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Professional Development Resources

Browse some of the many tools and learning opportunities available to staff from our partners at all levels of Northwestern University, whether you are an individual contributor, manager or unit leader. Most of these programs are free or available for a nominal cost. Some of the programs have eligibility requirements, which are summarized below.

Human Resources & myHR Learn

myHR Learn houses many of the powerful programs available to staff to promote professional development. The courses are organized by programs for individual contributors, managers and unit leaders. Courses focus on developing personal effectiveness, leading through collaboration and positively influencing others.

Explore myHR Learn Opportunities

LinkedIn Learning

Northwestern University and LinkedIn Learning have partnered to offer university students, faculty and staff unlimited, on-demand access to a full library of online courses at no additional cost. LinkedIn Learning hosts a variety of courses and resources on the topic of leadership.

Human resources has curated leadership development videos and other resources and organized them by topic in myHR Learn. You can access these learning tools, which complement our rich curriculum, when you need them.

Browse LinkedIn Learning Offerings

Employee Tuition Benefits

Staff can take advantage of the generous employee tuition benefits that provide assistance toward the cost of undergraduate or graduate courses taken at our top university, as well as non-credit, on-campus professional development programs through the School of Professional Studies

Explore Tuition Benefits Search Graduate Programs

Kellogg Executive Education

Whether the goal is to create a standalone solution or fashion part of a complex talent development initiative, Kellogg Executive Education focuses on how individuals and organizations can transform themselves. We offer specific plans and pathways for professional growth and functional development for individuals and teams as well as broader strategies for enterprise-wide executive development efforts.

Learn More About Kellogg Executive Education

Feinberg Administrative Leadership Development Program

The Feinberg Administrative Leadership Development Program was created to identify and develop administrative leaders. The program includes monthly sessions, lasting approximately two hours, focused on a specific content area. Each participant will also identify a process improvement project to focus on throughout the program and present on their project at the end of the program. And, finally, each participant will be assigned a mentor for the duration of the program. This program is available through a yearly nomination process for employees at the level of EX8 and above. Email us with questions about the nomination process.

Association of Northwestern University Women

The Association of Northwestern University Women (ANUW) Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) was specially designed in partnership with Northwestern’s Office of Human Resources to offer ANUW’s early-career members a strong platform on which to develop their talents and boost the trajectory of their careers. ANUW ELP is a highly experiential, six-month program that gives participants the knowledge, skills and supportive framework to take bold, decisive and courageous risks now and in the future.

Learn More About ANUW & ELP

Massive Online Open Courses

Northwestern faculty, students, staff and alumni can earn Northwestern Coursera MOOC certificates free of charge. For leadership development, Northwestern faculty host and conduct the Organizational Leadership Specialization.

A series of six courses equips you to lead organizations through clarity of purpose and effective collaboration. Topics in this specialization include:

  • Building and motivating teams.
  • Designing and delivering powerful stories.
  • Developing strategies to appropriately influence others.
  • Understanding underlying customer analytics.
  • Applying innovative approaches to deliver impact.

Search Massive Online Open Courses