Organizational Development, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

The Organizational Development Post-Baccalaureate Certificate at Saint Louis University is designed for professionals who work with organizations to improve effectiveness and guide planned change over time. Offered through SLU’s School for Professional Studies, the certificate emphasizes applied, evidence-informed organizational development practice grounded in systems thinking and real organizational challenges.

Through the program, students learn how organizational change is designed and facilitated in practice. They develop the ability to diagnose organizational issues, design and align interventions, and consult with clients and stakeholders to facilitate effective, context-appropriate change. The certificate is well suited for professionals who want a more effective, structured approach to organizational change, regardless of formal title.

The Organizational Development certificate is a nine-credit, fully online graduate post-baccalaureate certificate delivered in accelerated eight-week terms for working professionals.

How Organizational Development Supports Change 

In today’s organizations, change is continuous rather than episodic. Professionals are expected to improve effectiveness, strengthen culture and support people through transition, often without formal authority or clear roadmaps. When organizational problems are poorly diagnosed or interventions are misaligned, even well-intentioned change efforts fall short.

This certificate develops practical organizational development capabilities. Graduates learn how to:

• diagnose organizational challenges using systems- and data-informed approaches
• design and align OD interventions with organizational goals and context
• facilitate change processes that consider structure, culture and people together
• engage stakeholders and manage resistance constructively
• evaluate the effectiveness of change initiatives and adapt over time

Part of SLU’s Leadership and Organizational Development Tradition 

The Organizational Development Graduate Certificate is part of Saint Louis University’s Master of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Development Program and reflects the same applied, evidence-informed approach to organizational change that defines the highly regarded M.A. program.

Courses emphasize applied learning, real organizational cases, and project-based work rather than abstract theory alone. Students develop OD capabilities they can use immediately in their professional contexts, whether working in formal organizational development roles or supporting change as part of broader responsibilities.

As part of the School for Professional Studies, this nine-credit, fully online program offers technology-driven professionals like you a flexible option to meet your personal career goals. If you have obtained an undergraduate degree or higher, you may pursue a stand-alone certificate. All courses are offered in eight-week terms through SLU Online, making advanced education more accessible for working professionals. 

Faculty

As a student in the School for Professional Studies at Saint Louis University, you’ll learn from exceptional faculty who are leading experts in their fields. They bring real-world knowledge to the classroom and are dedicated to your professional success. Learn more about the SPS faculty.

You could be halfway to a master’s degree."

Make yourself more marketable by diversifying your expertise and earning a master’s degree. All coursework completed successfully toward a post-baccalaureate certificate may count toward a School for Professional Studies master's degree.

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Master of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Development

Careers

The organizational development certificate prepares professionals to support organizational change, improve effectiveness, and design interventions aligned with strategy, structure, and culture. The skills developed in the program are applicable across roles and sectors, including:

• organizational development and change roles
• human resources and talent development
• training, learning, and organizational effectiveness functions
• consulting and internal advisory roles
• leadership, management, and project-based work

Graduates strengthen their ability to analyze organizational systems, facilitate change, and support sustainable improvement efforts across diverse organizational contexts.

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

For priority consideration for graduate assistantship, apply by Feb. 1.

For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

1. Graduates will be able to apply organizational development theory in intervention design.

Admission Requirements

• Completed application​
• Undergraduate degree (most successful applicants have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or better)
• Official transcript from a degree-granting institution
• Statement of purpose (about 500 words)
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• External reference recommendations (encouraged but not required)

Upon admission, a new student must successfully complete a virtual meeting with their academic coach to enroll in first-term coursework.

Requirements for International Students

Along with the general admission requirements above, the following must be provided by prospective international students:

• Demonstration of English Language Proficiency. Some examples of demonstrated English language proficiency include minimum score requirements for the following standardized tests:
  • Paper-based TOEFL: 550
  • Internet-based TOEFL: 80
  • IELTS: 6.5
  • PTE: 54
• Academic records, in English translation, for post-secondary studies outside the United States. These must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

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Program Requirements 

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

This roadmap is just one example of a semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. There are other plans students can and do take. The plan of study for each particular student is established in consultation with each student’s academic advisor; this roadmap does not replace academic advising appointments.

Roadmap notes:

• This Roadmap assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
• Courses/Milestones marked with an “!” are critical and must be completed in the semester listed in the Roadmap to ensure a timely graduation.
• Course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions, please call 314-977-2330 or email sps@slu.edu.