Course list

The ability to effectively communicate about change in an organization is essential for success. Change is inevitable and people will be affected by it to varying degrees — even by positive change — so it's important to be able to communicate clearly. In this course, you will explore the different ways change can impact people, how communication can alleviate negative reactions, and how to work with resistance to change. You will be introduced to formal communication plans, identifying the kinds of change that require documented plans and establishing the appropriate internal and external audiences that must be considered. You will then define the communication objectives for each audience, identifying their needs and discovering that each audience is distinct and may need different information at different times. Lastly, you will examine message strategy and timing, determining the content of the message, the forms of media that should be used for delivery, when to communicate with each audience, who the messenger will be, and the types of reactions to expect so that negative reactions can be effectively addressed and positive reactions can be encouraged.
  • Jun 18, 2025
  • Jul 16, 2025
  • Aug 13, 2025
  • Sep 10, 2025
  • Oct 8, 2025
  • Nov 5, 2025
  • Dec 3, 2025

A crisis can have a tremendous impact on the people involved and on an organization's performance and reputation, so it's important to communicate effectively in order to minimize negative consequences. Preparing for a crisis through the creation and ongoing analysis of a crisis communication plan can help minimize negative reactions and fallout. In this course, you will define crisis, paracrisis, and the goals of crisis communication. You will share your own experiences and practice identifying potential crises, creating a crisis communication plan, choosing a crisis communication team, and evaluating the plan.

A key component of preparing for a crisis is crafting messages for internal and external stakeholders. Messages must be quick, consistent, and open, and preparing initial statements ahead of time will help leaders and spokespersons communicate effectively during a crisis. You will examine the content of effective initial statements with the opportunity to review real-life examples, evaluating them for quality and success. You will practice addressing difficult questions and criticisms, exploring acceptable and graceful responses.

Once the crisis is over, it's important to review what worked well, what didn't, and to update the crisis communication plan for next time. Reflecting on a real life example, you will evaluate the response to the crisis and the crisis communication plan itself.

  • May 7, 2025
  • Jun 4, 2025
  • Jul 2, 2025
  • Jul 30, 2025
  • Aug 27, 2025
  • Sep 24, 2025
  • Oct 22, 2025

In today’s fast-paced professional world, the ability to write clear, compelling messages can truly set you apart. In this course, you will discover how to leverage AI as your writing partner, enhancing both the speed and impact of your communications while maintaining your personal voice.

Guided by Professor Andrew Quagliata, you will explore strategies for crafting precise AI prompts, interpret AI-generated content, and refine your final message so it resonates with your audience. Through real-world exercises — focused on drafting persuasive emails — you’ll master time-saving techniques for producing polished, engaging documents that stand out in any setting.

By the end of the program, you’ll have gained the confidence and expertise to seamlessly integrate AI into your writing process, elevating the quality of every communication you send.

This course includes a year of free access to the AI Symposium! Symposium features various live, highly participatory virtual Zoom sessions with Cornell faculty and experts to explore today’s most pressing topics with your peers. Throughout the year, you may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending a Symposium is not required to successfully complete the certificate program.

  • Jun 18, 2025
  • Aug 13, 2025
  • Oct 8, 2025
  • Dec 3, 2025

Symposium sessions feature three days of live, highly interactive virtual Zoom sessions that will explore today’s most pressing topics. The Leadership Symposium offers you a unique opportunity to engage in real-time conversations with peers and experts from the Cornell community and beyond. Using the context of your own experiences, you will take part in reflections and small-group discussions to build on the skills and knowledge you have gained from your courses.

Join us for the next Symposium in which we’ll discuss the ways that leaders across industries have continued engaging their teams over the past two years while pivoting in strategic ways. You will support your coursework by applying your knowledge and experiences to relevant topics for leaders. Throughout this Symposium, you will examine different areas of leadership, including innovation, strategy, and engagement. By participating in relevant and engaging discussions, you will discover a variety of perspectives and build connections with your fellow participants from various industries.

          All sessions are held on Zoom.

