (4 courses at 4 credits each).
- Complete in 6 to 12 months — take 8 credits per quarter (6 months) or 4 credits per quarter (12 months).
- Courses are drawn from Meridian's graduate curriculum offered during the period of enrollment.
- Content and collaboration via Meridian's social learning platform.
Tuition
$476 per credit
Total certificate cost: $7,616 (16 credits)
Credits earned through the certificate may be applied toward a Meridian University graduate degree program, as applicable.
Accreditation
The Designing and Leading Change Certificate is part of Meridian University's California state approval and WSCUC (WASC) accreditation. WSCUC is a higher education accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education. WSCUC is also the accreditor for Stanford University, UCLA, and the University of California at Berkeley.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the application requirements?
The documents below are required to complete an application for certificate programs:
- Certificate Application (opens in a new tab)
- Application Fee: A non-refundable application fee of $50 USD is required to process your application at the time of submission
- Official Bachelor's Transcript: Must be received in a sealed envelope and may be mailed directly to the University's Los Angeles Campus (2450 Colorado Avenue, Suite 100E, Santa Monica, CA 90404) from the academic institution. Electronic transcripts are accepted if sent directly from the academic institution to admissions@meridianuniversity.edu
- Personal Statement (500 words): Included as part of the application form and should highlight the formative and significant experiences in your life, and how those experiences have influenced you in choosing to pursue a certificate program
- Information Meeting Attendance: In addition to submitting application materials, it is necessary that applicants attend an information meeting with certificate program faculty prior to moving forward in the application process. Prior to scheduling an information meeting, we require prospects to meet with an Admissions Advisor to discuss their certificate program interests further
- If you have not already done so, please schedule this Advising Appointment using this link. Once you meet this requirement, we will follow up with the next steps to schedule an Information Meeting with the faculty
What is the Designing and Leading Change Certificate?
The Designing and Leading Change Certificate is a 16-credit program offered by Meridian University that provides a comprehensive foundation in Designing and Leading Change. The certificate draws on courses from Meridian's graduate curriculum, offering rigorous, faculty-led coursework aligned with the certificate's focus area.
How long does it take to complete the certificate?
The certificate can be completed in as few as 6 months (taking 8 credits per quarter) or up to 12 months (taking 4 credits per quarter). Each course is 4 credits, and the program requires a total of 16 credits.
How much does the certificate cost?
Tuition for the Designing and Leading Change Certificate is $476 per credit. The total cost for the 16-credit certificate is $7,616.
Can I apply these credits toward a Meridian degree?
Yes. Credits earned in the Designing and Leading Change Certificate may be applied toward a Meridian University graduate degree program, as applicable. This allows you to build on your certificate work if you choose to pursue further graduate study at Meridian.
Is the certificate accredited?
Yes. The Designing and Leading Change Certificate is part of Meridian University's California state approval and WSCUC (WASC) accreditation. WSCUC is a higher education accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education, and is also the accreditor for Stanford University, UCLA, and the University of California at Berkeley.
What courses will I take as part of the certificate?
Certificate participants take courses from Meridian's graduate curriculum that are offered during the period of their enrollment. The specific courses available each quarter are drawn from the anchor and other parts of the graduate curriculum, providing a rich and varied learning experience grounded in the certificate's focus area.
What technology do I need to participate?
You will need an email account, a high-speed internet connection, and access to a computer, iOS or Android device. For live video sessions, you will need a webcam and microphone for your device. Course video calls are conducted with participants video-enabled.
How many courses do I need to complete?
The certificate requires four courses. At Meridian, each course is 4 credits, so the 16-credit certificate is completed by taking four courses. You can take up to two courses per quarter (8 credits) to finish in 6 months, or one course per quarter (4 credits) to finish in 12 months.
How can I reach program support?
The program support team will be available to assist from start to finish. Please send your questions, requests, or issues to admissions@meridianuniversity.edu