Discover what moral leadership is and how you can leverage personal experience and values into your future practice of moral leadership.
Acquire explicit goals and develop concrete next steps for beginning your practice of moral leadership within the implicit and explicit norms of organizations and societies.
Learn more about the foundations of policy design and develop techniques that empower you to design, analyze, and recommend effective policies.
Expand your capabilities by learning how solutions scale and acquiring strategies that enable you to successfully navigate sensitive political and organizational obstacles.
See the world through a much clearer lens by learning how to leverage descriptive evidence, use analytical methods for complex problem-solving, and weigh the net benefits of decisions.
Gain essential tools to truly detect evidence of the impact policies have on the world and use these findings to craft stronger policies and programs.
Build the skills to lead change, and earn a potential pathway to a master's degree.
Designed by renowned Harvard Kennedy School faculty, the Public Leadership Credential (PLC) is a flexible, fully online program designed to help you lead change in your organization, community, and beyond. Through six-week courses grounded in real-world challenges, you’ll gain practical frameworks and skills you can apply immediately—whether you’re leading teams, shaping policy, or driving change in your organization.
Why PLC?
How It Works: Six Courses Across Three Focus Areas
The Public Leadership Credential from Harvard Kennedy School consists of six six-week courses in three curricular areas: Evidence for Decisions, Policy Design and Delivery, and Leadership and Ethics. Each curricular area includes two online courses and offers engaging, collaborative educational experiences similar to those in our degree programs.
PLC courses are staffed by a team of subject matter experts who convey the instructional presence of our program's expert faculty.
“A” Courses: Build Your Foundation
Start with an A course in the curricular area of your choosing.
“B” Courses: Apply & Expand Your Skills
After completing an A course, you can either continue your learning with the B course in the same curricular area or register for an A course in another curricular area.
Capstone Assessment
Upon successful completion of all six courses, the next step is to complete the capstone. It is the last requirement you must fulfill to receive your Public Leadership Credential. This cumulative online capstone project combines the tools and concepts gained across all your leadership training in the PLC, empowering you to apply your knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Whatever your goals for change in your community, job, or industry, the Public Leadership Credential offers a series of courses to help you improve your decision-making, leadership, and policy-making skills. Whether you register for one course or complete the entire credential, you will develop a toolkit of skills to take immediate action while you learn. The fully online program is a reflection of Harvard Kennedy School’s mission of improving public policy and public leadership to create societies that are safer, freer, more just, and more sustainably prosperous.
Requirements
The PLC is designed for professionals with a bachelor's degree and a minimum of five years of experience, and a commitment to the public good. Learners do not need to have advanced experience with statistics. Participation in the program requires proficiency in English and 10 to 12 hours per week dedicated to reading, viewing multimedia materials, participating in group learning activities and discussions with peers, and completing interactive assignments.
