Leadership in Health Care Certificate of Specialization
Build the strategic, financial, and organizational leadership skills needed to lead teams, drive performance, and navigate change across health care organizations.
Certificate Overview
The Leadership in Health Care Certificate of Specialization from the Harvard Chan Advanced Learning Academy equips professionals with the skills to lead effectively across complex health care environments through a pathway aligned with their role, experience, and goals.
Through this specialization, you will choose one of two pathways—Leadership in Academic Health Centers or Foundations of Health Care Leadership—and complete the required curriculum within five years. Each pathway combines foundational leadership development with coursework in areas such as artificial intelligence, negotiation, finance, quality improvement, and organizational leadership. You will build the frameworks and confidence to lead teams, navigate change, and drive meaningful impact across health care settings. A Harvard credential signals your preparation to lead in one of health care’s most essential domains. Along the way, you will engage with accomplished peers and faculty through learning designed to connect leadership development with real-world health care challenges.
Important Note: Certificate criteria were updated in March 2026. If you began the Certificate prior to this update, the original requirements will apply. The Certificate name also changed from “Executive Leadership in Health Care” to “Leadership in Health Care.
Please contact enrollment@hsph.harvard.edu with any questions.
Certificate Criteria
Choose 1 of 2 pathways and complete all courses within 5 years.
Leadership in Academic Health Centers Pathway (2 courses total)
Core (Required): Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Medical Centers
Elective (Choose 1):
- Responsible AI for Health Care: Concepts and Applications
- Innovation with AI in Health Care
- Implementing Health Care AI into Clinical Practice
- Building AI Solutions to Transform Health Care
- Leadership Development to Improve Health Outcomes for All
- Emerging Women Executives in Health Care
- Conflict, Feedback, and Negotiation in Health Care
- Financial Management in Health Care for Non-Financial Managers
- Fundamentals of Health Care Quality Improvement AND Fundamentals of Designing for Scale in Health Care (Note: Both must be completed due to shorter time commitment; coming soon)
- AI in Health Systems (Coming Soon)
Foundations of Health Care Leadership Pathway (3 courses total)
Core (Choose 1):
- Conflict, Feedback, and Negotiation in Health Care
- Financial Management in Health Care for Non-Financial Managers
- Health Care Leadership Intensive for Managers (Coming Soon)
AI Elective (Choose 1):
- Responsible AI for Health Care: Concepts and Applications
- Innovation with AI in Health Care
- Implementing Health Care AI into Clinical Practice
- Building AI Solutions to Transform Health Care
- AI in Health Systems (Coming Soon)
Leadership Elective (Choose 1)*:
- Leadership Development to Improve Health Outcomes for All
- Emerging Women Executives in Health Care
- Conflict, Feedback, and Negotiation in Health Care
- Financial Management in Health Care for Non-Financial Managers
- Health Care Leadership Intensive for Managers (Coming Soon)
- Fundamentals of Health Care Quality Improvement AND Fundamentals of Designing for Scale in Health Care (Note: Both must be completed due to shorter time commitment; coming soon)
Please note: For the Foundations of Health Care Leadership pathway, the leadership elective you choose must be different than the core course you select.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no set price for this Certificate of Specialization as those pursuing a certificate will pay for each individual course within their selected pathway separately to allow for flexibility in course selection. For the cost of each course, please visit the program page links listed above.
Participants have up to 5 years to complete the Certificate of Specialization.
Yes, any of the individual courses can be taken individually, and you will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Harvard Chan Advanced Learning Academy for each course.
Earning the Leadership in Health Care Certificate of Specialization signals focused, practice-ready expertise in leading across today’s evolving health care landscape.
Beyond the credential itself, participants gain practical frameworks, applied learning, and the confidence to lead teams, navigate organizational complexity, and drive change in real-world settings. Whether pursuing leadership in academic health centers or building foundational management capabilities, you will strengthen your ability to lead with greater effectiveness across a range of health care environments.
The certificate also enhances your professional differentiation while connecting you to a network of accomplished peers and Harvard Chan faculty committed to advancing effective leadership in health care.
If you have any questions about the certificate and/or individual programs, please email Kristen Scott at enrollment@hsph.harvard.edu.