Nondegree Executive Education Programs

Fuqua’s nondegree executive education programs provide professional development for executives and managers across various functions, industries, and geographies. Program participants are equipped with knowledge, strategies, action plans, procedures, and tools that they can immediately apply in their organizations.

Duke Leadership Program

Duke Leadership Program (DLP) is ideal for anyone with current or anticipated leadership responsibilities, ranging from high-level executives and managers, to managers expecting to take on leadership roles and those who are not in management positions but are expected to lead and influence others in the course of their work. The program provides a framework for understanding and improving participants’ individual leadership styles. Central to the course is a 360-degree assessment that explores participants’ strengths and weaknesses in six leadership behavior areas or domains and identifies specific challenges and opportunities. Participants work one-on-one with experienced executive coaches to develop personalized plans for successful leadership that can be implemented immediately. Learning happens through case discussion, experiential exercises, teamwork, and reflection. Upon completion, participants leave with a Professional Development Plan (PDP) and an Organizational Change Initiative (OCI).

Duke Management Program

Duke Management Program (DMP) is ideal for those who lead teams, departments, or taskforces where work is accomplished by guiding and managing others. The program is valuable to people of various levels of organizational management, from project managers to people managers. Both new and seasoned managers can benefit from the program. DMP translates the science of management into practical insights and actionable strategies. Taught by distinguished Fuqua professors who are experts in decision-making, teams, negotiation, motivation, distributed team strategies, and diversity, participants learn to identify obstacles within their organizational cultures to employee and team success and create new ways to motivate and coach employees to maximize their potential.

Strategic Communication

Strategic Communication is intended for professionals who want to enhance their ability to influence stakeholders, drive organizational change, effectively communicate their vision, and pitch ideas that resonate. Participants will learn to be seen as authentic, trustworthy, visionary, and pragmatic by harnessing effective tools and techniques of influence. Ultimately, individuals will be better able to drive transformation through crafting compelling messages, understanding audience psychology, and leveraging storytelling techniques. 

Women Leaders: Elevating Influence and Impact

Women Leaders is intended for any business leader who aspires to have greater influence and impact in their organization. This program critically examines the issues facing women who aspire to hold leadership positions. It explores the strategies employed by those who have successfully navigated to top organizational roles. Participants are given the opportunity to discover the latest research on women in business, best practices, and how to be a more effective leader while navigating the corporate landscape.

Operations Management and Strategy

Operations Management and Strategy is intended for managers and other leaders who need to connect operational decisions with the overall company strategy and to the bottom line. Participants will learn key principles to help businesses optimize their operations and maximize value creation. Specific objectives of the program are to: (1) introduce the foundations of business processes and discuss how to evaluate and improve them, (2) examine the management of supply chain, inventory, and information flows, and (3) discuss the evaluation and design of effective operations strategies that align operational capability with business goals. Through these lenses, leaders are ultimately able to identify opportunities to create value for customers and stakeholders through improved processes and products.

Business Negotiation Skills

Business Negotiation Skills benefits professionals who lead and manage projects, processes, and teams, as well as internal and external stakeholders. Effective negotiation—whether with partners, employers, managers, clients, or colleagues—is a foundational skill in management and leadership. This course differs from most negotiations programs. In addition to negotiating tactics, this program focuses on strategies to use, whether negotiating once or when nurturing a long-term relationship is highly valued. Participants learn how to leverage what makes them different from others to gain a positional advantage. During the program, participants practice their skills by role playing negotiations in a variety of settings, integrating their personal experiences with key principles from exercises and course discussions.

Financial Analysis for Non-Finance Leaders

Financial Analysis for Non-Finance Leaders is intended for business leaders in all functions, including marketing, operations, sales, HR, and development. This program introduces and explains the essential elements of financial reporting, including managerial and financial accounting. Participants learn to interpret the basic components of financial statements, develop a greater understanding of how financial information can be used as a strategic tool for decision-making, and to communicate operating, marketing, sales and growth strategies in financial terms. Understanding these important financial principles helps participants drive greater profitability, maximize shareholder return, and leverage both their own and their customer’s business.

Certificate of Leadership and Management

Drawing upon the leading-edge research and teaching excellence of Fuqua faculty, this certificate enables participants to succeed in the rapidly changing global business environment with sharpened leadership, management, and business acumen skills. To earn the certificate, professionals must complete the Duke Leadership Program and three additional electives from Fuqua’s Executive Education portfolio within three years.

Virtual Delivery

Duke faculty will engage diverse cohorts of leaders in live virtual class sessions and complement the learning experience with their own online teaching via videos, facilitated group discussion/exercises and recommended cases and articles to prepare for class discussion. Virtual programs will deliver high faculty engagement with network-expanding experiences that feature frameworks and tools to apply immediately. Visit fuqua.duke.edu/programs/executive-education for a list of virtually delivered programs.

In-Person Delivery

In-person courses are held at the JB Duke Hotel and Thomas Executive Conference Center located on Duke’s West Campus. Visit fuqua.duke.edu/programs/executive-education for a list of in-person programs.

Any of these programs can be tailored for a particular organization or department. Visit fuqua.duke.edu/programs/executive-education, call (919) 660-8011, or email execed-info@duke.edu.