About This Program
The fully online Design Leadership and Impact certificate program is tailored for mid-career professionals with a bachelor’s degree in art, design, engineering, marketing, communications, or other relevant work experience.
...This certificate can be completed as a standalone for targeted professional development, or counted towards the Master of Arts in Design and Innovation.
The Design Leadership and Impact certificate is one of three stackable certificates, along with a collaborative graduate project, that make up the full Masters program. Both pathways are flexible options for career advancement or earning a graduate degree.
Program Highlights
Awarded by the Department of Art & Design in CSUN’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication.
This fully online certificate can be completed on its own or applied toward the M.A. in Design and Innovation, providing a flexible path to advanced study.
Designed to be accessible to the fully employed student and the mid-career professional, the course load is 6 units in the first semester and 4 units in the second semester.
Throughout the program, you’ll receive the one-on-one support of a team dedicated to your personal and professional success. Whether it’s enrollment, grading or financial aid, our team of experts will help you stay on track and graduate on time.
On our convenient online platform, you can earn your professional experience and credentials without ever leaving the comfort of your home. This platform allows flexibility for working professionals and students interested in enhancing their careers in the creative economy.
At the end of our program, student cohorts come together to complete a graduate project. Each team collaborates with industry professionals, and faculty advisors provide valuable feedback, resulting in a showcase of innovative solutions.
Design for Leadership & Impact
The Certificate in Design Leadership & Impact focuses on design management and leadership to innovate and create influential change across organizations and creative economies.
This certificate includes topics on:
- Intra- and entrepreneurship
- Team management
- Hiring and retaining talent
- Stakeholder management and governance
- Understanding strategies for leading artists and designers in business
- Local and global economies
- Design ethics
- Implementation of creative design for brand strategy
Upon completing this certificate, you’ll be well-equipped to propel your career in the creative industries, take on roles in art and design direction, lead creative teams, excel in negotiation and presentation skills, navigate global and cultural contexts, and effectively manage clients and stakeholders.
You’ll also explore how to leverage and lead creativity within emerging industry technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual realities.
Successful completion of this certificate program opens the door to promising career opportunities within the ever-expanding creative economy.
A Flexible Pathway to a Graduate Degree
This certificate is one of three stackable certificates—Design Strategy and Systems, Design Experiences and Interactions, and Design Leadership and Impact—along with a collaborative graduate project, that together make up the Master of Arts in Design and Innovation.
You can complete this certificate on its own, or apply it toward the full master’s degree if you choose to continue your education. It’s a flexible and valuable option, whether you’re seeking focused professional development or planning to pursue a graduate degree in the future.
What Do Design and Innovation Graduates Do?
The creative economy is a dynamic and thriving field. Our graduates pursue diverse roles, helping to shape the industry's future. Graduates step into roles such as:
- Innovation Consultant
- Design Strategist
- Product Designer
- User Experience (UX) Designer
- User Interface (UI) Designer
- Service Designer
- Design Researcher
- Creative Director
- Innovation Manager
- Human-Centered Design Specialist
- Interaction Designer
- Industrial Designer
- Experience Designer
- Brand Strategist
- Digital Product Manager
- Chief Innovation Officer
- Customer Experience (CX) Manager
- Sustainability Designer
- Design Educator/Professor
Meet your Faculty
Job Outlook: Design and Innovation
Career Opportunities