          Future dates are subject to change. You may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete any certificate program. Once enrolled in your courses, you will receive information about upcoming events. Accessibility accommodations will be available upon request.

          Symposium sessions feature three days of live, highly interactive virtual Zoom sessions that will explore today’s most pressing topics. The AI Symposium offers you a unique opportunity to engage in real-time conversations with peers and experts from the Cornell community and beyond. Using the context of your own experiences, you will take part in reflections and small-group discussions to build on the skills and knowledge you have gained from your courses.

          Join us for the next Symposium, in which we’ll share experiences from across the industry, inspiring real-time conversations about best practices, innovation, and the future of AI. You will support your coursework by applying your knowledge and experiences to some of the most pressing topics and trends in the field. By participating in relevant and engaging discussions, you will discover a variety of perspectives and build connections with your fellow participants from across a variety of industries.

          All sessions are held on Zoom.

          Future dates are subject to change. You may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete any certificate program. Once enrolled in your courses, you will receive information about upcoming events. Accessibility accommodations will be available upon request.

          If you're in charge of developing and leading strategic organizational change, there are certain tools and concepts you must be familiar with. In this course, the emphasis is on cultivating your ability to assess the need for change. By determining why your organization or team needs change, you'll be able to better answer questions like: What should you change and how should the change be handled? You will explore the political and complex process of introducing change, which includes motivating others, dealing with resistance and the emotional elements of change, and finally, extending change over time and sustaining it. The course is designed to give you practice so you can initiate and carry out a change effort.

          • May 7, 2025
          • May 21, 2025
          • Jun 4, 2025
          • Jun 18, 2025
          • Jul 2, 2025
          • Jul 16, 2025
          • Jul 30, 2025

          Have you ever known a very intelligent person who made a very bad decision? If so, you know that having a high IQ does not guarantee that you automatically make critically thoughtful decisions. Critically thoughtful problem-solving is a discipline and a skill—one that allows you to make decisions that are the product of careful thought, and the results of those decisions help your team and organization thrive.

          In this course you will practice a disciplined, systematic approach to problem solving that helps ensure that your analysis of a problem is comprehensive, is based on quality, credible evidence, and takes full and fair account of the most probable counterarguments and risks. The result of this technique is a thoroughly defensible assessment of what the problem is, what is causing it, and the most effective plan of action to address it. Finally, you will identify and frame a problem by assessing its context and develop a well-reasoned and implementable solution that addresses the underlying causes.

          • May 7, 2025
          • Jun 18, 2025
          • Jul 2, 2025
          • Jul 16, 2025
          • Jul 30, 2025
          • Aug 13, 2025
          • Aug 27, 2025

          To be an effective leader, you must be able to articulate your thoughts and positions in a clear and concise manner.

          Professor Angela Noble-Grange of Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management draws on her own extensive experience as a speaker and communicator to guide students through the preparation and delivery process. She discusses how to identify the communication purpose and analyze your expected audience. She then shares how to formulate and rehearse your message, including how to pay attention to nonverbal communication.

          To fine-tune these skills, this course includes interacting with fellow students. Students will participate in discussion forums and will record and share a video of a short presentation that serves as the course project. This provides rich opportunities for students to hone their communication and presentation skills in a practical way, and to learn from the efforts of others.

          Participants in this certificate need a high-speed internet connection and a computer or device that can shoot digital videos with reasonable quality. The eCornell course delivery system provides the ability to record and upload videos, so you won't need special video software.
          • May 7, 2025
          • Jun 4, 2025
          • Jun 18, 2025
          • Jul 2, 2025
          • Jul 16, 2025
          • Jul 30, 2025
          • Aug 13, 2025

          How It Works

          This journey has been incredibly rewarding, and I am proud of the knowledge and skills I've gained, which I am eager to apply in my marketing career. From understanding consumer behavior to developing digital strategies, this program has given me the tools to drive innovation in the marketing world. I’ve learned so much, and I’m looking forward to leveraging this expertise in future projects and collaborations.
          ‐ Yana K.
          Yana K.

          Request Information Now by completing the form below.

          Act today—courses are filling fast.
          This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.